The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900 ... - Gredos

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
when, after a little preliminary fondling and soothing, he vaulted on the noble creature's
back and made it carry him at break-neck speed round the field, the enthusiasm of the
good fellow knew no bounds.
"Eh, Neighbour Fleetwood, he's a rare ‘un, he is, for sure. A true chip o' th’ owd block
he is. Never see sich a seet i' my life. Eh, yo' mun be proud on him."
Mr. Fleetwood thrust his thumbs into the pockets of his flowered waistcoat and
chuckled. "Well, I am a bit proud, I’ll own it," he said. "I couldn't do what he does now,
but Pm very near as pleased to see him doing it. It brings back old times and makes me
young again."
“He mun be gettin' on now, isn't he? My word, I’d finished my schoolin' long before I
was half his height Yo'll be for gettin' him awhoam soon, wunnot you?"
"Aye, hell soon have finished school, but there's college to come next. He must put in a
matter of three years there before he comes home for good."
"College? Why, what do yo' reckon to make of him?"
"He'll follow in my footsteps, won't ye, lad?" said Mr. Fleetwood, as Simon, having
finished his course round the field, and dismissed his steed with a resounding pat or
two, now joined them.
"Yes, that I will," agreed the lad warmly. "I’ll follow as close as ever I can."
"Well said!" cried the friend, clapping him on the shoulder. “Well, neighbour, every
man knows his own
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business best, but I should ha' thought it waste o' time to send that chap to college. All
the Latin and Greek in the world won't help wi’ th' farmin’. And as for figures — i' my
opinion, them new fangled ways o' contrivin’ wi' figures is good for nought but to addle
a man's brains. Why, what wi' X's and crosses and dashes and dots, it's fair moiderin'.
And at the end of it all ye can't prove theer's more nor twenty hundredweight to a ton!"
Simon looked eagerly at his father, but the latter's eyes were bent on the ground.
"There are reasons, you see," he said hesitatingly, "special reasons, in Simon's case."