Yorksher Puddin' A Collection of the Most Popular Dialect Stories from the Pen of John Hartley

"Yorksher Puddin'" by John Hartley is a compilation of beloved dialect stories that brings the reader into rural Yorkshire during the 1800s. The first story, "Frozen to Death," depicts a frigid Christmas morning where youngsters Tom and Susy hasten to their factory employment. Their difficult journey through treacherous and icy conditions illustrates their family's need and poverty for the children's earnings. Meanwhile, back at home, Bessy, their mother, anxiously anticipates their return while caring for her ill husband and newborn. The story shifts from their hopeful mood to tragedy as their challenges highlight the harsh realities faced by working-class families, but still captures the humor that comes from communal life.