th' biggest fool aw ivver met i' my life."




What came of a Clock Almanac.


Rosa and Louisa Mellit wor dressmakkers--they'd nawther father nor
mother, an nowt to live on but what they could addle wi ther fingers, an
that worn't mich; for tho' they'd had a bit ov a shop for ten year,
asteead o'th' customers gettin mooar, they gate steadily less--nah an
then they'd a dress to mak for a sarvant lass or some o'th naybors'
wives or dowters, but when th' dresses wor made an sent hooam, monny a
time they didn't get paid for em for months an months, an often enuff
they nivver finger'd th' brass at all.

Soa as th' years went on things went from bad to worse, an asteead o'
payin ready money for jock as they bowt, they'd to get it on th' strap,
until ther worn't a place near whear they'd trust em onny mooar. They'd
selled as much o' ther furnitur as they could till they'd nowt else left
at onnybody wod buy; an they'd popt bits o' things, sich as books an
odds an ends, till they'd nowt else left to pop. An nah th' rent day wor
next mornin, an barrin abaat hawf a soverin they hadn't onnythin to pay
it wi.

"If we could nobbut get us own debts paid," sed Louisa one neet, when
th' shutters were up an they wor talkin things ovver, "we could do
nicely--awm sewer Missis Rhodes could pay that three paand shoo owes us
easy enuff if shoo wod."