The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

60 THE STEAM PACKET. to ‘those of his brother Luminaries who were labouring under the effects of the malady. He summoned the stewardess, and desired her to subject the ladies to the same mode of treatment, to which they joyfully submitted: the result was their return to the deck, just as the sun again burst forth in all its golden glory, and the white cliffs of Margate were seen in the distance. All was now bustle on board—for good appetites had suddenly succeeded sea-sickness. Baskets were produced—sandwiches, cold fowls, ham, tongues, and bottled stout made their appearance on all sides: the steward and his boys ran hither and thither, crying ‘‘ Coming!” when they were going, and committing a thousand errors in the confusion of the moment. Thus a prim dowager had a huge smoking glass of brandy-and-water thrust into her hand, and Mr. Glass- nose found himself sipping weak negus instead of the former kind of liquid which he had ordered: another old lady was suddenly put in pos- session of acigar and a light, while Mr. Kruby, who sate next to her, was accommodated with a biscuit, in lieu of the fragrant Havannah (which, by the by, was a three-halfpenny Cuba); Miss Cowslip, a young and delicate lady-of thirty-three, found herself suddenly installed opposite a pint of wine, and Mr. Splikes, who was ‘‘ doing the amiable” to her, was supplied with a bottle of ginger-beer. But all these errors were remedied in time—save that connected with the dowager, who very considerately refused to let the waiter have the trouble of changing her hot brandy-and-water for any other beverage, and who pertina- ciously maintained that it was by no means so strong as negus would have been—although perhaps more beneficial. And it was now so very delightful to behold the attentions which the gentlemen paid the ladies, and the blushes, simpers, and giggles with which the ladies received those attentions. : ‘‘My dear Mrs. Pifpaf, another glass,’’ said Captain Pentonville, holding a bottle of sherry in a slanting position in his hand. - ‘Not another drop, captain,” returned the lady: “the little I’ve taken already has got into my poe head—TI feel it has!” ‘Why, my dear madam, -you’ve only Bad” one glass,’’ remonstrated the captain. ‘““Haven’t 12” said Mrs. Pifpaf, appearing to relent in favour of another, in consequence of this representation; ‘‘ well, if that’s the case ik ‘ ‘“*Oh! dear, mamma, you’ve had three!”’ exclaimed Belinda; skip- ping from the seat in the middle of the deck to the one fixed against the bulwarks. r] ‘“Belinda, my dear, don’t be rude,” said Mrs. Pifpaf, with an cComicbooks (E(0) a Ty