They all promised, an’ as they wor leeavin Joa sed, ’gooid mornin fayther, yo mun come up an’ see awr Bessy as oft as yo can, we’ll mak yo welcome.’

‘Joa tha’rt a scaandrel if iver ther wor one, an’ thee Bess, see at tha behaves thisen, an let’ em see at tha hasn’t been brought up wi’ extravagant ways; save a penny wheariver tha can, th’ time may come when yo’ll need it.  Here’s a bit o’ summat to start wi’,’ he sed, an’ gave her an old bacca box an’ shut th’ door.

They all laffed, an’ as they wor goin up th’ street Joa oppen’d th’ box, an’ inside wor a little bit o’ paper, an’ written on it thease words.  ‘For Bessy’s wedding if she weds with my consent.’  They all luk’d curiously to see what wor in it as he slowly oppen’d it, an they could hardly believe ther een when they saw a Bank o’ England note for L500.

Well, yo may think ha capt Joa’s mother wor when shoo saw him come in wi’ Bessy on his arm, for it wor nobbut th’ neet befoor ’at he’d goan aght cooartin, an’ when he saw her he sed, ’Well, mother, yo sed aw wor gooin cracked, an’ sin’ aw saw yo aw’ve been cracked an’ getten spliced, an’ aw’ve browt yo a dowter; an’ as aw’ve axed some friends o’ mine to come to ther drinkin, yo mun side all them tubs an’ buy some rum, an’ let us have some rum an’ teah, an’ owt else yo can get us, for we want a gooid blowout.  An’ wol yo do that, Bessy an’ me ’ll goa to bed a bit, for we’ve been up all th’ neet an’ awm sure shoo must be sleepy.’

‘Nay awm nooan sleepy Joa, thee goa to bed an’ aw’ll help thi mother.’

‘That’s reight lass,’ sed his mother, ‘aw mak nowt o’ fowk sleepin i’th’ day time, thee help me an’ tak noa notice o’ him, he isn’t reight in his heead, aw cannot tell ha iver he caanselled thee to have him.’

‘Nah mother, dooant yo interfere between a man an’ his wife; yo forget at aw’ve had my heead smashed sin aw saw yo, an’ aw want a bit o’ rest.’

‘Thee goa to bed an’ get all th’ rest tha wants, tha’ll sleep better bi thisen ‘coss tha’rt moor used to it, an’ aw’ll see at Bessy doesn’t run away.’

’But, mother, yo see’—­

‘Aw see nowt abaat it, an’ unless tha clears aght o’ this hoil ther’ll nawther be rum an’ teah nor nowt else!  Bless mi life lad! does ta think at ther wor niver onybody wed afoor thee? tha’rt war nor a child wi’ a new laikon.’

Joa saw it wor noa use tawkin, soa he went aght to feed his donkey, an’ luk after th’ pigs an’ poultry, an’ mak believe he wor iver soa thrang.

At last drinkin time coom, an’ a few friends coom up, an’ a jolly time they had.  Joa luk’d joyous an’ Bessy luk’d bonny, an’ just befoor they separated for th’ neet an’ wor all standin up to drink long life an’ prosperity to th’ newly married couple, th’ door oppen’d an’ in coom owd Stooansnatch.  ‘Well,’ he sed, ‘awm just i’ time,’ soa seizing hold ov a glass o’ rum he says here’s a toast;

   ’May thease young ens to-day has seen joined,
      Find all th’ pleasure ther hearts are now cravin;
   An’ when spendin my brass may they find,
      As mich pleasure as aw fun i’ savin.’