The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 69 ~» * Ah! go it does,” observed the washerwoman, who seemed struck by the justice of the remark; ‘‘and where there’s childern one’s always a doing, and is never done.” ‘ ‘‘That’s true again!” ejaculated the cook ; “and it’s just for all the world like me and the weal patties: the more I makes, the more I may make.” — : ‘‘Raly, though ?”’ said Tom: “ wot—they gets eaten up so wery quick ?” _ “Yes—them and the sassage uns,” returned the cook. ‘TI shall send some up for supper presently, if so be as the gen’lemen up-stairs takes supper.” “T raytherthink they ’Il all be drownded in punch afore then,” said Tom, winking archly at the chambermaid, who simpered and blushed most becomingly. ‘‘ What’s your name, ma’am?” demanded Mr. Gibbins, after a moment’s pause, and now addressing himself to the cook: ‘‘ve seem such wery good friends, I think it is but right and fair ve should be better ack-vainted.” “*My name’s Mrs. Liggins, at your service, sir,” replied the coats with most gracious condescension of manner. “<* A vidder, I presume, then, ma’am ?”’ said Tom. ““'Yes—poor dear Mr. Liggins is gone to a better spear, I hope!” murmured the cook, wiping her eyes with a dishclout in the most sen-. timental manner possible. “ Oh! howI did love that there man! Mrs. - Moggles there,” she added, directing her lachrymose eyes towards the washerwoman, ‘‘ knows how I loved him !”’ “I do indeed, poor dear!” answered the respectable lady thus appealed to; and as she spoke she swayed backwards and forwards | upon her chair—but whether overcome by her feelings, or Booth’s best, we cannot determine. *¢ But I drew a blank in the matterymonial lottery!” continued the cook, with a most heart-rending sigh. ‘“* I’ve alvays heerd say that a dose o’ matrimony is a excellent and inwariable cure for the malady o’ love,” observed Tom; ‘‘and yet that ’ere wery pleasant domestic medicine sometimes leads to wery queer results. But let’s change this here melancholy discourse. Now that I’m aweer o’ your name, ma’am, and o’ the name o’ that wery respectable lady in the corner,”’ indicating Mrs. Moggles, “‘sup- posin’ I gets the same information round? Now, my dear, wot’s your name ?” : ‘Jane Thompson, also at your service,” was the pretty chamber- maid’s reply. **And a wery sweet name, too,”’ said Mr. Gibbins. ‘‘ There, my GComichbooks (E(0)