The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 304: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 231 ful, respectable in his own eyes, from such companionship. He will no longer consider himself as doomed to a hard life, as the serf of the ‘soil, but as leading the true life ordained by Providence for man. A great poem may result from this at some future time. When this battle now going on between the true and the false, the artificial cus- toms and natural impulses shall be ended, and the question settled, some Homer will arise to tell the story of a great revolution. The shame the scholar now suffers who advocates new doctrines may be his great glory ; that he is able to withstand the temptation of a small present possession fora great future good to his race. Like Peter of Russia, he may leave his throne for a while to work at the bench of the mechanic; and so be able to build a monument for himself of materials that will not perish with time. The characteristics of English society at Calais being not very agree- able nor attractive, for the reasons already stated, Mr. Pifpaf avoided all connexion with it; and after the scene at the billiard-table, Mr. Bambross did not attempt to intrude himself any more upon the Lu-— minaries. ‘here was, however, an'English lawyer in Calais—a Mr. Latitat—who had cast the eyes of affection upon Miss Belinda Pifpaf, and who, not being aware that the supposed Lord Noodleton was, to use a common, and therefore homely expression, ‘‘ very sweet in that quarter,’ determined to storm the castle in the most gallant manner | possible. Mr. Latitat, being forty years of age, had arrived at those years of discretion when a tedious courting is considered by no means agreeable; and, therefore, he sat down to his desk to indite an epistle to Miss Belinda, in the same off-hand but decided manner in which he would have written to a debtor to give notice of legal proceedings for the recovery of asumdue. The epistle being a curiosity in its way, is here given at length :— ‘* MapAM, ““T beg to inform you thin my heart has instructed me to apply to you for the immediate settlement of its claim upon you; and unless this demand be complied with by twelve o’clock to-morrow, I shall. be compelled to take the necessary proceedings to obtain a prompt DT of the same. ! “7 have the honour to remain, ‘¢ Madam, ‘Your obedient humble servant, ‘‘Lyrrieton Lariat,” _ This letter of course remained unanswered, Miss Belinda being totally at a loss to comprehend its meaning, and Mr, Pifpaf equally unable to » Eomicbooks (E()