He has no address. Much to my surprise, he takes his
leave without requesting pecuniary aid, but hints that he shall call
again. He is a very disagreeable young fellow, like scores of others who
call on me in the like situation. His English is very good for a
Frenchman, and he says he speaks it the least well of five languages. He
has been three years in America, and obtained his naturalization papers,
he says, as a special favor, and by means of strong interest. Nothing is
so absolutely odious as the sense of freedom and equality pertaining to
an American grafted on the mind of a native of any other country in the
world. A naturalized citizen is HATEFUL. Nobody has a right to our
ideas, unless born to them.
November 9th.--I lent the above Frenchman a small sum; he advertised for
employment as a teacher; and he called this morning to thank me for my
aid, and says Mr. C------ has engaged him for his children, at a guinea a
week, and that he has also another engagement. The poor fellow seems to
have been brought to a very low ebb. He has pawned everything, even to
his last shirt, save the one he had on, and had been living at the rate
of twopence a day. I had procured him a chance to return to America, but
he was ashamed to go back in such poor circumstances, and so determined
to seek better fortune here. I like him better than I did,--partly, I
suppose, because I have helped him.
November 14th.--The other day I saw an elderly gentleman walking in Dale
Street, apparently in a state of mania; for as he limped along (being
afflicted with lameness) he kept talking to himself, and sometimes
breaking out into a threat against some casual passenger.
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