The Grinder Papers — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

134 THE GRINDER PAPERS. o’ a clerk, or suthin’ there. ‘“T'warn't considered much 0? a match ; but he has clim up amazin’—scum rises, you know. "Twas said how’t old Miss Pondicherry went out washin’. Well, arter ’d been tu York a spell, Maria sez tu me: “Seen anythin’ o Pamely sence you come?” “No,” sez I, ‘I hain’t.” | Sez she, ‘‘ They're livin’ in fust-rate style. He's in the cus- tomus, and the daughters is highly accomplished. You'd orter go and see em.” ‘“‘Reckon I will,” sez I. So Itook the direction, and went up there, with some things in a portmantle, the next day. _ ‘‘Why, land o’ liberty !” sez she, when she sot eyes on me; “tain’t you?” | ~ “Tis,” sez I. “But how awful fat you be, Pamely. Is it dropsy, or du you hev your helth?” Sez she, ‘‘I’m very well, thank you; and I’m not considered fat by my friends—a little on dong pwan.” (That's what she said; what she meant, I dunno.) ‘‘A little om dong pwan is considered becoming.” ‘So it is,” sez I; for lreckoned ‘twas some highfalutin word, and I warn’t a-goin’ tu giv in tu Pamely Pondicherry. ‘‘And how’s Packenham ?” = ‘‘He’s purty well,” sez she. ‘‘Attention tu business ruther wears onto him; but he’s purty well.” | ‘‘Glad tu hear it,” sez I. ‘‘And I dusuppose the young uns is purty well growed up.” i ‘ ° _ J . ‘ ‘ J zs ™s o a ‘ F *