The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET, | 65 his arms, and the youngest boy but one upon his back. In a word, the whole scene was as interesting as a squabble between a dog’s-meat- man and the proprietor of a Punch and Judy show—or any other comedy gratuitously furnished every day by the streets of London. At length all the Luminaries were landed, and drawn up on the __. lower pier, in two lines, the ladies mingled with the gentlemen ‘‘ pro- 29 miscuously,”’ as Mr. Rumtutch subsequently observed in his report. At the head of this procession—which was two deep—was displayed the great banner of the Honourable and Independent Club of Luminaries, swaying backwards and forwards between the two poles to which it was suspended, and which were carried by the two junior members of the order. The sight was most imposing, and produced a wonderful effect upon the multitudes assembled to witness the landing—espe- cially as the weight of the banner, under the influence of the wind, threatened every moment to put out the two Luminaries who bore it, by carrying them with it over the edge of the pier into the water. This catastrophe was, however, fortunately avoided; and} to the sound of the joyful music of the band which accompanied the Club upon its excursion, the brilliant cavalcade proceeded to the White Hart Hotel, accompanied by the cheers of the multitudes, who were left in a pleasing state of uncertainty as to the meaning of the banner, the device of which was a robust lady holding a large torch in one hand, a book in the other, and standing as comfortably upon a lion as if it were a footstool, while chubby-cheeked and (we must need confess) naked cherubs, very much resembling the angels in Dutch pictures, were occupied in blowing huge trumpets in the deep blue sky, over the aforesaid buxom lady’s head. It is scarcely necessary to observe that Mr. Buckram escorted the lively Belinda, that Captain Pentonville chaperoned the sentimental Aramintha, or that Mr. Smale accompanied the accomplished Sarah, in whose ear he poured a perfect encyclopedia of glowing eulogiums upon the generous patron from whom he had obtained such liberal promises. Mr. Pifpaf followed with his lady, whose “ poor head” had the complacency not to torment her, although she walked just behind the French horn of the band. After all these illustrious personages came the Luminaries generally, with their wives and children—at least those who were blest with either; and at four o’clock P. m. the great banner stopped at the door of the White Hart. _ An hour yet remained to dinner-time; and this was passed by the gentlemen in a little ramble, and by the ladies in the duties of the _ toilet. At length five o’clock struck; and the crowd of guests pre- cipitated themselves into the long room, where their table was spread - F _ RB A=-2.9 AK T6 3 j7i a « noel (G(0) nf) IG