The Broad Highway

I found the Ancient sunning himself in the porch before the inn,

as he waited for his breakfast.

"Peter," said he, "I be tur'ble cold sometimes. It comes

a-creepin' on me all at once, even if I be sittin' before a roarin'

fire or a-baskin' in this good, warm sun--a cold as reaches down

into my poor old 'eart--grave-chills, I calls 'em, Peter--ah!

grave-chills. Ketches me by the 'eart they do; ye see I be that

old, Peter, that old an' wore out."

"But you're a wonderful man for your age!" said I, clasping the

shrivelled hand in mine, "and very lusty and strong--"

"So strong as a bull I be, Peter!" he nodded readily, "but then,

even a bull gets old an' wore out, an' these grave-chills ketches

me oftener an' oftener. 'Tis like as if the Angel o' Death

reached out an' touched me--just touched me wi' 'is finger,

soft-like, as much as to say: ''Ere be a poor, old, wore-out

creeter as I shall be wantin' soon.' Well, I be ready; 'tis

only the young or the fule as fears to die. Threescore years

an' ten, says the Bible, an' I be years an' years older than

that. Oh! I shan't be afeared to answer when I'm called, Peter.

''Ere I be, Lord!' I'll say. ''Ere I be, thy poor old servant'

--but oh, Peter! if I could be sure o' that theer old rusty

stapil bein' took first, why then I'd go j'yful--j'yful, but--

why theer be that old fule Amos--Lord! what a dodderin' old

fule 'e be, an' theer be Job, an' Dutton--they be comin' to

plague me, Peter, I can feel it in my bones. Jest reach me

my snuff-box out o' my 'ind pocket, an' you shall see me smite

they Amalekites 'ip an' thigh."

"Gaffer," began Old Amos, saluting us with his usual grin, as he

came up, "we be wishful to ax 'ee a question--we be wishful to

know wheer be Black Jarge, which you 'avin' gone to fetch 'im,

an' bring 'im 'ome again--them was your words."

"Ah!" nodded Job, "them was your very words, 'bring 'im 'ome

again,' says you--"

"But you didn't bring 'im 'ome," continued Old Amos, "leastways,

not in the cart wi' you. Dutton 'ere--James Dutton see you come

drivin' 'ome, but 'e didn't see no Jarge along wi' you--no, not

so much as you could shake a stick at, as you might say. Speak

up, James Dutton you was a-leanin' over your front gate as Gaffer

come drivin' 'ome, wasn't you, an' you see Gaffer plain as plain,

didn't you?"