zondag 7 april 2019

Charles Pooter • 8 april 1889

• Charles Pooter is de hoofdpersoon in het fictieve Diary of a nobody (1892), over de wederwaardigheden van een kantoorklerk, geschreven door George en Weedon Grossmith. Was destijds een zeer succesvol boek, en werd ook in het Nederlands vertaald.

April 8. No events of any importance, except that Gowing strongly recommended a new patent stylographic pen, which cost me nine-and-sixpence, and which was simply nine-and-sixpence thrown in the mud. It has caused me constant annoyance and irritability of temper. The ink oozes out of the top, making a mess on my hands, and once at the office when I was knocking the palm of my hand on the desk to jerk the ink down, Mr Perkupp, who had just entered, called out: 'Stop that knocking! I suppose that is you, Mr Pitt?' That young monkey, Pitt, took a malicious glee in responding quite loudly: 'No, sir; I beg pardon, it is Mr Pooter with his pen: it has been going on all morning.' To make matters worse, I saw Lupin laughing behind his desk. I thought it wiser to say nothing. I took the pen back to the shop and asked them if they would take it back, as it did not act. I did not expect the full price returned, but was willing to take half. The man said he could not do that - buying and selling were two different things. Lupin's conduct during the period he has been in Mr Perkupp's office has been most exemplary. My only fear is, it is too good to last.

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