The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. ol have changed! How well I remember the ash-trees, and the old oak in one corner of the play-ground, and the elder-trees at the side near the street, and the tall poplar in the middle!” — ‘‘ Well, *pon my word,” said Mr. Nibkins, “‘I don’t exactly re- member the oak, the ashes, the elders, and the poplar in the middle ; but I have an excellent recollection of the birch at the bottom.” “We shall have a beautiful trip, I apprehend,” observed Mr. Stokes to Mr. Cowslip. ‘I am so fond of the sea; but I have never been on it yet—and I ’ve only seen it in pictures, ead in the Dissolving Views at the Polytechnic.” ‘““Oh! I’ve often been tosea,’’ cried Mr. Cowslip, proudly. ‘ But remember, you must not believe all you hear of it. The sea is very well in its way—but after all, it’s nothing more than—than—water.”’ ‘“‘ Indeed!” said Mr. Stokes, who seemed grateful for this piece of information, which, from his manner, one would have supposed to be quite new to him, ‘“¢ And you must not expect to see any of those wonders which exist only in fables,’’ continued Mr. Cowslip, with increasing importance. _ “There is no such thing, for instance, as a mermaid—nor yet as a dolphin.” ‘* No such thing as a dolphin! ” ejaculated Mr. Stokes, opening his eyes in amazement. ‘‘ Why I have had my beer every day from the Dolphin for the last twenty years.” Mr. Nibkins cast a look of ineffable contempt upon his brother - Luminary, and deigned no reply. ‘< What a delightful prospect!” said Mr. Jeremiah Crumplings to a Luminary who now approached him, and who claimed the Emerald Isle as the place of his nativity. ‘‘ By Jasus, and it puts me in mind of ould Ireland, every inch of it—barrin’ that it ain’t so beautiful!” exclaimed the gentleman appealed to, as he took off his hat, and ran his fingers, comb-wise, through his hair, which bore a considerable resemblance to a tawny door-mat. | ‘¢ Ah! Ireland is a fine country, I’ve heard say—a very fine coun- try,” continued Mr. Crumplings, with a solemn shake of his head, “ But absenteeism has ruined it!” ‘¢ Absent-¢ay-ism is it that ye mane?” cried the Irish Luminary; turning abruptly round upon his companion. ‘‘ Well, by the holy poker, now, and I should ha’ thought that absent.dznner-ism was a much more likely cause o’ starvation than the other!” Mr. Jeremiah Crumplings was dumb-founded. But humour amongst the Luminaries was rife upon this day— E2 | Gomicbooks (eo)