Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

Thackerayat his office at eleven.12. The habit of fighting with each other, dear Louisa,Jane, Arabella, Amelia.13. The habit of always ordering John Coachman, threequartersof an hour before you want him.Such habits, I say, sir or madam, if you have had tonote in your diary of ’61, I have not the slightest doubtyou will enter in your pocket-book of ’62. There arehabits Nos. 4 and 7, for example. I am morally sure thatsome of us will not give up those bad customs, thoughthe women cry out and grumble, and scold ever so justly.There are habits Nos. 9 and 13. I feel perfectly certain,my dear young ladies, that you will continue to keepJohn Coachman waiting; that you will continue to givethe most satisfactory reasons for keeping him waiting:and as for (9), you will show that you once (on the 1stof April last, let us say,) came to breakfast first, andthat you are always first in consequence.Yes; in our ’62 diaries, I fear we may all of us makesome of the ’61 entries. There is my friend Freehand,for instance. (Aha! Master Freehand, how you will laughto find yourself here!) F. is in the habit of spending alittle, ever so little, more than his income. He showsyou how Mrs. Freehand works, and works (and indeedJack Freehand, if you say she is an angel, you don’t saytoo much of her); how they toil, and how they mend,and patch, and pinch; and how they can’t live on theirmeans. And I very much fear—nay, I will bet him half abottle of Gladstone 14s. per dozen claret—that the accountwhich is a little on the wrong side this year, willbe a little on the wrong side in the next ensuing year ofgrace.A diary. Dies. Hodie. How queer to read are some ofthe entries in the journal! Here are the records of dinnerseaten, and gone the way of flesh. The lights burnblue somehow, and we sit before the ghosts of victuals.Hark at the dead jokes resurging! Memory greets themwith the ghost of a smile. Here are the lists of the individualswho have dined at your own humble table. The163