We settle down in our new home, and I resolve to keep a diary.
Tradesmen trouble us a bit, so does the scraper. The Curate calls andpays me a great compliment.
My clear wife Carrie and I have just been a week in our new house,"The Laurels," Brickfield Terrace, Holloway - a nice six-roomed residence,not counting basement, with a front breakfast-parlour. We have a littlefront garden; and there is a flight of ten steps up to the front door, which,by-the-by, we keep locked with the chain up. Cummings, Gowing, andour other intimate friends always come to the little side entrance, whichsaves the servant the trouble of going up to the front door, thereby takingher from her work. We have a nice little back garden which runs down tothe railway. We were rather afraid of the noise of the trains at first, butthe landlord said we should not notice them after a bit, and took 2 poundsoff the rent. He was certainly right; and beyond the cracking of thegarden wall at the bottom, we have suffered no inconvenience.
After my work in the City, I like to be at home. What's the good of ahome, if you are never in it? "Home, Sweet Home," that's my motto. Iam always in of an evening. Our old friend Gowing may drop in withoutceremony; so may Cummings, who lives opposite. My dear wifeCaroline and I are pleased to see them, if they like to drop in on us. ButCarrie and I can manage to pass our evenings together without friends.
There is always something to be done: a tin-tack here, a Venetian blindto put straight, a fan to nail up, or part of a carpet to nail down - all ofwhich I can do with my pipe in my mouth; while Carrie is not aboveputting a button on a shirt, mending a pillow-case, or practising the"Sylvia Gavotte" on our new cottage piano (on the three years' system),manufactured by W. Bilkson (in small letters), from Collard and Collard(in very large letters). It is also a great comfort to us to know that ourboy Willie is getting on so well in the Bank at Oldham. We should liketo see more of him. Now for my diary:
April 3. -Tradesmen called for custom, and I promised Farmerson,the ironmonger, to give him a turn if I wanted any nails or tools. By-the-by,that reminds me there is no key to our bedroom door, and the bells must beseen to. The parlour bell is broken, and the front door rings up in theservant's bedroom, which is ridiculous. Dear friend Gowing dropped in,but wouldn't stay, saying there was an infernal smell of paint.
April 4. Tradesmen still calling; Carrie being out, I arranged to dealwith Horwin, who seemed a civil butcher with a nice clean shop.
Ordered a shoulder of mutton for to-morrow, to give him a trial. Carriearranged with Borset, the butterman, and ordered a pound of fresh butter,and a pound and a half of salt ditto for kitchen, and a shilling's worth ofeggs. In the evening, Cummings unexpectedly dropped in to show me ameerschaum pipe he had won in a raffle in the City, and told me to handleit carefully, as it would spoil the colouring if the hand was moist. Hesaid he wouldn't stay, as he didn't care much for the smell of the paint, andfell over the scraper as he went out. Must get the scraper removed, orelse I shall get into a SCRAPE. I don't often make jokes.
April 5. -Two shoulders of mutton arrived, Carrie having arrangedwith another butcher without consulting me. Gowing called, and fellover scraper coming in. MUST get that scraper removed.
April 6. - Eggs for breakfast simply shocking; sent them back toBorset with my compliments, and he needn't call any more for orders.
Couldn't find umbrella, and though it was pouring with rain, had to gowithout it. Sarah said Mr. Gowing must have took it by mistake lastnight, as there was a stick in the 'all that didn't belong to nobody. In theevening, hearing someone talking in a loud voice to the servant in thedownstairs hall, I went out to see who it was, and was surprised to find itwas Borset, the butterman, who was both drunk and offensive. Borset,on seeing me, said he would be hanged if he would ever serve City clerksany more - the game wasn't worth the candle. I restrained my feelings,and quietly remarked that I thought it was POSSIBLE for a city clerk to bea GENTLEMAN. He replied he was very glad to hear it, and wanted toknow whether I had ever come across one, for HE hadn't. He left thehouse, slamming the door after him, which nearly broke the fanlight; and I heard him fall over the scraper, which made me feel glad I hadn't removedit. When he had gone, I thought of a splendid answer I ought to havegiven him. However, I will keep it for another occasion.
April 7. - Being Saturday, I looked forward to being home early, andputting a few things straight; but two of our principals at the office wereabsent through illness, and I did not get home till seven. Found Borsetwaiting. He had been three times during the day to apologise for hisconduct last night. He said he was unable to take his Bank Holiday lastMonday, and took it last night instead. He begged me to accept hisapology, and a pound of fresh butter. He seems, after all, a decent sort offellow; so I gave him an order for some fresh eggs, with a request that onthis occasion they SHOULD be fresh. I am afraid we shall have to getsome new stair-carpets after all; our old ones are not quite wide enough tomeet the paint on either side. Carrie suggests that we might ourselvesbroaden the paint. I will see if we can match the colour (dark chocolate)on Monday.
April 8, Sunday. - After Church, the Curate came back with us. I sentCarrie in to open front door, which we do not use except on specialoccasions. She could not get it open, and after all my display, I had totake the Curate (whose name, by-the-by, I did not catch,) round the sideentrance. He caught his foot in the scraper, and tore the bottom of histrousers. Most annoying, as Carrie could not well offer to repair them ona Sunday. After dinner, went to sleep. Took a walk round the garden,and discovered a beautiful spot for sowing mustard-and-cress and radishes.
Went to Church again in the evening: walked back with the Curate.
Carrie noticed he had got on the same pair of trousers, only repaired. Hewants me to take round the plate, which I think a great compliment.