Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/318

 262 wanner, till a looked, magran'ther said, loike a snow-fla'ake fadin' i' th' sun; an' day arter da'ay' th' winter crep by, an' th' wakin' o' th' spring wor amost theer. Th' pore maid watched 'n waited for th' toime fur goin' to th' fields; but a 'd got so weak 'n sick 'at a knowed a cudn't git ther wi' th' rest. But a wudn't gi'n oop fur ahl that; an' 's mother mun sweer 'at she 'd lift th' lass to th' door-sil, at th' comin' o' the Green Mist, so 's a mowt toss oot th' bread 'n salt o' th' yarth her o'an sel' an' wi' her o^an pore thin han's.

An' still th' da'ays went by, an' th' foak wor goin' o' yarly morns, to lift the spud i' th' fields; an' th' comin' o' th' Green Mist wor lookit for ivery dawning.

An wan even th' lass, as 'd bin layin', wi 's eyne fixed o' th' little gy'arden said to 's mother:

"Ef tha Green Mist don't come i' tha morn's dawnin'—a'll not can wait fur 't longer. Th' mools is ca'allin' ma, an' tha seeds is brustin' as'll bloom ower ma he'ad; a know't wa'al, mother—'n yit, if a cud on'y see th' spring wake wanst agin!—mother—a sweer a'd axe no more 'n to live 's long 's wan o' them cowslips as coom ivery year by th' ga'ate, an' to die wi' th' fust on 'em when tha summer 's in."

The mother whisht tha maid in fear; fur tha bogles 'n things as they b'leeved in wor alius gainhand, an' cud hear owt as wor said. They wor niver sa'afe, niver aloan, the pore fo'ak to than, wi' th' things as tha cudn't see, an' cudn't he'ar, alius roon 'em. But th' dawn o' th' nex' da'ay browt th' Green Mist. A comed fro' th' mools, an' happed asel' roon' iverythin', green 's th' grass i' summer sunshine, 'n sweet-smellin 's th' yarbs o' th' spring; an' th' lass wor carried to th' door-sil, wheer a croom'led th' bread 'n salt on to th' yarth wi' 's o'an ban's an' said the stra'ange au'd wo'ds o' welcoming to th' new spring. An a lookit to the ga'ate, wheer th' cowslips growed, an' than wor took ba'ack to 's bed by th' winder, when a slep loike a babby, an' dreamt o' summer an' flowers an' happiness. Fur fither 'twor th' Green Mist as done it, a can't tell'ee more 'n ma gran'thcr said, but fro' that da'ay a growed stronger 'n