human
Pride, squire, continued the Clockmaker (with such an air of concern, that, I verily believe, the man feels an interest in the welfare of a Province, in which he has spent so long a time),
gpt
Pride, Squire, and a false pride, too, is the ruin of this country, I hope I may be skinned if it ain't.
human
Old Clay as far above a Provincial horse, as he did one of his
gpt
superior to a Bluenose. He treated him as a travelling companion, and when conversation flagged between us, would often soliloquize to him, a habit contracted from pursuing his journeys alone.
human
Well now, he would say,
gpt
Old Clay, I guess you took your time a-goin' up that 'ere hill--'spose we progress now. Go along, you old sculpin, and turn out your toes. I reckon you are as deff as a shad, do you hear there? Go ahead! Old Clay. There now, he'd say,
human
Squire ain't that dreadful pretty? There's action. That looks about right: legs all under him--gathers all up snug--no bobbin' of his head--no rollin' of his shoulders--no wabblin' of his hind parts, but steady as a pump bolt, and the motion all underneath. When he fairly lays himself to it, he trots like all vengeance. Then look at his ear--jist like rabbit's; none o' your flop-ears like them Amherst beasts, half horses, half pigs, but strait up and p'inted, and not too near at the tips; for that 'ere, I consait, always shows a horse ain't true to draw. There are only two things, Squire, worth lookin' at in a horse, action and soundness; for I never saw a critter that had good action that was a bad beast. Old Clay puts me in mind of one of our free and enlightened--
gpt
Excuse me, said I,
human
Mr. Slick, but really you appropriate that word 'free' to your countrymen, as if you thought no other people in the world were entitled to it but yourselves.
gpt
Neither be they, said he.
human
We first sot the example. Look at our declaration of independence. It was writ by Jefferson, and he was the first man of the age; perhaps the world never seed his ditto. It's a beautiful piece of penmanship that, he gave the British the butt eend of his mind there. I calculate you couldn't falt it in no particular, it's generally allowed to be his cap shief. In the first page of it, second section, and first varse, are these words: 'We hold this truth to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' I guess King George turned his quid when he read that. It was somethin' to chaw on, he hadn't been used to the flavour of, I reckon.
gpt
Jefferson forgot to insert one little word, said I;
human
Well, said he,
gpt
I must admit there is a screw loose somewhere thereabouts, and I wish it would convene to Congress, to do somethin' or another about our niggers, but I am not quite certified how that is to be sot to rights; I consait that you don't understand us. But, said he, evading the subject with his usual dexterity,
human
Thank God, said I,
gpt
Not quite, I guess, said he, with an air of triumph,