"The young man, together with his mother and brother, desire that all gifts due to them will be returned to him on that day, and will be thankful for all additional favours.
"The young woman and her mother desire that all gifts due to them be returned to her on that day, and will be thankful for all favours granted.
"N.B.—All gifts due to the young man's late father, Robert Owen, are humbly solicited to be repaid."
In earlier years this outspoken reminder was couched in still plainer terms:—
"Come," it said, "with your goodwill on the plate; bring current money—a shilling, or two, or three, or four, or five, with cheese and butter. We invite the husband and wife, and children and men servants, from the greatest to the least."
And it promised "drink cheap, stools to sit on, and fish, if we can catch them; but if not, hold us excusable."
With this insinuating reminder before them, every householder began to search the stores of his memory.
"Let me see," said one of the invited, "what did Lallo give our Nell? A shilling, I think it was; and old Peggi Shân, her mother, gave a sixpence, I know, for I remember Nell's burying it in the garden, for she was afraid of a witch's money—that's eighteen pence for me."
"Jâr-i, what must I give?" said 'n'wncwl Jos, scratching his head. "Old Peggi Shân came to thy mother's bidding, Mari, and gave sixpence, for I kiwked[[1]] at it as it went into the basin, and I fished it out pretty sharp. 'Ach y fi!' I said, 'no witch's money for my sister!' and sure as I'm here, 'twas a bad sixpence; so I don't owe much to Gwen."
But when the bidding day arrived, 'n'wncwl Jos was one of the noisiest and merriest there, welcoming the guests as if he were the father of the bride. "Dewch 'mewn! dewch 'mewn!"[[2]] and he guided each fresh arrival to the door of a disused cowhouse at the end of the garden, where Gwen sat in state just inside the door, across which a table had been placed; on this table stood a basin covered with a plate ready to receive the gifts of her friends. As soon as a piece of money was put upon it Gwen tilted the plate, and emptied its contents into the basin, replacing it again empty and ready for the next donation.