The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

70 | THE STEAM PACKET. dear, is a rose for you: it come out o’ Spitalfield’s market this mor- nin’ —wear it for my sake.”’ ‘That I will,” cried Jane ; and she attached it to the bosom of her gown, apparently, as the ae very pathahgaly | observed, “ in aeticet flustration of joy.”’ “¢ Air you fond o’ flowers, ma’am ?”’ asked Tom of the dowdy vidoe “Oh! I’m quite sree hae with them!” was the lady’s reply. ‘¢ And vich flower do you perfer, ma’am ?”’ demanded Tom. “¢ A cauliflower, I think,” said the cook; “ ’cause it stands bilin’ ; —and she laughed so heartily at her wit that her buxom form leas : burst her stay-laces. ‘Oh! wery well,’ cried Tom, laughing eee es : owes you von for that there, Mrs. Tiaaine _ “Vell, then—you should pay your debts,” returned the cook, laughing more hearaly than before: ‘‘it ain’t to your credit to owe nothink ! ” “YT rayther think it vant be taking credit if I didn’ t pay my debts!” ejaculated Tom; “but here goes ;”—and leaping from his seat, he caught the plump ee round the waist, while his lips simul- taneously fixed themselves for a momert upon hers. “ Well—did you ever! I’m raly quite ashamed. of you!”’ mur- mured the blushing fair one, without, however, making any very violent effort to free herself on his arms. “This must go round—or.at all ewents half vay,’ ’ cried Tom; and abandoning the presiding divinity of the kitchen, he pounced upon the pretty chambermaid, whom he treated in a simular manner— although perhaps, in this instance, his arm remained an instant longer round the waist, and his lips a few moments more upon the red mouth of the tender Jane, than they had done with peat to the fascinating widow. The old washerwoman had fallen asleep sith her head iui amongst a bundle of rushlights hanging from the wall; and the scullion, or ‘kitchen-maid, was not very inviting in appearance ; so Tom was content, as he had said, to let the ceremony go only half way round, ‘< Well—I never knowed such imperence!” cried the cook, laughing heartily at this frolic. ‘‘ What fellers the men is, to be sure!” ‘¢ And what dear, inchantin’ creaturs the women is! Age ejaculated Tom. ‘‘ But, p’raps you doesn’t know, ladies, vy women is called women ?”” ‘*’Cause.it ’s their name, stupid!” said the cook. | ““Ah! but who giv’d ’em the name?” demanded Tom. 1 * Gomicbhooks (e(0)