Ben o' Bill's, the Luddite: A Yorkshire Tale

by D. F. E. Sykes; George Henry Walker

“Th’ day for t’ spurrins,” replied our maid; “’Siah’s been puttin’ it off, an’ puttin’ it off, tho’ awn egged him on never so; but nah, aw’ll ha’ no more dallyin’. Aw’d fixed i’ mi mind to be wed on th’ same day as yo’ and Ben, if aw couldn’t afore, an’ not another day longer will aw wait. If ’Siah winnot put ’em up aw’ll do it misen, an’ that aw’ll let him know.”

“But perhaps ’Siah doesn’t want to get wed,” suggested Mary.

“What’s that to say to it?” asked Martha. “If he doesn’t know who’ll mak’ a good wife, aw know who’ll mak’ a good husband. An’ ’Siah’s just that soft, aw sud be feart o’ any other ’ooman puttin’ on ’im, an’ that ’ud just fret me to skin an’ bone, to see onybody else puttin’ on ’im an’ me no right to stan’ up for him.”

“But a woman cannot put th’ spurrins up,” objected Mary.

“Then aw’st ma’ ’Si.”

“But how if he’s loath?”

“Aw’st bray him.”

“What! ’Siah?”

“Aye, Mary, an’ if yo’ll tak’ my advice, an’ yo’ may need it now yo’re goin’ to be wed yersen, never let on to be fleyed o’ yo’r man. First time aw gay’ ’Si’ a bat, mi heart come into mi mouth an’ mi knees knocked one agen t’other, yo’d a thowt aw wer’ playin’ a tune on th’ bones under mi petticoat; but, Lor’ bless yo’, he just oppened his mouth an’ gaped at me an’ scratted his yed—‘Well awm dalled,’ says he, ‘if this doesn’t beat th’ longest day!’—an’ so aw fot ’im another clout wi’ mi neive, an’ bar tellin’ me to be careful aw didn’t hurt misen, an’ to hit wheer it wer’ soft, if a soft place aw could find, ’Siah said nowt; but it’s done him gooid. He’s more fleyed o’ me nor ony two i’ th’ Colne Valley,” concluded Martha with legitimate pride.

And Soldier Jack and Faith made a match of it. We were all married on the same day, in the same church, by the same parson. It was Mr. Coates, the vicar at the Parish Church at Huddersfield, tied us, for neither at the Slaithwaite Church nor at the Powle could that then be done. And a gradely wedding we had, as is only right when three couples, all friends, and all of a family after a fashion o’ speaking, get wed on the same day.