The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 137 And here Mr. Gibbins roared with laughing; but the Frenchman, nothing abashed, speedily resumed his discourse. . “My friend vife she read of de lottery in France; and she say, ‘I must buy one ticket, and den I draw a prize.’ He say, ‘No, my angel.’ She say, ‘I ought to have one, sare.’ He say, ‘ You must not, - madam.’ She say, ‘I will, you brute!’ He say, ‘I damn if you do, you vixen.’ But she have it, and so, as de provarbe say, ‘ De gray mayer shall be de bitter horse.’ I had some business to do, and I am glad for go: so I take my watch and come down stair, and say, “I am sorry, but my stay short here, and I must take time by his fire- lock.’ The wife who came down stair with me, laugh; and I make to myself one opinion dat she was cast a ship’s eye at me; so before I was went I see de chest of drawers my friend was buy,—so I tink to say something of de draw myself, and pay over to her one compliment : so I say, ‘I shalt find much pleisir to see de drawers of your chest; den I find I was pe one cart be four horses,’ and I clear myself out in noting of time.’ “Right enough there, olds feller,” said 'Fom, ‘‘or else your friend would n’t ha’ wisited you with a toe covered with tanned calf-skin— oh,no! But draw it mild, there’s a good chap, now!” ** Draw again! alvays de draw /’’ cried the commissioner. ‘* Dat night I go to de Theatre ; and I see one gentleman what I shall know; and he say, ‘Dis a very bad house.’ He was make me to astonish, because it was tell to me what it shall be to make one bad house. Den he say, ‘ De play does not draw. In little time de curtain will draw up. We shall see a dance when dat scene draws. Nowde play draws to an end, and we will wthdraw.’ Because he was know what all dem draws shall mean, he ’spose I was know also. I tink, as de pro- varbe say, ‘ He measure oder people’s corns by de bushel.’ ¥ shall not be ver soon when de playhouse was go out; so as I come to de hotel, where I shall take my boards and lodgings: de door was lock. And so I was ver much ee out; because I tink I may ‘ go mith my father and fare worse.’ Den I was goa small tavern—a littel house in de street, where dey shall not go bed so quick, lJask dem for some — sup; dey give me littel bit bread and sheese. I say I was hope I shall . be put to bed agreeable: dey put me in garret; and all de night twenty-eleven rats shall run "bout, as if to play at a blind-man’s buff. When de morning shall come to me, every body see I was blow up very much to de landlord; and I say, ‘I pay you, and take de leaves of your house in de minuet,’ He say, ‘ Ver well, I shall draw your bill out.’ I den tink of de provarbe, ‘Short reckonings makes friends ver long.’ J look my bill: he was five shilling. He tink I Gomicbooks (E()