[North Wilts: Hilmarton.]
Etherd he bin sart o' rough fur this long time, wuver he never bin
not to say well since he wur bad wi' the influenzy las' year. A
ketched a cowld the day as thuck rain wur. A wur up at hill wi' the
ship out in the bleat, an' a cudden get into the succour nowur, and
vor aal as he wur droo wet he wur foc'd to bide in't aal day. An'
when a cum whoam at night a says to I, 'Mary,' a says, 'I feels
_ter'ble_ middlin'. I got a mind to ha' a bit o' zupper an gwo to
bed.' Wull, I got un out the berd an' cheese out o' the panterny,
but do you thenk as he cud yeat or a mossel on't? not if anybody
had a gied he the _wurld_, a cudden't, a said. An' a simmed zart
o' shrammed wi' the cowld, an' a did kip on a coughin a'ter he got
into bed, and simmin to I a never stopped till the clock hut dree,
and then that rampin pain cum on at such a rate in hes zide, as he
didden knaw wur to get to, nur what to do. An' that follered on aal
day, and I cudden get un to take next akin to nothin', and allus a
wantin summut to drenk. That wur aal he's cry. Thur I made _shower_
as he'd a died avore the doctor come. Bill he went in to fetch un,
but a never come till Vriday aaternoon, and a said as he'd a got the
pewresy and he'd send un along a bottle o' medecine, but Etherd he
wudden take it 'snaw, fur a said twern't nuthen in _this wurl_' but a
drop o' water wi' some peppermint in't or summat o' that. An' Sally
Moore her come in wi' some hoss-fat as come out o' thuck owld hoss
o' Mas' John's as vull in the pit, an' her 'suaded I to rub some o'
that into un, an' that sim to do he more good bless 'ee thun aal the
doctor's medecine. Wuver the doctor he come agean isterday marnin',
and a axed un how a wur. An' a spawk up bless 'ee and telled un
straight as twern't nor a mozzel o' good fur he to zend no more o'
thuck stuff as he zent avore, fur a zaid as twern't wuth a louse's
liver! The doctor he didden like ut vurry well, but a telled I as
he'd channge it, an' zo a did. A let the bwoy ride back along wi' un,
an' a brought back this yer bottle wi' summat wrote on't. But thur
I bean't no scholard, and the bwoy he cudden rade it, but a zaid as
the doctor tell'd he as a wurden to take but one spoonvull on't once
in vower hours. Zo I gied un a dawse, but he 'suaded I to gie un two
spoonvulls, and I'll warn as a hadden a took ut _vive_ minutes avore
twer _aal awver'n--back, bully, an' zides_! Now that's what I caals
zome o' the right zart that, and I got faith as that'll do he good!