CHAPTER XVII

ANOTHER DAY

Wrote a letter to-day to me frind Minnie Carnavan asking her advise. It

were as follows:

Deer Minnie: I hope you are well as this laves me at prisint.

Its a long time since I seen yer swate face, but wid the wark of

a family of six to do, besides helping Mr. James to cut the

lons, Mr. John to plant the gardin, whitewashing of the chicken

coop for Mrs. Wolley, I’m clane doon up whin nite cums. But

theres anuther kind of wark I’m lately doing, and being its what

mite be called mind wark me nerves ar beginning to thrubble me

and whin annyone spakes to me at all I shtart upp like a thafe

cort at a crime. Its minny a day since I wint to confesshun and

me mind is deeply thrubbled wid the thort that the praste will

refuse me absilooshun.

The thruth of the matter be that I’m helping a dorter decave her

luving parents. Its 2 weeks now since I begun to let Mr. Harry

in at the back dure. Me foine privit dining-room which Miss

Claire had told me was for me to sit in alone is occupyed in the

avening excloosively by Miss Claire and her bow. To add to me

minny kares the child requires me to chappyrong her as shes

after calling it. And so ivry nite there I sits in me kitchen

drapping aslape sometimes wid me hed on the table.

Its hard on a poor sole, and on me Thirsdays and Soondays out

the yung crachures do be bigging me to stay at home, she wid her

coaxing words, and he wid his everlasting munney. Shure its

ritch I’m getting wid five dollars here and the tin dollars

there.

Now Minnie deer, rite me a swate letter at wunse and tell me

what to do.

The family do be soospecting nuthing, for Mr. Wolley seems to

have sum sacred thrubble of his own. After Mrs. Wolley gets to

bed at ate (she being a sufferer from insomnear ivery nite) I

seen Mr. Wolley sneeking out of the house, like he was after

going out for some meeness, and she his lorful wife innersent

and unsoospecting and he an old man wid four grown luvly

children.

The widder across the rode to be rooning after Mr. John and

ivery nite hes aff to talk wid her about her preshus vigitibles,

and wud ye belave it Minnie darlint she do be sinding over

messes ivery day from her gardin “samples” she calls thim “of me

own raysing.”

Mr. James do be crazy wid luv for Miss Una Robbins but the poor

lad do be making himsilf that oonhappy a body dare not spake to

him at all at all. You see the girl do be a magnut’s dorter and

Mr. James is that set against all magnuts hes beside himsilf wid

rage.

Ah Minnie this do be a straynge bit of coontry wid ivery body in

lov wid aich uther. Over at the Dudley house there be two bold

lads. Wan is very fine and ijjicated. He’s Frinch—a expert

shoffer as he ses. Its the hite of his ambition so he told me a

few days sinse whin I be hanging out me clothes to own a small

coontry shop for ortermobiles, “Boot” ses he “it taks money to

buy aven a modust little place,” and arsks me carelessly whether

I be of the saving kind of girl. “Why musser” ses I “Its $700

Iv’ve poot away in the bank for me auld age.” “Mon joor!” ses

he, gaping at me, and it was just thin I made the acquintunce of

the other lad. Hes a grate rude spalpeen, and he’s after being

in charge of the Dudley stables, so he tells me, ilbowing the

perlite Frinchman aside.

“Good marning!” ses he “I see yure new round these parts, or you

wouldnt be after spaking wid the Frinchy.”

I confess Minnie I was thruly ashamed of the manner of the auld

cuntry when I seen the diffrunce betwane the axshuns of museer

and the other wan. I toorned a face of scorn upon the latter,

picked up me baskit and marched aff in dudgin.

I’ll be closing me letter now, hoping your hilth is good as this

leaves me at prisint.

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The diary of Delia : Being a veracious chronicle of the kitchen, with some side-lights on the parlour · 第 17 / 30 章