The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 67 The revelry had lasted until all the candles went into fits, and threatened immediate dissolution. Mr. Kruby then contrived to pick ‘a quarrel with Mr. Tillinick, and insisted upon going into the open air “to fight it out ;” but stumbling over Mr. Turnchurch, he fell flat upon the floor, where he contented himself with snoring it out. At length Mr. Pifpaf, whose eyes had long been closed, opened one of them, and prepared to leave the chair; most of his friends having already left theirs without any ceremony, by suddenly disappearing under the table. CHAPTER VII. HOW MR. THOMAS GIBBINS AMUSED HIMSELF IN THE KITCHEN OF THE WHITE HART INN, MARGATE, In the meantime Mr. Thomas Gibbins amused himself as well as his betters. He had never felt himself so comfortable before in his life- time; and it was natural that he should wish to enjoy the palmy hours of prosperity. Having commenced this sublunary state of existence under the auspices of a drunken father; having next gone through a probationary course of blue worsted hose, yellow leather breeches, pepper and salt coat, muffin cap, and study, at a parish school; and then having lounged away his time in poverty and neglect at home, frequenting public-houses during the week, and attending a conventicle up a court, on Sundays, where a cobbler, who admitted himself to be a “‘hawful sinner,” weekly held forth to the pious people of the slums behind Truman’s brewhouse ;—such having been the routine of Tom Gibbins’s life, it was natural, we say, that he should hail his present ‘improved condition with the most unfeigned delight. Captain Pen— tonville was a liberal patron of the industrious classes, and also a master under whose good auspices it was impossible that Mr, Gibbins should not thrive; blacking boots, telling lies, and standing to be sworn at, being the most onerous duties which the domestic had to perform. - While the Luminaries were carousing in the manner related in the latter portion of the preceding chapter, Mr. Thomas Gibbins was making himself numerous friends in the kitchen of the hotel. The cook, who was a good-natured female—one of the dowdy kind, and consequently a species of living illustration of “ It’s as broad as it’s F 2 Gomicbooks (E(0)