I hate to be so; but, somehow or other, I can't be
otherwise. It's my nature.
"You think I'm prosy. I won't say much more, for I see you take out
your watch as though you wished I'd stop, that you might go; so I'll
close with 'finally,' as I do in preaching.
"Well, then, finally, father died, mother died, Susan run off, and
I've become almost discouraged. I have three children to take care
of, but they are good children. They do just precisely as I tell
them, and won't do anything without asking me whether it's right;
and I ask somebody else. They have n't got any minds of their own,
any more than I have. They'll do just as I tell them. I've nobody in
particular now to tell me what I shall do; so I take everybody's
advice, and try to do as everybody wants me to do. I've come to
Boston on a visit, and shall go back to-night, if you think best.
"Now I've given you my autobiography. You can do just what you want
to with it,--print it, if you like. People, perhaps, will laugh at me
when they read it; but perhaps there are other Automatons besides
me."
He came to a full stop here; and, as it was getting late, I arose,
wished him well, bade him good-by, and left.
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