The Works of Thomas Hood; Vol. 02 (of 11): Comic and Serious, in Prose and Verse, With All the Original IllustrationsHood, Thomas
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The Works of Thomas Hood; Vol. 02 (of 11): Comic and Serious, in Prose and Verse, With All the Original Illustrations
Hood, Thomas
English poetry -- 19th century; English wit and humor; Humorous poetry, English
Honoured Parent,
Your Dutiful and Affectionate Son,
ROBERT CARNABY.
[Illustration: DRAWING UP ARTICLES OF SEPARATION.]
ENCLOSURE No. II.--_From the Same to the Same._
DEAR FATHER,
I hope you wont be angry at writing of my own Acord and if you like
you may stop the postage out of what you mean to give me next time,
but the other letter was all a flam and didnt speak my real mind. The
Doctor frumpt it all up out of his own head, and we all copied it out
for all our fathers. What I want to tell you is as the holidays is so
nigh, I do wish you would make up your mind for me to be took away for
good and all. I dont like the victuals for one thing and besides I am
allmost sure we are not well teached. The table beer always gives me
the stomach ake if I don’t tie a string tight round it and I only wish
you see some of Mr. Murphy’s ruling when he smells so of rum Another
thing is the batter puddings which the fellows call it putty, because
it sticks pains in our insides, and sometimes we have stinking beef.
Tom Spooner has saved a bit on the sly to show parents, but it’s so
strong we are afeard it wont keep over the three weeks to the holidays,
and we are treated like gally slaves, and hare and hounds is forbid
because last time the hare got up behind the Chelmsford Coach and went
home to his friends in Leadenhall Market. As for sums we know the
ciphering Master has got a Tutors Key because theres a board at the
bottom of his desk comes out with a little coaxing, and more than that
hes a cruel savage and makes love to Masters daughter, and shes often
courted in the school room because its where her father don’t come
so much as anywheres else. The new Footman is another complaint. The
Doctor dont allow him nothing a year for his wages except his profits
out of the boys with fruit and pastery, and besides being rotten and
stale, hes riz burnt almonds twice since Micklemas. Then we are almost
quite sure Monseur Le Smith dont know Italian at least we have always
observed he never talks to the image boys, and the old Cook never
favours no one now except Carter with sop in pans ever since his Mother
come to see him. And thats why I do hope at my next school you will
raise my pocket money, its unpossible to tip handsome out of sixpence
a week. Jackson saved enough to buy a Donkey and then divided him into
shares and I had a shilling share but the Doctor were so unjust as
seize on him altho there was no law agin bringing asses to the school.
It was the same on Guy Fox day with our squibs and rockets which we
was more mortified to hear them going off after we were in bed. I am
certain sure we should have had a barring out in our school room long
and long ago only the Doctor hardly ever wants to come in. Thats the
way the ushers do just as they like in school hours and Mr. Huckings
does a leathersellers bookkeeping and Mr. Snitch makes poetry for the
newspapers. Its not my fault then if I am backwards in my Greek and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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