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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