ANN. Lord, barn! Yee need nit gang to Laa Fornass for wark, hear's fowk enow hear et will employ yee.

STRANGER. If ea thout sae I'd stay. But whaar mun I gang tea to git wark? yee mun help me tea it: I ken nae yan ea this spot.

MARY. Thau cudn't a leet on a better body then Ann; she kens awth girt farmers rawnd, an will git tea intul sum spot.

ANN. Aye, thau mun stay hear aw neet, an toth morn Ise feend tea a maister, a Goddil. Thear's a merry-neet at awr neist nebbors to-neet, an thau may gang the way and git a sweethart, it will cheer the a bit. What says tea?

STRANGER. I hae nin omme donsin-shoon; I wod I hed, for Ise rackend a fearful top donser at heaam, an Ise terrable keen on't, I nivver miss a merry-neet for ten mile raund. Awe awr kin is rackend girt featers; I think imme mind I cud bang awth ward in a hornpipe, an Ise a top hand at a jig an a reel, nin ea awr parts can top me: nay, I bangd th maister et com tae Hougil at his boll, an thear wur a fearful grand man et com frae a spot welly be Lunon, an he cood me tea him, an sed, Me lad, thau ert best donser I ivver saw ea oa me time; then sed he, Dud tae ivver donse on a stage? I sed Nay. He sed, If I wor thee I'd gang toth hopera hause, I think he coad it, Thau mud git a hundreth a yeer for donsin for th king.

ANN. Why dunnet yee; whya yee er a boarn

D

foal. Wad I cud donse an wor young, I'd gang mesel. Whya lad thau mud meaak the fortun.

MARY. An yet yee er agayn me gangin onny whaar ith ward.

ANN. Whar teth Dule wod tae gang? Is tae nit wed an gitten barns abaut tae. Hang the for a lairly steay at heaam an be content; mind tea tow spinnin, an let me hear nae mair othee maggats ea runin frae the ane heaam. Cum, lad, Ise tak thee amang young fowk, yeel sean kna yan anudder. STRANGER. Aye, Ise sean ken em; Ise nae way

swamas.

ANN. Farweel Mary. Ise coo an see thee neist week. Ise cum yaur way, an I'll bring a bit a tee imme pocket, an a white leaaf, an weel hev a swoap a tee tegidder, an nivver heed Joan.

MARY. Ise be varra fain tae see yee, for I hae nea yan to hoppen me sel teaa but yee. Farweel Ann.

END OF DIALOGUE I.

DIALOGUE II.

Between Betty, Aggy, and Jennet, upon the loss

BETTY.

WHY

of a husband.

HYA haw er yee oa hear. I wod hae cum et seea afore naw, but it hes been sae caad, I was terrable feard a meaakin me sel badly agayn: en I've hed a fearful time on't for

sure.

AGGY. Yee hev indeed, en yee leak fearful badly. Cum en sit yee dawn ith neak, en keep yer sel

warm.

upth fireside, this rotten Dunnet sit thear Betty,

JENNET. Let me sweep tow meaaks us aw dirt. for when th dure hoppens awth seat an th reek el blaw ea yer feace. Kem awt yer haar mudder, an put on yer cap; what a seet yee er.

AGGY. Dear me, barn, I dunnet mitch heed me sel; I hae lost aw me comfort ea this ward.

BETTY. Aye, here hes been a girt awteration sen I wur here.

AGGY. Aye, waist omme! I hev hed a saar loss; I hev parted wie a varra gud husband. O dear! oh! oh!

BETTY. What yee munnet greet, but mack yer sel content; it's God's will! We mun oa gang yaa time er udder, I racken.

JENNET. I oft tell me mudder shee's rang to freat; mony a yan's wars of then us: shee's a varra gud hause, en two conny fields, a moss, an a varra gud garth, four kaws, a coaf, a galoway, twenty sheep, en a varra gud swine et dunnet want aboon a week et been fat enuff ta kill; we hae baith meal en maut ith ark, en part of a flick a bacon, beside a netful a fleaks, en plenty a potates: soa then yee kna ther can be nae want.

BETTY. Ise fain et hear it. En thau mun stay et heaam, en be a good lass, en cumfort the mudder, en keep the sel unwed en tae can.

JENNET. Ise dea me best.

BETTY. What il yee keep awth swine, er yeel sell sum on't? yee can nivver dea wie it oa.

AGGY. Nay, Ise sell o'th legs an a flick en keepth rest. I've a deal to think on naw sen I lost my poor man; he oaways used tae butch it his sel, but naw I mun pay for it been dun. Nae weast me! What a girt loss I hev on him, he was sean gean ith end, thof he hed meand him this hoaf yeer, en hed a girt caadness in his heaad, en wod oft tak awt his pocket-neckclath an lig it on his heaad, en he thout it meaad it yeasy; I sewd him flanin in his neet-cap, but oa wod nit dea; I wod fain hev hed him tae hed a docter, but nin oa his side, neither men fowk nor wimmen,

ivver hed yan, en he wod bring up nae new customs: en I racken they cud hev dun him nae gud.

BETTY. Nae net they; they er fit for nin but girt fowk et hes brass enuff tae gie em. When my lile barn was bornt, et it varra guts was seen, we sent for yan; en what, she deed: en monny a yan sed, en I hed ligd on enuff a porposs oil she wod hae ment. What ye er for mackin saals er net yee, ea sum eth ky en sheep?

AGGY. Aye, I hev maar en I can dea with, I'll kep nowt but yaa kaw andth galoway, it will be far less trubble, I cannit dea wieth land. A woman is whaint ill of when shee's left alaan; but me cusen Giles promises ta dea for mea.

BETTY. Hee's rackend a varra graadly man. But hes

your maister meaad a will? ther el net be sae mitch trubble; en fowk saes he hes left yee a fearful rich weedo, en yer dowter a varra mensful porshon.

AGGY. Aye, we er left varra connoly, en she dea but mind her sel, en net thra her sel oway a sum lairly fello.

JENNET. I'll hae nin; I'll thra me sel oway a nin, noder bad ner gud. I'll lake a bit ith ward efore E tee me sel to sorro.

BETTY. Whya mind et ta dus. I hev a girt favor tae esh on yee, will yee preia sell me a goos? summet hes worried yan ev ours, we fand it rivven ta bits, an liggin ath middin. I saw yaurs as E com in, an they leak varra fat; en a fearful fine stegg yee hev for sure.