Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Instances Of Unparallelled Parsimony In The Late Daniel Dancer, Esq.
He inherited a considerable property by the death of a sister , who exactly resembled him in temper , and who , had she lived in the dark ages of Gothic superstition , would probably have been mistaken for a witch , and burnt at the stake-in consequence . She seldom quitted her obscure residence except on being roused by the noise of hunters and their hounds , when she would sally forth , armed with a pitchfork , in order to check the progress cf [ he intruders on her brother ' s
grounds ; on which occasion she had more the appearance of a moving bundle of rags than of a human being . Lady T . was the only person who had the least influence on this unfortunate miser ; and though she knew that she would divide the bulk of his fortune with Captain Holmes , she , with that gentleman , used every device to make him enjoy the good things of this world ,
but all in vain . She had , however , one day the pleasure of prevailing on him to purchase a hat ( having worn his own for thirteen years ) from a Jew , for a shilling ; hut , to her great surprise , when she called the next day she saw that the old cbapeau still covered his head . On enquiry it was found that , after much solicitation , he prevailed on old Griffiths , his servant , to purchase the hat for eig hteen pence , which Mr . Dancer purchased the day before for a shilling from the Jew .
One day her ladyship sent him a present of trout stewed in claret , which he " liked above all things . It was f ' rosr , and the whole from lying by a night was frozen almost into ice . As he was a martyr to the . tooth-ache he Could not touch it , and to lig ht a fire this man thought expensive , who , besides having 3000 I . per annum , was possessed also of immense riches . As he generally , in severe weather , lay in bed to keep himself warmhe had the lish and sauce put
, between two pewter plates , on which he sat until the whole was sufficiently warm . He never took snuff , for that was extravagant , but he always carried a snuff-box . This , probably , he would fill in the course of a month by pinches obtained from others . When the box was full he would barter the contents for a farthing candle at a neighbouring
green-grocer ' s ; this candle was made to last till the box was again full , as he never suffered any lig ht in his house except while he was going to bed . He seldom washed his face and hands , but when the sua shone forth then he would betake himself to a neig hbouring pool , and use sand instead of soap ; when he was washed he would lie on his back and dry himself in the sun , as he never used a towel , for that would wear , and when dirty the washing was expensive .
Since his death there have been jugs of dollars and shillings found in the stable . At the dead of nig ht he has been known to go to this place , but for what purpose even old Griffiths could not tell ; but it now appears that he used to rob one jug to add to the bowl which was found buried since his death in the kitchen .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Instances Of Unparallelled Parsimony In The Late Daniel Dancer, Esq.
He inherited a considerable property by the death of a sister , who exactly resembled him in temper , and who , had she lived in the dark ages of Gothic superstition , would probably have been mistaken for a witch , and burnt at the stake-in consequence . She seldom quitted her obscure residence except on being roused by the noise of hunters and their hounds , when she would sally forth , armed with a pitchfork , in order to check the progress cf [ he intruders on her brother ' s
grounds ; on which occasion she had more the appearance of a moving bundle of rags than of a human being . Lady T . was the only person who had the least influence on this unfortunate miser ; and though she knew that she would divide the bulk of his fortune with Captain Holmes , she , with that gentleman , used every device to make him enjoy the good things of this world ,
but all in vain . She had , however , one day the pleasure of prevailing on him to purchase a hat ( having worn his own for thirteen years ) from a Jew , for a shilling ; hut , to her great surprise , when she called the next day she saw that the old cbapeau still covered his head . On enquiry it was found that , after much solicitation , he prevailed on old Griffiths , his servant , to purchase the hat for eig hteen pence , which Mr . Dancer purchased the day before for a shilling from the Jew .
One day her ladyship sent him a present of trout stewed in claret , which he " liked above all things . It was f ' rosr , and the whole from lying by a night was frozen almost into ice . As he was a martyr to the . tooth-ache he Could not touch it , and to lig ht a fire this man thought expensive , who , besides having 3000 I . per annum , was possessed also of immense riches . As he generally , in severe weather , lay in bed to keep himself warmhe had the lish and sauce put
, between two pewter plates , on which he sat until the whole was sufficiently warm . He never took snuff , for that was extravagant , but he always carried a snuff-box . This , probably , he would fill in the course of a month by pinches obtained from others . When the box was full he would barter the contents for a farthing candle at a neighbouring
green-grocer ' s ; this candle was made to last till the box was again full , as he never suffered any lig ht in his house except while he was going to bed . He seldom washed his face and hands , but when the sua shone forth then he would betake himself to a neig hbouring pool , and use sand instead of soap ; when he was washed he would lie on his back and dry himself in the sun , as he never used a towel , for that would wear , and when dirty the washing was expensive .
Since his death there have been jugs of dollars and shillings found in the stable . At the dead of nig ht he has been known to go to this place , but for what purpose even old Griffiths could not tell ; but it now appears that he used to rob one jug to add to the bowl which was found buried since his death in the kitchen .