The Grinder Papers — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

THE GRINDER PAPERS. 53 ‘<The printer’s boy, vulgarly called the ‘devil,’” says he. ‘‘Happy to hear it,” saysI. ‘‘ Thought you meant the old ~ boy. Well, how do you get along? Writin’ yet?” ‘‘Just published a new book,” says he; ‘‘a triumphant liter- ary success—‘ The Hobgoblin of Holyoak; or, The Murder of Miranda, the Victim of Kasparagoobleboo.”’ “Du tell,” says I. ‘‘Who killed her ?” : ‘‘Her demon lover,” says he. ‘‘In the first chapter there are two murders, nine specters, one natural death, and a sui- cides, beside which Kasparagoobleboo hatches his muderous plot.” “Lor!” says I. ‘In the second chapter, Miranda escapes her demon lover by springing from the castle-keep into the moat at the dead hour o midnight,” says he. ‘‘ The scene is laid in New Jersey, and the hull o’ the characters are dead before the second part. It’s a thrilling thing, Miss Grinder. ‘I'll give you a copy.” “Thank ye,” says I. ‘‘Law, how hungry I do feel after my walk !” “That reminds me,’ b said Miss Kittikins, ‘‘dinner ought to be ready. Biddy, why haven’t you rung the bell?” ‘‘T sent master Dick up to tell,” says Biddy, who was doin’ suthin in the hall. ‘‘Law!” says Miss Kittikins, ‘‘what a boy that is! Come down stairs, or we shan’t get anything !” So down we went. Lordo’ Goshen! There sot the table all askew, and there was them infant Kittikins—all as dirty as rag- pickers, <5) €O comicboo