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- 748
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- 2026-01-30T07:57:55.409Z
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- text
- before twelve o’clock, meridian, was the quickest, steadiest creature,
too, accomplishing a great deal of work in a style not easily to be
matched—for these reasons, I was willing to overlook his
eccentricities, though, indeed, occasionally, I remonstrated with him.
I did this very gently, however, because, though the civilest, nay, the
blandest and most reverential of men in the morning, yet, in the
afternoon, he was disposed, upon provocation, to be slightly rash with
his tongue—in fact, insolent. Now, valuing his morning services as I
did, and resolved not to lose them—yet, at the same time, made
uncomfortable by his inflamed ways after twelve o’clock—and being a man
of peace, unwilling by my admonitions to call forth unseemly retorts
from him, I took upon me, one Saturday noon (he was always worse on
Saturdays) to hint to him, very kindly, that, perhaps, now that he was
growing old, it might be well to abridge his labors; in short, he need
not come to my chambers after twelve o’clock, but, dinner over, had
best go home to his lodgings, and rest himself till tea-time. But no;
he insisted upon his afternoon devotions. His countenance became
intolerably fervid, as he oratorically assured me—gesticulating with a
long ruler at the other end of the room—that if his services in the
morning were useful, how indispensable, then, in the afternoon?
“With submission, sir,” said Turkey, on this occasion, “I consider
myself your right-hand man. In the morning I but marshal and deploy my
columns; but in the afternoon I put myself at their head, and gallantly
charge the foe, thus”—and he made a violent thrust with the ruler.
“But the blots, Turkey,” intimated I.
“True; but, with submission, sir, behold these hairs! I am getting old.
Surely, sir, a blot or two of a warm afternoon is not to be severely
urged against gray hairs. Old age—even if it blot the page—is
honorable. With submission, sir, we _both_ are getting old.”
This appeal to my fellow-feeling was hardly to be resisted. At all
events, I saw that go he would not. So, I made up my mind to let him
stay, resolving, nevertheless, to see to it that, during the afternoon,
he had to do with my less important papers.
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