Grimes' Galloway.

"It's noa use, Sammywell,--aw dooant knaw ha tha feels, but aw can
assure thee 'at aw dooant feel so young as aw used to do. When aw wor
twenty years younger tha allus set off bi thisen an left me to mooild
amang it th' best way aw could; but nah, when tha knows 'at aw can
hardly put one fooit afoor tother tha wants me to goa for a walk. Its
weel enuff for thee to climb ovver hills an daan dales, becoss thi limbs
are limber--thanks to me for takkin care on thi as aw have done. It's
miserable for me to caar ith' haase all bi misen, an thee wanderin abaat
as tha does, an hardly ivver turns up except at meal times, an net allus
then. If tha'd ha takken moor nooatice ov what aw've sed to thi i' years
gooan by, we could ha been ridin in a carriage ov us own nah. It is'nt
at aw've onny desire to show off, but aw think when fowk get to my age,
an have tew'd as aw've done, they're entitled to some ease an comfort.
But aw suppooas aw'st nivver know what rest is until awm under th' sod."

"Aw think tha must ha been aitin summat 'at's disagreed wi thi, owd
lass, for tha's done nowt but grummel this last two-o'-three days. Tha
caars i'th' haase too mich. Tha sees tha connot ride a bicycle, an tha'd
hardly like to be seen ridin in a wheelbarro, or else awd trundle thee
abaat for an hour or two ivvery day, an awr Hepsabah's peramberlater
wod'nt hold thi, if it wod it ud find Jerrymier summat to do an keep him
aght o' mischief. Then ther's plenty o' tram-cars, but tha allus says
tha feels smoor'd when tha rides i' one o' them, soa awm fast what to do
amang it."

"Dooant bother thisen.--Aw'st get a ride one o' theas days as far as th'
cemetary, an aw shall'nt hav long to wait unless things alter pretty
sooin."

"Well, what wod ta advise me to do?"

"It's too lat on ith' day for thee to come to me for advice. Do thi own
way, but when tha's lost me tha'll miss me,--mark that. Tha'll nivver
find another to do for thi as aw've done."

"Aw hooap net,--but aw hav'nt lost thi yet, an aw dooant want to. But
aw've just getten a nooation! Awm capt aw nivver thowt on it befoor!
Aw'll goa see abaat it this varry minnit! Tha shall be reight set up
this time. Just have a bit o' patience, an aw'll be back in an haar's
time."

"Thear tha gooas agean! If aw say a word to thee tha flies off after
some wild goois eearand an manages to mak thisen into a bigger fooil nor
tha art. Tell me what tha meeans to do?"

"Aw'll tell thi all abaat it when aw come back, an aw weant belong."

"Well dooant goa an get owt to sup. If tha'rt detarmined to have it, buy
some an bring it hooam wi thi, for aw believe tha spaiks trewth when tha
sed aw'd getten summat at disagreed wi me, for mi stummack's been varry
kittle for a day or two."

"All reight, lass! Keep thi pecker up, an aw'll bring thi raand all
reight." An Sammywell set off.

------------

"Aw wish aw'd nivver spokken," sed Mally, as shoo watched him pass th'
winder. "He's getten that bankbook in his pocket, an he'll as sewer goa
an squander some moor brass as he's livin. He isn't fit to be trusted.
He meeans weel enuff, but he's soa simple. Net but what ther's war nor
him if yo knew whear to find 'em, an aw believe he tries to do his best,
but that isn't mich to crack on. Hasumivver, aw mun put up wi it, soa
aw'll get thi drinkin ready, for he sed he wod'nt be long."

It didn't tak her long befoor shoo'd made as temptin an comfortable a
meal as onny reasonable chap could desire, an then shoo set daan to wait
wi as mich patience as shoo could. Darkness wor creepin on an shoo'd
ommost getten stall'd o' watchin th' clock, when ther wor a queer
grindin sooart ov a noise aghtside, an in another minnit Sammywell come
in.

"Nah, lass! Tha sees aw hav'nt been varry long an aw've browt thi
summat. Bring a leet an have a luk at it."

"Whativver is it?" shoo sed, as shoo coom to th' door wi a cannel in her
hand. "Whativver has ta getten?" shoo sed, as shoo walked raand it.

"Aw've bowt this galloway an little carriage soas aw can drive thi aght
whenivver th' weather's fine."

"Whativver wrangheeaded trick will ta be guilty on next!"

"Why, tha wor grummelin abaat net bein able to get aght o' door, an aw
bethowt me at old Swindle had this for sale, soa aw've bowt it."

"An nicely he's swindled thee aw've noa daat. But are ta sewer it is a
galloway? Becoss aw wodn't believe what he says if he went onto his
bended knees."

"Well, what does ta think it is? Tha can see at it's nawther a elefant
nor a camel."

"Well, lad,--it may be all reight, but aw should want somdy else to say
soa. It luks varry poorly aw think, luk ha white it is ith' face."

"That's th' color on it. It ails nowt an tha'll say soa when aw drive
thi aght ith' mornin."

"Thee drive me aght, does ta say? Nay, lad, aw've moor respect for misen
nor that! What does ta think awr Hepsabah an th' naybors wod say. But
it'll do for Jerrymier. But whear are ta baan to put it?"

"Aw've getten a place to keep it, an if awther Jerrymier or his mother
dar to mell on it, they'll know abaat it."

"Tha need'nt freeat,--ther'll nubdy be ovver anxious to mell ov a thing
like that. If tha'd bowt a donkey an cart an started hawkin cockles and
muscles or else leadin coils ther mud ha been some sense in it. But tak
it away an come in an get thi drinkin an dooant stand thear lukkin as
gawmless as that article. Off tha gooas an tak it wi thi, an if it lives
wol mornin tha can show it to Jerrymier an ax him whether it is a
galloway or net. It luks as if it had coom aght o' Noah's Ark, tho if
awed been Noah aw should ha let that thing have a swim for it."

"Tha'rt th' mooast provokin, dissatisfied, ungrateful woman aw ivver
met! Awm in a gooid mind to drive away an nivver coom back!"

"If tha depends on that whiteweshed umberella-stand tha wodn't be far to
seek. But tha'd better hand me that bankbook, for fear tha should leet
o' onny moor curosities, an we're nooan gooin to goa into th' show
trade. Nah away wi thi."

Grimes drove off an Mally went into th' haase.

"What a silly owd maddlin he is. Just to think at he should goa an wear
all that brass o' me. Awr Hepsabah 'll be fair ranty. But then it's his
own brass an he's a reight to spend it as he thinks fit, an aw know ther
isn't another body ith' world but me at he'd ha bowt it for. Aw think aw
nivver saw a bonnier little thing, but it'll be time enuff to tell him
soa when he's cooild daan a bit. Aw have to keep him daan a bit or else
he'd sooin be too big for his booits. That's his fooit. When he's had a
cup o' this teah, an had theas muffins (aw bowt em a purpose for him)
he'll leet his pipe an sattle daan, an aw can sooin bring him raand if
he's as mad as a wasp. Aw'st nivver be able to sleep to-neet for thinkin
abaat yon'd pony an th' drive aght ith' mornin."

When Grimes coom in he wor lukkin varry glumpy.

"Come thi ways, an get theas muffins wol they're hot,--they're fresh off
th' beckstun an that butter's come reight off th' farm an its as sweet
as a nut."

Sammywell sed nowt, but as th' teah began to warm him an th' muffins wor
just to his likin his face seemed to clear a bit, an when shoo handed
him his second cup, he wink'd at her, (he couldn't help it.) "This is a
drop o' gooid teah, lass, an aw think aw nivver had grander muffins."

"Aw've tried to suit thi. Has ta fed that galloway an left it
comfortable for th' neet?"

"As comfortable as it desarves! But aw did'nt know 'at a whiteweshed
umberella-stand wanted makkin comfortable."

"Aw know its all reight for tha hasn't a heart i' thi belly to hurt a
flee. What time does ta intend to start off i'th mornin."

"Mak thi own time. But aw thowt tha didn't care to goa."

"It's what aw've been langin for for years, an tha knows, Sammywell, if
aw do say a word nah an agean at doesn't just suit thi, its becoss tha
aggravates me. If tha'd treeat me as a wife owt to be treated, aw should
nivver utter a wrang word."

"Well, tha artn't th' only one i' this haase at gets aggravated
sometimes, but we'll say noa moor abaat it. Try an bi ready bi ten
o'clock i'th mornin, an we'll start aght if its fine."

"But tha doesn't feel cross abaat it, does ta lad."

"Cross, behanged! If aw tuk onny nooatice o' what tha says, aw should
allus be cross. Let's get to bed."

------------

Next mornin Mally wor soa flustered wol when Grimes coom in to his
braikfast after lukkin to th' galloway, her hands tremmeld soa at shoo
could hardly teem aght his teah.

But shoo managed to get donned at last, an Sammywell browt th' galloway
an th' little trap to th' door, an he felt a bit narvous too, for it wor
th' furst time he'd ivver driven aght wi his wife, but he wor praad to
do it, an his pride kept him up.

They wor i' hooaps o' gettin off withaat Hepsabah an th' naybors gettin
to know, but it wor noa use. Sombd'y seen th' galloway, an when
Sammywell helpt Mally into her seat, they wor all aght.

Hepsabah stood thear, wi a babby o' awther arm, an Jerrymier at her
side, an as they rode past, shoo put on as humble a luk as shoo knew ha,
an dropt a curtsey, an sed "Gooid mornin, Mr. and Mrs. Grimes, Esquire."
Then shoo brast aght laffin an all th' naybor wimmen waved ther approns
or towels or owt else they could snatch howd on, an cheered em wol they
gate aght o'th bottom o'th fold.

They tuk th' shortest cut to get aght o'th busy streets, an they worn't
long befoor they coom to whear ther wor green fields on booath sides
o'th rooad. It wor a grand day, an they sed little for a while, for they
wor booath feelin varry happy, an they lukt it.

Old as they wor, an i' spite ov all th' ups an daans they'd had, they
felt like sweethearts agean, an if they couldn't luk forrad to th' long
enjoyment ov monny pleasures, they could luk back wi few regrets, an
hearts full ov thankfulness for all th' blessins they'd had an
possessed.

"Aw nivver thowt, Sammywell," sed Mally, after a bit, "at aw should
ivver live to ride i' mi own carriage an pair."

"Why, lass, awm pleased if tha'rt suited. But tha can hardly call it a
carriage an pair."

"Aw dooant see why net. Its a varry nice little carriage is this an awm
sewer th' galloway an thee mak a gooid pair, for aw should tak yo to be
booath abaat th' same age, an th' same complection to nowt, except for
thi nooas; an yo nawther on yi ivver hurried yorsen mich or seem likely
to do; but aw think if aw wor thee awd get aght an shove behind a bit,
its a pity to see it tewin up this hill, an its puffin like all that."

"Well, let it puff! If ther's onny shovin to be done tha'll ha to tak
thi share on it. We'll stop at yond haase at top o'th hill an then wol
we get a bite an a sup, Fanny can rest a bit."

"Who's Fanny?"

"That's th' galloway's name."

"Then it'll have to be kursend ovver agean."

"Ha's that?"

"Dooant thee think 'at aw forget. It wor Fanny Hebblethwaite at wor
allus hankerin after thee until we wor wed, an for some time after.
Aw've had enuff o' Fannys. We'll call it Jerrymier."

"But its a mare tha sees."

"Well then, we'll call it Jimmima."

"Let's mak it Jenny an ha done wi it."

"Owt'll do but Fanny. Shoo wor a impotent hussy. Aw wonder what becoom
on her?"

"Aa! shoo's been deead aboon a duzzen year?"

"Oh, well then--tha can call it Fanny."

They did enjoy thersen that day an noa mistak, an monny a day after, an
they're lukkin forrad to monny a pleasant little time.

Th' naybors have getten used to seein em nah an have noa desire to poak
fun at em.

Jerrymier has takken a big fancy to th' galloway, an oft gooas an
gethers it a basket full ov sweet clover, an when Grimes an Mally arn't
using it, Hepsabah an her babbies have a drive throo th' park, Jerrymier
acting as th' cooachman.

Th' galloway knows its getten a gooid hooam. It wants for nowt,--Mally
taks gooid care o' that. It's one to be trusted an it knows its way
abaat. Some day yo may see an old galloway, pullin a little carriage
containin an old man an woman;--all three on em saand asleep, an yo can
rest assured at that's Grime's an Mally an ther Galloway.
.

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