The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 195: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

186 THB MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. the other in the form of s alatternly servant-girl who was peeling potatoes and whose wages might at the first guess be put down at eighteenpence a week. The bed-chamber was above this little parlour, and of corresponding size. The rooms were however cleanly enough; and Christian speedily intimated his desire to become their oocu- pant. He took out hia purse to psy the rent in advance: but Mrs. Chubb, who was a woman that expressed her thoughts without the slightest cir- cumlocution or d declared “ that she never took nobody without a reference; for though a lodger might be able to maney, 4 was not € e always a proof of reepee Thereupon our hero immedvately tasationed the hearing which Mrs. name of Mra. Macaulay,—w Chubb was reminded that Christian was a guest at that lady’s house on the memorable night when he conducted her husband home, and this was a sufficient guarantee that he must be well known to Mrs. Macaulay aforesaid. “Well,” she observed, “the reference will do, sir: indeed there is ma cell whateumever to take it. You can pay the week in advance; and if you come this way, Mr. Obubb will give you a receipt.” Christian accordingly followed Mrs. Ohubb across the yard; and she opened the door of tho school- room,—the boys’ entrange to which was in the next street. It was a small, ill-ventilated place— excessively dirty—and the atmosphere eo close and unpleasantly hot that Christian stopped short on the threshold. There a most odifying sight burst upon his view. Ata deak seat Mr. Chubb, in an old dressing-gawn, the pattern of which, before it was faded and soiled, had been a blue ground with black stripes: his feet were thrust into slippers, down at the heels; and as he was in the middle of hearing a elass, he held a swingeing cane in his right hand. Suspended to a nail in the wall against which he eat, a huge birch had a most ominous appearance,—enough to provoke a tingling sen- sation on the part of the urchins who contem- plated it. There might be altogether about forty scholars packed in this stifling place, and averaging from five to ten yeare of age. When the door opened, Mr. Ohubb looked slowly and solemnly towards it: for he always maintained & very grave and dignified hearing in the presence of his scholars—never giving way to any oxcite- ment except when he used. the cane or applied the birch ; and these he inflicted in the meaner in which rowers are, sometimes urged by the steersemen to “give way’—namely, “with a will.’ Mr. Chabb therefore, preserving his wonted solemnity, merely bestowed a bow upon Christian, and went on hear- ing the class. Mrs. Chubb did not immediately in- terrupt him: for she was doubtless anxious to impress our young hero with the wonderful disci. pline which prevailed in the school, the admirable educational qualifications possessed by her husband, and the marvellous brilliancy of the intellects which were expanding under euch luminous tuition. “ It’s the third class he’s a-hearin’ of,” Mrs. Chubb to Christian; “‘gnd they're all little *uns, you see.” Christian looked as if he thought the sight a very interesting one. Perhaps there was the Mrs. Chubb, so as to be invited into her own parlour, where he might expect to see the beautiful Miss Vincent. “Now then, Bill Shadbolt,” said Mr. Chubb, “how do you spell pig ?” “ p—i—double g, please sir,” was the response. “Very good,” said Mr. Chubb. “ Now, how do you describe it ?” “ A hanimal, please sir.” “Very Next boy, Ben Tidleywink— what's a pig—biped or quadrooped ?” “ Biped, please sir.” ‘No, he ain’t,” said Mr. Chubb, with an awful frown and a sterner clutching of the cane, which perbaps he would have used but for Christian’s presence. “Guess again.” “Oh! quadrooped, sir.” “To be sure. Very good, boy. Quadrooped, cause why he walks on four legs and has got a tail. Qut off his tail and he loses his dignity. It’s just the same as taking ea cocked hat and laced eloak away from a beadle; he sinks down into the commonest humanity. Now then third boy, George Snuffkin. What have you got to tell me about a pig ?” Hamphiberous, please sir.” “Very good, And why is be amphiberous ?” "Cause why, sir, he lives on solide and fluids.” “To be sure—meal and water makes his wash. But what else is he p” “ Graminivorous, please sir,” was George Snuff- “And so he is. But explain.” . “*Cause why, sir, he don’t mind having green stuff and wegetables in his wash.” “Very good,” said Mr. Chubb. “ Now take a lesson, boys, from the pig, and tutor your appetites to eat whateomever comes in your way. That's the example I like to set the young idear when I teach it how to shoot.” Christian thought, as he recollected Mrs. Ma- caulay’s party, that Mr. Chubb might have added without the slightest oxaggeration that he could drink likewise anything that came in his way: but of course he gave not verbal utterance to the reflection. “Now then, Joe .” continued Mr. Chubb, “how do you spell cat P”’ ““O—a—double 6, please sir,” was the boy’s re- sponse. “Of what genius is the cat? inquired Mr. Chubb. - “The mouser genius, sir.” “Vv And what is these pecooliar about that beautiful domestic animal ?” “They can see in the dark, sir—‘cause why they are full of electricity, which runs up from the tip of the tail to the head and eomes out at the eyes.” “Very good,” said Mr. Chubb, complacently. “Third class may stand down.” And as the boys went back to their seats, the schoolmaster rose from his own; and gravely shaking hands with Christian, said, “So you have come to give mea call and heve a look at the school? You see, Mr. Ashton, I teach these young members of the rising generation nat’ral history along with their spellin’» It kills two birds with one stone, and gives em a power of concentrating their idears. It’s a good system, (COL (C DOO — —. — ao CS (COL