a contributor to the
"Oceanic Miscellany," and that in that capacity she would be
entitled to the ample compensation offered by the liberal
proprietors of that admirably conducted periodical,--which we are
pleased to learn has been growing in general favor, and which, the
public may be assured, no pains will be spared to render superior in
every respect,--I say, finding that she was to be handsomely
remunerated, she entered into the subject with great zeal, both
verbally and by letter. The reader will see that I sometimes follow
her orthography, and sometimes her pronunciation, as I may have
taken it from writing or from speech.
THE LANDLADY'S ACCOUNT.
There is two vacant places at my table, which I should be pleased to
fill with two gentlemen, or with a gentleman and his wife, or any
respectable people, be they merried or single. It is about the
gentleman and the lady that used to set in them places, that
inquiries is bein' made. Some has wrote, and some has spoke, and a
good many folks, that was unbeknown to me, has come in and wanted to
see the place where they used to set, and some days it's been
nothin' but ring, ring, ring, from mornin' till night.
Folks will be curious about them that has wrote in the papers.
There's my daughter couldn't be easy no way till she'd got a profeel
of one of them authors, to hang up right over the head of her bed.
That's the gentleman that writes stories in the papers, some in the
same way this gentleman did, I expect, that inquiries is made about.
I'm a poor woman, that tries to get an honest livin', and works hard
enough for it;--lost my husband, and buried five children, and have
two livin' ones to support. It's a great loss to me, losin' them two
boarders; and if there's anything in them papers he left in that
desk that will fetch anything at any of the shops where they buy
such things, I'm sure I wish you'd ask the printer to step round
here and stop in and see what any of 'em is worth. I'll let you have
one or two of 'em, and then you can see whether you don't know
anybody that would take the lot. I suppose you'll put what I tell you
into shape, for, like as not, I sha'n't write it out nor talk jest
as folks that make books do.
This gentleman warn't no great of a gentleman to look at. Being of a
very moderate dimension,--five foot five _he_ said, but five foot
four more likely, and I've heerd him say he didn't weigh much over a
hundred and twenty pound. He w
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