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〃Can he speak Welsh？〃 said I。
〃Not a word；〃 said she。 〃We always speak English together。〃
John Jones sat down； and I looked about the room。 It exhibited no
appearance of poverty； there was plenty of rude but good furniture
in it； several pewter plates and trenchers in a rack； two or three
prints in frames against the wall； one of which was the likeness of
no less a person than the Rev。 Joseph Sanders； on the table was a
newspaper。 〃Is that in Welsh？〃 said I。
〃No；〃 replied the woman； 〃it is the BOLTON CHRONICLE； my husband
reads it。〃
I sat down in the chimney…corner。 The wind was now howling abroad；
and the rain was beating against the cottage panes … presently a
gust of wind came down the chimney； scattering sparks all about。
〃A cataract of sparks！〃 said I； using the word Rhaiadr。
〃What is Rhaiadr？〃 said the woman； 〃I never heard the word before。〃
〃Rhaiadr means water tumbling over a rock；〃 said John Jones … 〃did
you never see water tumble over the top of a rock？〃
〃Frequently；〃 said she。
〃Well；〃 said he； 〃even as the water with its froth tumbles over the
rock； so did sparks and fire tumble over the front of that grate
when the wind blew down the chimney。 It was a happy comparison of
the Gwr Boneddig； and with respect to Rhaiadr it is a good old
word； though not a common one； some of the Saxons who have read the
old writings； though they cannot speak the language as fast as we；
understand many words and things which we do not。〃
〃I forgot much of my Welsh in the land of the Saxons；〃 said the
woman； 〃and so have many others； there are plenty of Welsh at
Bolton； but their Welsh is sadly corrupted。〃
She then went out and presently returned with an infant in her arms
and sat down。 〃Was that child born in Wales？〃 I demanded。
〃No；〃 said she； 〃he was born at Bolton； about eighteen months ago …
we have been here only a year。〃
〃Do many English；〃 said I； 〃marry Welsh wives？〃
〃A great many；〃 said she。 〃Plenty of Welsh girls are married to
Englishmen at Bolton。〃
〃Do the Englishmen make good husbands？〃 said I。
The woman smiled and presently sighed。
〃Her husband；〃 said Jones； 〃is fond of a glass of ale and is often
at the public…house。〃
〃I make no complaint；〃 said the woman； looking somewhat angrily at
John Jones。
〃Is your husband a tall bulky man？〃 said I。
〃Just so；〃 said the woman。
〃The largest of the two men we saw the other night at the public…
house at Llansanfraid；〃 said I to John Jones。
〃I don't know him；〃 said Jones； 〃though I have heard of him； but I
have no doubt that was he。〃
I asked the woman how her husband could carry on the trade of a
clog…maker in such a remote place … and also whether he hawked his
clogs about the country。
〃We call him a clog…maker；〃 said the woman； 〃but the truth is that
he merely cuts down the wood and fashions it into squares； these
are taken by an under…master who sends them to the manufacturer at
Bolton； who employs hands； who make them into clogs。〃
〃Some of the English；〃 said Jones； 〃are so poor that they cannot
afford to buy shoes； a pair of shoes cost ten or twelve shillings；
whereas a pair of clogs only cost two。〃
〃I suppose；〃 said I； 〃that what you call clogs are wooden shoes。〃
〃Just so；〃 said Jones … 〃they are principally used in the
neighbourhood of Manchester。〃
〃I have seen them at Huddersfield；〃 said I； 〃when I was a boy at
school there； of what wood are they made？〃
〃Of the gwern； or alder tree；〃 said the woman； 〃of which there is
plenty on both sides of the brook。〃
John Jones now asked her if she could give him a tamaid of bread；
she said she could； 〃and some butter with it。〃
She then went out and presently returned with a loaf and some
butter。
〃Had you not better wait；〃 said I； 〃till we get to the inn at
Llansanfraid？〃
The woman； however； begged him to eat some bread and butter where
he was； and cutting a plateful； placed it before him； having first
offered me some which I declined。
〃But you have nothing to drink with it；〃 said I to him。
〃If you please；〃 said the woman； 〃I will go for a pint of ale to
the public…house at the Pandy； there is better ale there than at
the inn at Llansanfraid。 When my husband goes to Llansanfraid he
goes less for the ale than for the conversation； because there is
little English spoken at the Pandy however good the ale。〃
John Jones said he wanted no ale … and attacking the bread and
butter speedily made an end of it； by the time he had done the
storm was over； and getting up I gave the child twopence； and left
the cottage with Jones。 We proceeded some way farther up the
valley； till we came to a place where the ground descended a
little。 Here Jones touching me on the shoulder pointed across the
stream。 Following with my eye the direction of his finger； I saw
two or three small sheds with a number of small reddish blocks in
regular piles beneath them。 Several trees felled from the side of
the torrent were lying near； some of them stripped of their arms
and bark。 A small tree formed a bridge across the brook to the
sheds。
〃It is there；〃 said John Jones； 〃that the husband of the woman with
whom we have been speaking works； felling trees from the alder
swamp and cutting them up into blocks。 I see there is no work
going on at present or we would go over … the woman told me that
her husband was at Llangollen。〃
〃What a strange place to come to work at；〃 said I； 〃out of crowded
England。 Here is nothing to be heard but the murmuring of waters
and the rushing of wind down the gulleys。 If the man's head is not
full of poetical fancies； which I suppose it is not； as in that
case he would be unfit for any useful employment； I don't wonder at
his occasionally going to the public…house。〃
After going a little further up the glen and observing nothing more
remarkable than we had seen already； we turned back。 Being
overtaken by another violent shower just as we reached the Pandy I
thought that we could do no better than shelter ourselves within
the public…house； and taste the ale； which the wife of the clog…
maker had praised。 We entered the little hostelry which was one of
two or three shabby…looking houses； standing in contact； close by
the Ceiriog。 In a kind of little back room； lighted by a good fire
and a window which looked up the Ceiriog valley； we found the
landlady； a gentlewoman with a wooden leg； who on perceiving me got
up from a chair； and made me the best curtsey that I ever saw made
by a female with such a substitute for a leg of flesh and bone。
There were three men； sitting with jugs of ale near them on a table
by the fire； two were seated on a bench by the wall； and the other
on a settle with a high back； which ran from the wall just by the
door； and shielded those by the fire from the draughts of the
doorway。 He of the settle no sooner beheld me than he sprang up；
and placing a chair for me by the fire bade me in English be
seated； and then resumed his own seat。 John Jones soon finding a
chair came and sat down by me； when I forthwith called for a quart
of cwrw da。 Th