Open Writing

When Jesus an't' disciples got ter t' other side o' t' lake — after yon madman thru Gadara 'ad been fettled an' browt back to 'is senses — the' saw another gurt crahd waitin' fer 'em ter land. No sooiner 'ad Jesus stepped ashooare ner t' fowk got aht o' t' rooad an' med way fer a chap o' some importance. He wor called Jairus, an' 'e wor t' gaffer in charge o' t' synagogue — t' place wheeare t' Jeews allus worshipped iwery Setterda.

Instead o' welcomin' Jesus, as yer might 'a' thowt, this Jairus threw 'isssen dahn full length i' front o' Jesus an' started beggin' 'im to come an' 'elp 'im.

'It's my little lass', says Jairus. 'Sh's reight badly. Sh's that badly Ah'm afeeared sh's bahn ter dee. Sh's nobbut twelve year owd — an' sh's mi only dowter. If yer please, Lord, come an' lig yer 'ands on 'er — an' then sh'll mend ageean.'

Jesus said summat to 'im, an't' next thing the' knew 'e wor followin' Jairus through t' crahd. But t' place wor that throng the'd a job ter shove the'r way through.

Nah, a lot o' these fowk 'ad ailments 'at the' wanted Jesus ter cure, an' one on 'em wor a woman 'oo'd been lossin' blood fer twelve year — strangely enough, t' same length o' time as this dowter o' Jairus 'ad been alive. Sh'd spent all 'er brass on t' doctors — but the'd done nowt for 'er — in fact, sh' wor wahr ner iwer.

Well, this woman thowt to 'ersen, 'If Ah can nobbut touch t' clooase o' Jesus Ah s'll get well ageean.'

So sh' pushed 'er way through t' crahd, reached aht, an' just managed ter touch t' edge o' Jesus coit.
As sooin as sh' did this t' woman knew 'at sh'd been cured.

Streight away Jesus turned rahnd an' axed: ¦.
'Oo touched my clooase?'

'Nay, Lord,' said t' disciples, 'What a thing to ax, when all this crahd's pushin' an' shovin' us!'

'Aye,' said Jesus. 'But somebody did touch me — in a special sooart o' way. Ah could feel it.'

Then this woman, tremblin' all ower, fell dahn at t' feet o' Jesus, an' blurted aht all 'er troubles.

'Dooan't thee fret thissen, lass,' said Jesus. 'It's thi faith 'at's med thi well ageean. Nah, go in peace.'
What abaht Jairus, then? Tha can just imagine t' state t' poor chap wor in, wi' all this interruption, when Jesus wor on 'is way ter see 'is dowter, liggin' at deeath's dooar, an' iwery minute cahnted. But t' worst on it wor, while Jesus wor still talkin' ter this 'ere woman, some o' Jairus servants turned up an' said to 'im:

'Ee, maister. We've some reight bad news ... Yer dowter's passed away ... Ther's no call ter trouble Jesus onny mooare.'

'Dooan't be afeeared!' said Jesus ter Jairus, as sooin as 'e 'eard this. 'All tha needs is faith — an't' lass 'll be well ageean.'

Sooin the' gat ter wheeare Jairus lived, an' Jesus went in, takkin nobbut three o' t' disciples wi' 'im — Peter, James an' John. Inside ther' wor a reight commotion, wi' fowk weepin' an' wailin', an' rooarin' the'r een aht.

'What's all this, then?' axed Jesus. 'Nay, t' bairn's nut deead. Sh's nobbut asleep.'

Well, at this fowk suddenly left off weepin', an' started laughin' at Jesus. The' wer' that certain t' lass 'ad deed, tha sees.

Jesus replied bi turnin' 'em all aht inter t' yard, all bar t' mutther an' farther, an't' three disciples. The' went inter t' room wheeare t' lass wor liggin' on a sofa, an' Jesus just took 'od of 'er 'and an' said in t' Galilee dialect (Ah 'ope ah've got it reight):
' Talitha cum!' which meeans ter say, 'Nah then, doy. Up tha gets!'

An', does-ta knaw? Jairus dowter sits 'ersen up, an' then starts walkin' abaht!

Well, t' parents wer' dumb-fahnded — an' ower t' mooin, as tha can well imagine.

T lass'll need summat to eyt an' sup,' said Jesus ter Jairus an' 'is missis. 'But think on. Say nowt abaht this fo' t' time bein'. Ther's that monny fowk wi can scarcely stir.'

It's a funny thing, but Jesus allus seeamed ter try ter keep these merricles o' healin' quiet. Ah suppooase it wor cos 'e wanted ter preych an' teych — nut just bi seen as a doctor. Mind you. Mooare 'e telled 'em ter say nowt, mooare the' shahted it from t' 'ahse-tops. Yer can't blame 'em, can yer?