sed 'at shoo did it becoss shoo wor feared if shoo lukt at James wi' th'
naked eye 'at it mud send him into a fit.

If th' young chaps whear he worked had getten to know abaat it, they'd
ha plagued his life aght, but they kept it to thersen. It wor Angelina
'at tell'd me abaat it, for shoo sed shoo knew aw could keep a saycret,
an it didn't matter whether aw could or net, for if aw tell'd it, ther'd
nubdy believe it.

Well, aw've tell'd it, an it's true an all.




Th' Owd, Owd Story.


It wor th' owd, owd story he towd her,
Th' story, 'at's owder nor time;
Nowt ivver chap whisper'd wor owder,
Nowt ivver soa grand an sublime.
For man nivver towd ither story,
Soa chock full ov magic as this,
For, it shraaded th' young chaps i' glory,
An' filled her 'at listened wi' bliss.

Th' story had wrought sich a wonder
Noa ither tale ivver has done--
Two hearts, that afooar wor assunder,
Wor knit i' a crack into one.