The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

52 | THE STEAM PACKET. plentiful as vulgarity amongst Americans, or boasting anole? | travellers. «© Ah! my dear Mr. Tillinick,” said a very fat, pursy, oilydaakine and sleek Luminary, “‘ there is the establishment where you and I served our apprenticeship to Tim Slater, the hat-manufacturer.” ‘‘It is, indeed,’’ responded Mr. Tillinick, with a sigh; ‘“but, fora hatter, my dear fellow, you really are vilely thatched—your gossamer is an out-and-out bad one ; and then you wear it perched just over the left ear.” ‘Why, I’ll tell you how it is, my dear Tillinick,”’ replied the weaver of gossamer webs: ‘‘I am leaving off this hat by degrees; and, as you very justly observe, I have already left it off on the right side altoge- ther; so that I shall soon have done with it now.’ The gentleman’s words were at that moment verified, for a os gust blew the hat into the river; where, although “ warrantee water- proof,” it speedily filled, and its disconsolate proprietor was compelled to wrap his cotton silk-imitation round his head until the vessel arrived at Margate, where he dispensed four shillings and pees upon @ new ventilating tegument. ‘* A brilliant anniversary for the Tapninrnes! ain’t it, Splikes ?” sical : a thin, sharp-nosed, bustling Luminary, with a pair of silver spectacles adorning his face, and a spy-glass under his arm. ‘* Aye, and a brilliant anniversary for you, too, old fellow ! if report speaks true,” answered Mr. Splikes. ‘Well, report does speak true,’ answered the sharp-nosed Lane ary; “that is, if report says that on this day twenty-two years ago, when I was a twopenny postman, a lady followed me about all through the third delivery, and married me next morning, by special licence, after the second. So I suddenly became a rich man, and have been sO ever since,” ‘“‘ And a clever man—and an influential member of the committee, too,’ added Mr. Splikes, who was a bit of a sycophant in his way; ‘but, by the by, how came you to fall asleep the other night during the debate upon whether supper should be postponed or not ?”’ ‘“‘T can’t say how it was,’’ answered the ex-twopenny-postman; “I can’t say at all.” : y Perhaps you had listened to your own speech ?”’ said Mr. Splikes, with the air of triumph often assumed by men who solve great diffi- culties on a sudden. The Luminary darted a couple of glances—consecutively rapid, like a twopenny postman’s knock—at the unfortunate Mr. Splikes, and turned away in disgust. GComicbook: