  THE 'LOTMENTS.John and Richard.JOHN.Zoo you be in your groun' then, I do zee, A-workÈn and a-zingÈn lik' a bee. How do it answer? what d'ye think about it? D'ye think 'tis better wi' it than without it? A-recknÈn rent, an' time, an' zeed to stock it, D'ye think that you be any thing in pocket? RICHARD.O', 'tis a goodish help to woone, I'm sure o't. If I had not a-got it, my poor bwones Would now ha' eÄch'd a-crackÈn stwones Upon the road; I wish I had zome mwore o't. JOHN.I wish the girt woones had a-got the greÄce To let out land lik' this in ouer pleÄce; But I do fear there'll never be nwone vor us, An' I can't tell whatever we shall do: We be a-most starvÈn, an' we'd goo To 'merica, if we'd enough to car us. RICHARD.Why 'twer the squire, good now! a worthy man, That vu'st brought into ouer pleÄce the plan, He zaid he'd let a vew odd eÄcres O' land to us poor leÄb'rÈn men; An', faÏth, he had enough o' teÄkers Vor that, an' twice so much ageÄn. Zoo I took zome here, near my hovel, To exercise my speÄde an' shovel; An' what wi' dungÈn, diggÈn up, an' zeedÈn, A-thinnÈn, cleÄnÈn, howÈn up an' weedÈn, I, an' the biggest o' the childern too, Do always vind some useful jobs to do. JOHN.Aye, wi' a bit o' ground, if woone got any, Woone's bwoys can soon get out an' eÄrn a penny; An' then, by workÈn, they do learn the vaster The way to do things when they have a meÄster; Vor woone must know a deÄl about the land Bevore woone's fit to lend a useful hand, In geÄrden or a-vield upon a farm. RICHARD.An' then the work do keep em out o' harm; Vor vo'ks that don't do nothÈn wull be vound Soon doÈn woorse than nothÈn, I'll be bound. But as vor me, d'ye zee, with theÄse here bit O' land, why I have ev'ry thing a'mwost: Vor I can fatten vowels for the spit, Or zell a good fat goose or two to rwoast; An' have my beÄns or cabbage, greens or grass, Or bit o' wheat, or, sich my happy feÄte is, That I can keep a little cow, or ass, An' a vew pigs to eat the little teÄties. JOHN.An' when your pig's a-fatted pretty well Wi' teÄties, or wi' barley an' some bran, Why you've a-got zome vlitches vor to zell, Or hang in chimney-corner, if you can. RICHARD.Aye, that's the thing; an' when the pig do die, We got a lot ov offal for to fry, An' netlÈns for to bwoil; or put the blood in, An' meÄke a meal or two o' good black-pudden. JOHN.I'd keep myzelf from parish, I'd be bound, If I could get a little patch o' ground. wavy rule |
|
