The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

68 THE STEAM PACKET. Jong ’’—supplied him with a copious repast; and the cellarer added a pint of wine, besides plenty of strong beer, with an intimation that ‘‘he needn’t be afraid to drink it, as his master shouldn’t have to pay for it.” ‘““'Wery good, old chap,” said Tom; ‘I shan’t be afeerd of it. I never yet see anything in the shape o’ eatables or lickers vich I didn’t dare face—from a biled leg 0’ mutton down to humble taturs— or from wine like this here down to swipes vich they sells at the chandlers’ shops, three halfpence a pot.”’ 7 ““ You’re a accommodating young man, I see,” said the buxom cook, with a simper. | ‘*Qh! partickler so,” answered Tole as he made desperate havoc amongst the viands submitted to his taste. ‘‘ You see I imbibed ex- ceedin’ good principles ven I wos wery young—so that I ain’t all out’ard show, like a booth at Bartlemy fair.” ‘*And I s’pose you’ve got a excellent place?”’’ observed the chambermaid, who had just entered the kitchen with a japanned candlestick in her hand, and who appeared to the eyes of Mr. Gibbins to possess some few attractions—such as a pair of wicked-looking, sparkling black eyes, good teeth, and a plump but well-shaped figure. ‘¢QOh! a excellent place with the captain,’ replied Tom; “ nothin’ to do, and plenty o’ vages for the trouble. I haven’t begun to com- plain yet, nor to threaten a strike for a rise.”’ 3 ‘‘ And your master ain’t married, s’pose?”’ said the cook. “‘ He ain’t quite sich a fool as that,’ exclaimed Tom; ‘“‘ that is—as yet, I meany for he has got a gal in his eye which has got some few thousand pounds in her pocket.” ‘* Vell, I hope it won’t all ewaporate like dew,” said the cook, who was somewhat sentimentally inclined. ‘‘Can’t say,” cried Tom, laconically; then, after a moment, he added, ‘‘ But I des say that some o’ them flash young gen’lemen about town often does wish that their bills would ewaporate, ven they be- comes due.” ‘Ah! them fine chaps is a/-ways in hot water,” said the kitchen- maid, who at that moment scalded her fingers with some. ‘“‘ Yes—never out o’ the suds,’ added the washerwoman of the establishment, who was sipping a glass of Booth’s best in the chimney- corner,—for gin is as necessary to a washerwoman as a wooden leg is to a cripple. “* Vell, for my part,” continued the kitchen-maid, casting her visual organs niche: like a duck during a convene of the elements above, ‘‘I’d never marry, ‘cause marriage leads to childern.”’ Gomichbooks (E(0)