High Life in New York: A series of letters to Mr. Zephariah Slick, Justice of the Peace, and Deacon of the church over to Weathersfield in the state of ConnecticutStephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)
General
High Life in New York: A series of letters to Mr. Zephariah Slick, Justice of the Peace, and Deacon of the church over to Weathersfield in the state of Connecticut
Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
I went by the varmint and there I stood stock still in the door way a
starin about like a stuck calf. I swan, Par, I never sot eyes on any
thing that could shake a stick at that are room in my born days. The
floor was all spread off with a carpet, like a meadow that slants tu the
fust spring sun when the grass is a springin up, and sot off thick with
dandelions, buttercups and clovertops; and I swan tu man, there was
something in the room that smelt just about as sweet.
The room wasn't over large, and a whoppin winder eenamost took up one
eend on't. Yet it was kinder dark for all that, for a hull harvest of
shiny silk, as thin as a locust's wing, and sort a rosy colored, like a
gal's cheek jest arter a chap has kissed it--was kinder tumblin down the
winder in winrows turned lengthwise, one arter t'other, till the hull
was grabbed up in one alfired swad, and ketched back in a great hook all
of solid gold, that glistened like a lookin-glass frame when the fire
light ketches it fair.
There wasn't but two chairs in the room, and they seemed tu be made out
o' solid gold tu, stuffed down with shining silk figered off with posies
redder than the winder silk, and yet kinder like it. There was a bench
agin the winder, standin on chunks o' gold cut out like a lion's paw,
and that tu was all cushioned off with shiny silk like the chairs, and
on the back on it, right agin the wall, two pillars were stuck up, all
kivered over with posies that looked good enough tu smell on. Right agin
the door was the harnsomest consarn that I ever sot eyes on. It was a
kind of a round table cut in tew in the middle, dressed up in white and
ruffled off with harnsome lace, like a gal when she means tu cut a dash.
A lookin glass stood on it sot in a gold frame work, curlecued off like
a great vine, with the golden grapes a bustin out all over it, and sort
a droppin down over the glass. I snum, if it wasn't a sight tu behold!
There was a finefied gold watch about as big as a ninepence, a lyin on
the table, and some leetle red morocco boxes, with a newfangled pitcher
pictured off tu kill, chuck full of ginuine roses and green leaves, that
looked as if they'd that minit cum off from the bushes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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