Jonathan goes to see Mr. Macready--Description of the Theatre--Introduces himself to a Handsome Girl at the Theatre--Enters into a Flirtation--Promises to Visit her--Jonathan takes a Novel Method of providing himself with a Fashionable Dress--Quarrels with Captain Doolittle--Is reconciled, and starts off to make a Morning Call on the Handsome Girl 272 LETTER XXIX. Jonathan Visits the Handsome Girl--Describes a Gambling-House in the Morning before it is put to rights--Visits the Lady's Boudoir--Describes the Furniture, the Lady, her Dress, and Conversation--Is Interrupted by the Gentleman of the House--And leaves with a promise to return and escort Miss Sneers to Mad. Castellan's Concert 275 LETTER XXX. The Gambling House--Jonathan is taken in with Cards 285 _High Life in New York._ * * * * * LETTER I. First Impressions of New York--Visit to the Counting-room of a City Cousin--Advice to his Clerk--Description of a City Residence and its Inmates. To Mr. Zepharia Slick, Justice of the Peace, and Deacon of the Church, over to Weathersfield, in the State of Connecticut: DEAR PAR: I arrived here safe and sound, arter a long and tedious voyage down the river and along shore to this place. The Captain left me to navigate the sloop purty much alone. The lazy coot did nothing on arth but eat raw turnips and drink cider brandy all the way down. I'll be whipped if he warn't more than half corned the hull time. Now it's my opinion that the best thing you can do with that chap is to send him eend foremost about his business jest as quick as he gits back. He don't arn salt to his porrage, nor never did. The first thing I did arter the sloop was hauled up to the wharf at Peck slip, was to go down to the stores about Fulton market and peddle off the cider brandy and garden sarce. Captain Doolittle wanted to go with me, but you sent me down here as a sort of a supercargo, and I warn't likely to let him stick his nose into my business. By gracious, if it didn't make me stare to see the purty gals and the harnsome married wimmen a walking up and down the market among the heaps of beets and cabbages. They looked around mighty knowing, and I rather guess I got my share of attention; but somehow it made me feel kinder streaked to have them a looking at me so steady, for I hadn't nothing on but my every day clothes, besides, the stock that marm made me out of her old bombasine petticoat, propped up my chin so that I couldn't a stooped to look into a woman's face if I'd a wanted tu ever so much. I do believe marm and Judy White must a put more than a peck of tatur starch into the lining. It's allfired stiff, that's a fact.