But not a fraction of
a minute have we to bestow on any other person
than ourselves; and the _prut-prut---tut-tut_ of the
guard's discordant note, summons us to the coach,
the weaker party having gone without their dinner,
and the able-bodied and active threatened with indigestion,
from having swallowed victuals like a
Lei'stershire clown bolting bacon.
On the memorable occasion I am speaking of I
lost my breakfast, sheerly from obeying the commands
of a respectable-looking old lady, who once
required me to ring the bell, and another time to
help the tea-kettle. I have some reason to think
she was literally an _old Stager_, who laughed in her
sleeve at my complaisance; so that I have sworn
in my secret soul revenge upon her sex, and all such
errant damsels of whatever age and degree, whom
I may encounter in my travels. I mean all this
without the least ill-will to my friend the contractor,
who, I think, has approached as near as any one
is like to do towards accomplishing the modest wish
of the Amatus and Amata of the Peri Bathous,
Ye gods, annihilate but time and space,
And make two lovers happy.
I intend to give Mr P. his full revenge when I
come to discuss the more recent enormity of steamboats;
meanwhile, I shall only say of both these
modes of conveyance, that
There is no living with them or without them.
Pages:
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121