Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 294: what you’re looking at

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

JOSEPH WILMOT ; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. 281 _— ree \\\ | — 111 ill ———%% Wall i} I Is ALT \\ =——— _- to J Whe } f<\ were my duties summed up; and they did not seem to be very onerous ones. Mrs. Shackleford interjectingly asked if I could drive ?—and when I responded that I thought I could, though I had never had much opportunity of testing my skill, she looked still more pleased than she seemed at first. I was told that I should be put in livery, and that on the following day I must go to Mr. Shackleford’s tailor at Bagshot to get measured for my clothes. wa one \— al ee — ee rey 7 Ke ff, r 4 SS ‘ . », . py) P| : in I was now consigned to the care of the elderly housemaid, who conducted me to the kitchen. I found that there were, besides myself, three do- - sy! =z set - ‘ WS . a ' or gy <a! presented so meagre an appearance; and I sub. sequently found that the vegetable-garden at th« back of the house was not in a much more pro. mising condition. The servants received me with a sufficiently cordial welcome,—the cook being a jovial good-humoured woman, and the old man of that half inane hilariousness which is often the characteristic of the advent of second childhood In the course of the day I found that the Shackle. fords kept one horse and a phacton, besides a light chaise-cart: I likewise learnt that Mrs. Shackle. ford was very fond of being driven about in the neighbourhood, and that it was chiefly for her use mestics,—the elderly housemaid already mentioned , the phaeton was kept. The old man, who had been —the cook, who was of about the same age—and | for years in the Shacklefords’ service, was accus- an old man, who acted as groom and gardener. | tomed to drive the phaeton: but methoucht, from He could not be less than sixty-five, and appeared to be half childish; so that he seemed more fitted for superannuation than to continue in service. | j | the question his mistress had put as to whether 1 knew how to handle the reins, she had it in con- I templation to induct me into that duty. I should could no longer wonder that the flower-garden add, ere passing on to other matters, that my 36 RE ED + Se Ny ee ee hhh I eee Se meneedi | CORNICLO© SS (CO in