The Grinder Papers — page 284: what you’re looking at

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

poem ITHE GRINDER PAPERS, 279 me, you foller her. Ef any one calls, you come and tell—your legs is younger than mine, and I'll make you a present before I go." Gaan os | The footman he bows. Sez he: | _ “T'll promise you that, maam. I'll keep my eye on Miss Neptuny. She snant go nowhere without me.” Arter that I was relieved 0’ my responsibilitude. He kept his promise, and was at her heels the heft o’ the time. It made me grin. You see she didn’t suspect 42m 0’ watchin’ her, and was very sociable, and exhibited a heap o affabilitude tu him, while she was onpleasant tu me. Didn't make no objection to hes runnin’ arter her, fur of course she never knowed I’d spoke tu him. She couldn't so much as go intu the hall but there he was. I never saw no help so faithful in the discharge o’ his duties. I made up my mind thatef the cappen did makea present o’ value tu me, I'd give Peter suthin’ handsome. Couldn’t no feller come tu the door but he knowed it, and sent ‘em packin’.. He fetched all Neptuny’s notes tu me fust, and behaved exemplary, and all the time she never got mad at him. On the contrary she scarcely spoke to him without smil- in’. Twas enough tu make you larf. | Well, things was progressing jest as the cappen would have desired, when Miss Wickum writ how’t they were comin’ hum. Teu tell the truth, I didn’t keer tu hev her du it, Peter hevin taken my responsibilitude on his shoulders, an’ me hevin’ com- fort in the best spare bedroom, with nuthin tu du only ring the Eomicboo iS Go