The Grinder Papers — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

“ 4,5 . - . : ow? y F », "> 114 THE GRINDER PAPERS. pistol, and ef I live tu the age o’ old Hale I sha’nt never forget my sensations. ‘‘Don’t!” I hollered, ‘‘I’m Miss Charity Grinder!” Sez he, ‘‘It’s spakin’ to me! Say a bit iv an ave fur me, Biddy darlint, or I'm lost!” and bang, bang, bang went the pistol. I yelled each time, but that didn’t dono good. The more I screeched the more he shot his pistol; and the more [I said ‘‘I’m Miss Charity Grinder,” the more he considered how ‘twas a spook from t’other place addressin’ him. I lifted up first one foot and then t’other, and I scrouched down, and I leaned over, and I couldn't budge one way nor t’other fur fear o’ tumblin’ off the barril; and whenever I hear anybody braggin’ like old Miss Scotchcake does, how’t their boys is ‘‘ good shots,” I'll tell’em they wouldn’t be so glad if they’d ever been a target like me that night. The best thing pistols kin du, is not tu hit the mark. Well, the help, she’d run down to the grocery man’s, and cum back with him and his big dog; and he was just as Dutch as anybody ever I see—couldn’t speak a word a Christian could understand ; and when he was told ’twas spooks, nat’rally, he thought that was American for robbers. Fust he said: : ‘‘Oh, mien Got, so much droubles for Miss Barker.” E Then he sot his dog on in Dutch, and then he run for more | help. The dog, he come clear down tu the eend o’ the long pantry. It was a good long one, with a windy in it, as big as some places rw PS Oe ee ae ie . | “© a 2 ney ey hag \P Yay f. : » \ > y comicboo Be ct ae SS arab Bae La A Gy en