The Grinder Papers — page 117: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

I12 THE GRINDER PAPERS. How was I goin’ tu find that out? Why, by lookin’ at the pantries. ‘Wall, I’ll say fur him, fur a young man he does purty well. The jellies, and presarves, and pickles was interestiner than usual. I’d got the jars counted, and was up on a barrel tu the further eend, a lookin’ at some hams, when I hears a key in the front basement door, and J knowed some one was a comin’. In a minute I see how ‘twas the help. Now gals o’ that kind is so narrer-minded she might a thought I was meddlin with Miss Hopkins Barker's things, so sez I tu myself, ‘‘I ain't goin’ tu, and I blowed my light out and stood flat agin b/ let her see me,’ the wall on the barrel. “Iwas easy tu du that, cause I*hadn't got no hoops on, and was in my dimity wrapper and slippers, tu be comfortable. ; I expected the help would streak up stairs tu bed straight off, but, land o’ liberty! she didn’t. She walks in, hollerin’ to some one behind. | ‘‘Come in, Pat; the missus and masther is both out for the avenin’, [] now.” And in walks a great Irishman, with a big stick under his arm. . ‘‘May Saint Pather kape ‘em out,” sez he, and then, true as my name is Charity Grinder, he put his arms around her waist and kissed her! | The idee 0’ a respectable help allowin’ herself tu be kissed ! But the hull world is goin’ backwards intu wickedness, like Uncle Pratt’s wagon backed off intu the mill crick! When lI a *. om