‘Order! order!’ shaated two or three as Jacob gate ready to spaik.  ‘Feller citizens, an’ citizenesses, under this bed quilt is a statty erected to th’ memory of Kana, an’ it’s put here asteead o’th’ pump.  You all know Kana.  He’s a daycent sooart ov a chap, an’ we thowt he owt to have a statty.  At onyrate, we wanted a statty, an’ it mud as weel be Kana’s as onybody’s else.  He’s a varry daycent chap, as aw sed befoor, an’ upright—­varry upright—­as upright—­as upright as a yard o’ pump watter.  An’ aw’ve noa daat he’s honest; aw niver knew him trusted wi’ owt, but varry likely if he wor he’d stick to it.  He’s a gentleman, th’ bit ther is on him, an’ he allus pays his rent.  Aw could say a gooid deeal moor, but th’ least sed is th’ sooinest mended, an’ as yo all want to see what’s under this quilt, aw’ll say no moor but show yo at once.’

Off coom th’ quilt, an’ ther wor th’ statty, but it didn’t stand on its feet, for it wor raised on a powl, an’ turned raand like a weathercock.  Worn’t ther a shaat when they saw it!  Didn’t they swing ther hats raand!  Niver mind!

‘Well,’ sed Jacob, ‘tha’s made a gooid job o’ that, Simeon; it’s as nice a bit o’ wood as aw’ve seen for a long time, but what made thi have it to turn raand?’

‘Eea, it’s a bit o’ nice wood, an’ them buttons ’at aw put in for his een cost me sixpence a-piece.  Aw thowt it wor noa use puttin a nooas on, for tha sees it ud be sure to get brokken off, an’ th’ reason aw made it to turn raand is becoss aw thowt it wor hardly fair ’at fowk ‘at live o’ one side o’ th’ fowld should have his face to luk at allus, an’ tother side his back; soa nah we con have it lukkin one way one day an’ another th’ next.  But whisht!  Kana’s baan to spaik.’

’Kind friends, aw just stand up to spaik a few words hopin to find yo all weel as aw am at present.  If onybody had tell’d my fayther ’at his son wod iver have a statty like that, aw think it wod ha brokken his heart.  This is a praad day for me, an’ aw shall niver see this work o’ art withaat thinkin abaat what it cost.  My father wor a gooid man, an’ awm his son, an’ this is my statty, an’ aw thank yo one an’ all, soa noa moor at present, throo yours truly, Elkanah.’

When he’d done ther wor some moor shaatin, an’ then one o’th’ wimmen sed shoo’d a word or two to say.

‘Silence for Mary o’ Sarah’s!’

‘Me an’ tother wimmen has been tawkin it ovver,’ shoo sed, ‘an’ we think ‘at if ther wor a gooid strong hook driven in th’ top of its heead, ’at we could fessen a clooas line to, ‘at it wod be varry useful, an’ we’d ommost as sooin have it as th’ pump.’

‘That’s a gooid idea,’ sed Simeon, ’aw’ll drive one in, for ther’s no brains in it.’

‘Its soa mich moor like Kana,’ sed Jonas, but nubdy tuk ony noatice.

They all kept waitin abaat after th’ ceremony wor ovver, expectin ’at Kana wod ax ’em to have summat to sup at th’ heead on it, but he didn’t seem to understand things, soa Simeon went up to him an’ whispered.