To ? [1876]
Sir
H. A. has been a footman for a year, & leaves entirely of his own wish for the sake of a better place. He is a good waiter is clean & tidy & has invariably been very obliging to me &, as I hear to my other servants.
I have never had the least reason to suppose that he is not perfectly honest & trustworthy. The only fault which I have ever had to find has been that he was twice slightly tipsy, but on one occasion there was some excuse in his having attended a cricket match; & on the other occasion he had met some friends & As far I as I could judge he was thoroughly & truly ashamed of himself, & promised me that it shd never occur again; which promise he himself has kept.
I beg leave to remain | Sir | Your obed. | C. D.
Manuscript Alterations and Comments
1.1 been a] above del ‘lived with been my’
1.2 He] after del ‘I received with him an exc a very [above del ‘very go’] good character.’
1.2 is clean and tidy] added
1.2 invariably] after del ‘the’
1.2 been] interl
2.1 never] interl
2.2 which I have] below del ‘I have [below del ‘having been his’]’
2.2 had to find] del and stetted, below del ‘committed’
2.2 has been] interl after del ‘with him,’
2.3 some] above del ‘[considerable]’
2.3 in] above del ‘he’; after del ‘as’
2.3 his] altered from ‘he’
2.3 attended] after del ‘been’
2.4 & … friends] added
2.5 & truly] added pencil
2.5 of … again; 2.6] interl, above del ‘at being thus degraded’, semicolon added pencil, before del ‘&’
2.5 promised me] before del pencil ‘solemnly’
2.6 which promise he] interl
2.6 has kept] after del ‘&’; before del ‘[&] since been quite sober.’
3.1 leave to remain] above del ‘the leave to remain’