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60
THE CONTRAST
London fashion of looking back, after a genteel fellow like me has passed them.—Ah! who comes here? This, by his awkwardness, must be the Yankee colonel's servant. I'll accost him.
(Enter Jonathan.)
Votre tres-humble serviteur, Monsieur. I understand Colonel Manly, the Yankee officer, has the honour of your services.
Jonathan. Sir!—
Jessamy. I say, Sir, I understand that Colonel Manly has the honour of having you for a servant.
Jonathan. Servant! Sir, do you take me for a neger,—I am Colonel Manly's waiter.
Jessamy. A true Yankee distinction, egad, without a difference. Why, Sir, do you not perform all the offices of a servant? do you not even blacken his boots?
Jonathan. Yes; I do grease them a bit sometimes; but I am a true blue son of liberty, for all that. Father said I should come as Colonel Manly's waiter, to see the world, and all that; but no man shall master me. My father has as good a farm as the colonel.
Jessamy. Well, Sir, we will not quarrel about terms upon the eve of an acquaintance from which I promise myself so much satisfaction;—therefore, sans ceremonie—
Jonathan. What?—
Jessamy. I say I am extremely happy to see Colonel Manly's waiter.
Jonathan. Well, and I vow, too, I am pretty considerably glad to see you—but what the dogs need of all this outlandish lingo? Who may you be, Sir, if I may be so bold?
Jessamy. I have the honour to be Mr. Dimple's servant, or, if you please, waiter. We lodge under the same roof, and should be glad of the honour of your acquaintance.
Jonathan. You a waiter! by the living jingo, you look so topping, I took you for one of the agents to Congress.
Jessamy. The brute has discernment, notwithstanding his appearance.— Give me leave to say I wonder then at your familiarity.
Jonathan. Why, as to the matter of that, Mr.—pray, what's your name?
Jessamy. Jessamy, at your service.
Jonathan. Why, I swear we don't make any great matter of distinction in our state between quality and other folks.
Jessamy. This is, indeed, a levelling principle. I hope, Mr. Jonathan, you have not taken part with the insurgents.
Jonathan. Why, since General Shays has sneaked off and given us the bag to hold, I don't care to give my opinion; but you'll promise not to tell—put your ear this way—you won't tell?—I vow I did think the sturgeons were right.
Jessamy. I thought, Mr. Jonathan, you Massachusetts men always argued with a gun in your hand. Why didn't you join them?
Jonathan. Why, the colonel is one of those folks called the Shin—Shin—dang it all, I can't speak them lignum vitae words—you know who I mean—there is a company of them—they wear a china goose at their button-hole—a kind of gilt thing.—Now the colonel told father and brother,—you must know there are, let me see—there is Elnathan, Silas, and Barnabas, Tabitha—no, no, she's a she—tarnation, now I have it—there's Elnathan, Silas, Barnabas, Jonathan, that's I—seven of us, six went into the wars, and I staid at home to take care of mother. Colonel said that it was a burning shame for the true blue Bunker Hill sons of liberty, who had fought Governor Hutchinson, Lord North, and the Devil, to have any hand in kicking up a cursed dust against a government which we had, every mother's son of us, a hand in making.
Jessamy. Bravo!— Well, have you been abroad in the city since your arrival? What have you seen that is curious and entertaining?
Jonathan. Oh! I have seen a power of fine sights. I went to see two marble-stone men and a leaden horse that stands out in doors in all weathers; and when I came where they was, one had got no head, and t' other wern't there. They said as how the leaden man was a damn'd tory, and that he took wit in his anger and rode off in the time of the troubles.
Jessamy. But this was not the end of your excursion.
Jonathan. Oh, no; I went to a place they call Holy Ground. Now I counted this was a place where folks go to meeting; so I put my hymn-book in my pocket, and walked softly and grave as a minister; and when I came there, the dogs a bit of a meeting-house could I see. At last I spied a young gentlewoman standing by one of the seats. which they have