Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/333

Rh th' snag, an' 's feet i' th' watter! Theer a sat, wi' 's mother greetin' ower un, an' kissin' ivry bit o' un by to'ns; but ma faith! what 'n 'a cha'anged creetur a wor! A's back wor bent, an' 's limbs wor shakin' loike an au'd gran'ther, 's gre'at bla'azin' eyne glared in 's whoite wrinkled fa'ace, an' 's hair, as 'd bin so bra'oun 'n co'ly, wor hangin' i' long wisps o' whoite 'n gray ivery wa'ays to wanst.

Wi' wan han', a kep' p'intin', p'intin' at suthin', an' starin' at suthin', 's if a seed nowt else; an' whur th' other han' 'd oughter bin, th' han' as 'd bin gript by th' dreadful Dead Fingers—ther wor nobbut a ragged bleedin' stump—th' han' 'd bin pulled clean off! An' theer a sat, gibbering, girnin', an' grinnin' at th' horrors, as nobbut hisself cud see! Ah!—an' none iver knowed what a did see, or what a 'd seed ahl th' awfull noights 'n da'ays, as 'd doolt wi' th' horrors, none iver knowed wheer a 'd bin, or what wa'ay a coom back, more'n tha bleedin' stump cud tell um of a stroogle an' a tooggin' fur dear loife, wi' th' a-hful Han', fur Long Tom Pattison niver spo'ak a wo'd agin, arter a wor fun' by th' snag, wi's mother croonin' an' fondlin' aboot un. Ahl da'ay long a'd sit i' th' sun, or by th' foire, grinnin' an' girnin'; an' ahl noight long, a 'd wan'ner roon th' edge o' th' Cars, screechin' an' moanin' loike a thing i' torment, wi' 's pore au'd mother foUerin' loike a dog at heel, beggin' an' prayin' un to coom ho'am, 'n 'if won o' 's au'd ma'ates 'd stop to look at un, 's mother 'd sa'ay — pattin' th' he'ad o' th' pore silly creetur—"A said a'd coom hoam, an' a did; ma babby did acoom ho'am to 's mother, 'n she a widder woman!"

Ay—that's ahl theer wor of it; it's not much of a story—but seest tha, 't ahl coom o' 's onbelievin' ways, as led un into 't to fust. What? Noa, a didn't live more'n aboot a year, mappen. An' whan a wor de'ad th' women took 's mother awa'ay, an' tried to kep' a fro' gittin' ba'ack to un; but when tha want to put th' lad in 's coffin fur th' buryin', theer she wor, stoock oop i' th' co'ncr of th' bed, wi' him i' her a'arms, nussin' un as 'd used to do while a wor a tiddy