Peter's Pence: Sailor's Knots, Part 8.Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark)
General
Peter's Pence: Sailor's Knots, Part 8.
Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark)
England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Humorous stories, English
Peter Russet and Sam both turned and looked at 'im very sharp.
"Children," ses Ginger, remembering 'imself, "_and_ teetotallers. I
s'pose it is being a teetotaller 'imself."
"Is Peter a teetotaller?" ses Mr. Goodman. "I'd no idea of it. Wot a
joyful thing!"
"It was your example wot put it into his 'ead fust, I b'leeve," ses Sam,
looking at Peter for 'im to notice 'ow clever he was.
"And then, Sam and Ginger Dick being teetotallers too," ses Peter, "we
all, natural-like, keep together."
Mr. Goodman said they was wise men, and, arter a little more talk, he
said 'ow would it be if they went out and saw a little bit of the great
wicked city? They all said they would, and Ginger got quite excited
about it until he found that it meant London.
They got on a bus at Aldgate, and fust of all they went to the British
Museum, and when Mr. Goodman was tired o' that--and long arter the others
was--they went into a place and 'ad a nice strong cup of tea and a piece
o' cake each. When they come out o' there they all walked about looking
at the shops until they was tired out, and arter wot Mr. Goodman said was
a very improving evening they all went 'ome.
Sam and Ginger went 'ome just for the look 'o the thing, and arter
waiting a few minutes in their room they crept downstairs agin to spend
wot was left of the evening. They went down as quiet as mice, but, for
all that, just as they was passing Mr. Goodman's room the door opened,
and Peter, in a polite voice, asked 'em to step inside.
"We was just thinking you'd be dull up there all alone," he ses.
Sam lost 'is presence o' mind, and afore he knew wot 'e was doing 'im and
Ginger 'ad walked in and sat down. They sat there for over an hour and a
'arf talking, and then Sam, with a look at Ginger, said they must be
going, because he 'ad got to call for a pair o' boots he 'ad left to be
mended.
"Why, Sam, wot are you thinking of?" ses Peter, who didn't want anybody
to 'ave wot he couldn't. "Why, the shop's shut."
"I don't think so," ses Sam, glaring at 'im. "Anyway, we can go and
see."
Peter said he'd go with 'im, and just as they got to the door Mr. Goodman
said he'd go too. O' course, the shops was shut, and arter Mr. Goodman
'ad stood on Tower Hill admiring the Tower by moonlight till Sam felt
ready to drop, they all walked back. Three times Sam's boot-lace come
undone, but as the ethers all stopped too to see 'im do it up it didn't
do 'im much good. Wot with temper and dryness 'e could 'ardly bid Peter
"Good-night."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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