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PREFACE.

EVERY one bein' a-talkin' about this 'ere T case, pre'aps there's a many as will say "Wotever can she know about it, as is a fo gossipin' thing?" And I've 'eard say were a play hactor as took and spoke on old cat the other night at the theayter, as did 'urt my feelin's, afore sich a lot of peop knows me; and the way as I'm badgere like a shettlecock, as the sayin' is, and sayin' as I'm wore threadbare, as is bas hoods, for I'm sure there's my cloth pelic 'ad over thirty year, as were a olive gre made out of a ridin' 'abit, as looks wonderf shade, and often slips it on, even now, tho tight under the arms, as will break out, tho frequent, and now sets werry tight to th but not threadbare any more than my ne

cloth, as shines like sattin, with a pannya behind as is all the fashion.

Not as I wants no new fashions thro' a-preferrin the old; partickler with the lovely clothes as I'v got by me, as was all Lady Wittles' trooso, as sh left me, as is a morone sattin, with a low body an short sleeves, as I jest slipped on one day for t show Miss Pilkinton 'ow it looked afore we quar relled, as said I looked like Queen Wictoria in he coronation, with a white silver tissue turban and bird of parrydise's tail a-hangin' down, as come to much over the face and tickled my nose, besides & obstructin' of my left eye.

But, law! wotever is this world but a mask of deceit? for if that Miss Pilkinton didn't go behind my back and tell Mrs. Striden as I looked like a prize 'og dressed out for Christmas; as were a base hact, arter borrerin' my garnet brooch, as looks like hemeralds, tho' not the same colour, as I 'ad to go afore the magistrate to get it back.

I'm sure the things as I've lent would fill a wollum, as the sayin' is; and for to think as that double-faced old curney, Mrs. Bulpit, should never 'ave sent me back my largest-sized clothes-basket, as I never shall forget a-fillin' with things when a movin', and were a-carryin' down stairs afore me, I thought would 'ave tore my harms

out, and 'ad busted out all the back of my g in liftin' of it up off the floor.

the

I got it down all right to the fust landin',

young man were a-repairin' the window and if he didn't take and step back at the ment, a-comin' in back'ards, with the steps of shoulder, and come in contract with me as ser flyin' down them stairs, jest as Brown's aunt a-comin' up, poor thing, with a trayful of and chaney, as she thought I were a-goin' to on the fust floor, all thro' bein' that 'ard of ’e and I must say too fond of interferin', tho' a-m in' well in the main, as the sayin' is.

The shock as it give 'er me a-comin' smad to 'er clothes-basket fust, as reg'lar pulverize and the chaney too, with that young man a-l the steps slip on to the top of me, were enuff shake any constitution at seventy-eight, and 'eld up 'er 'ead agin, as said she 'ad internal br all over, as they must 'ave been, for not a s were aperient.

As the doctor said, nothink weren't to be but keep her up; and so we did, and a great m too, for when at large a deal of trouble thro' one of them as thought she were born for to the world straight, as certingly were more tha or any one else could ever do with 'er neck, as always laid to the 'andle of the clothes-baske