for it wor wi them as it is wi a seet o' others i' this cowd hard world,
they'd had soa mich claady weather at a bit o' sunshine wor ommost mooar
nor they could understand. After they'd had ther supper, Louisa sed,
"Rosa, last neet aw felt as if aw couldn't bear to read in them owd
Clock Almanacs o' mothers, but aw feel to-neet as if a gooid stooary
wodn't come amiss."

"Aw'll read one," sed Rosa, an shoo gate up an gate th' little tin case
aght o'th box, an took th' Almanacs aght:--

"Ther's eighteen seventy fower, an five, an six, which shall aw read
aght on?"

"Th' owdest one," Louisa answered, "tho' noa daat they'll all be gooid."

Rosa pickt seventy fower aght, an oppen'd it, an as shoo did soa a crisp
bit o' white paper fell aght, Louisa catcht it befooar it gate to th'
floor, an thear it wor a five paand nooat.

"Turn ovver th' leeaves," Louisa cried, "Quick! Quick!"

Rosa did soa, an a reglar little shaar o' nooats fell aght--it wor th
same i'th t'other Almanacs, an when they'd gooan throo all th' pages
they'd quite a little pile on em--some wor fivers, some tenners, an ther
wor one for twenty paand. "Aw see wot dear, dear mother meant when shoo
sed if ivver we wor i' onny trubble, we wor to luk into th' little tin
box."

Ther wor nearly three hundred paand altogether, an poor lasses they
nivver went to bed all neet, for fear o' theives braikin in an