Till Mary, getting breath,
Upon her tale began to touch
With rapid tongue, full trotting, such
As if she thought she had too much
To tell before her death:—
"We was both, Ma'am, in the wash-house. Ma'am, a-standing at our tubs,
And Mrs. Round was seconding what little things I rubs;
'Mary,' says she to me, 'I say'—and there she stops for coughin,
'That dratted copper flue has took to smokin very often,
But please the pigs,'—for that's her way of swearing in a passion,