Sketches by Boz, Illustrative of Every-Day Life and Every-Day PeopleDickens, Charles
General
Sketches by Boz, Illustrative of Every-Day Life and Every-Day People
Dickens, Charles
London (England) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century; London (England) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Another hour passes away, and the day begins in good earnest. The
servant of all work, who, under the plea of sleeping very soundly, has
utterly disregarded ‘Missis’s’ ringing for half an hour previously, is
warned by Master (whom Missis has sent up in his drapery to the
landing-place for that purpose), that it’s half-past six, whereupon she
awakes all of a sudden, with well-feigned astonishment, and goes
down-stairs very sulkily, wishing, while she strikes a light, that the
principle of spontaneous combustion would extend itself to coals and
kitchen range. When the fire is lighted, she opens the street-door to
take in the milk, when, by the most singular coincidence in the world,
she discovers that the servant next door has just taken in her milk
too, and that Mr. Todd’s young man over the way, is, by an equally
extraordinary chance, taking down his master’s shutters. The inevitable
consequence is, that she just steps, milk-jug in hand, as far as next
door, just to say ‘good morning’ to Betsy Clark, and that Mr. Todd’s
young man just steps over the way to say ‘good morning’ to both of ’em;
and as the aforesaid Mr. Todd’s young man is almost as good-looking and
fascinating as the baker himself, the conversation quickly becomes very
interesting, and probably would become more so, if Betsy Clark’s
Missis, who always will be a-followin’ her about, didn’t give an angry
tap at her bedroom window, on which Mr. Todd’s young man tries to
whistle coolly, as he goes back to his shop much faster than he came
from it; and the two girls run back to their respective places, and
shut their street-doors with surprising softness, each of them poking
their heads out of the front parlour window, a minute afterwards,
however, ostensibly with the view of looking at the mail which just
then passes by, but really for the purpose of catching another glimpse
of Mr. Todd’s young man, who being fond of mails, but more of females,
takes a short look at the mails, and a long look at the girls, much to
the satisfaction of all parties concerned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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