my man came in and axed what were wrang wi' me. At first I wouldn't tell
him, but enow he dragged it all out o' me, and in the end I was glad on
't. But he nobbut laughed when I told him about Owd Jerry, and he said
he'd allus been like that wi' women fowks; 'twere his way o' getting
what he wanted. I got my dander up at that, and said he'd have to get
shut o' his fratching if he lived wi' us."

"'I reckon he'll noan mend his ways,' said Mike, 'now he's close on
eighty.' So I said if that were the case it would be a good thing for
the peace o' the family when he were putten under grund. Yon were
gaumless words, and bitter did I rue iver having spokken 'em. But Mike
nobbut laughed at what I said. "'Putten under grund!' said he. 'Nay,
father will live while he's ninety, or happen a hunderd; he's as tough
as a yak-stowp.'

"'He'll do nowt o' the sort,' I answered; 'and he wi' a hoast in his
thropple like a badly cow. I sudn't be surprised if he were dead by
Chrissamas.'

"'We can soon tell if there's ony truth in what thou says,' replied
Mike. 'It will be Ash-Riddling Day come next Friday, and then we can
find out for wersens if Owd Jerry's boun' to dee afore the year's out.'

"'What does thou mean?' I axed.

"'Why, lass, wheer has thou been brought up if thou's niver heerd tell
o' Ash-Riddling Day? What a thing it is to wed a foreigner! If thou'd
been bred and born in Wharfedale thou'd have no need to axe about
Ash-Riddling Day.'