Tickets! presents!——said I.——What tickets, what presents, has he had the
impertinence to be offering to that young lady?
Tickets to the Múseum,——said the landlady.——There is them that’s glad
enough to go to the Múseum, when tickets is given ’em; but some of ’em
ha’n’t had a ticket sence Cenderilla was played,——and now he must be
offerin’ ’em to this ridiculous young paintress, or whatever she is,
that’s come to make more mischief than her board’s worth. But it a’n’t
her fault,——said the landlady, relenting;——and that aunt of hers, or
whatever she is, served him right enough.
Why, what did she do?
Do? Why, she took it up in the tongs and dropped it out o’ winder.
Dropped? dropped what?——I said.
Why, the _soap_,——said the landlady.
It appeared that the Koh-i-noor, to ingratiate himself, had sent an
elegant package of perfumed soap, directed to Miss Iris, as a delicate
expression of a lively sentiment of admiration, and that, after having
met with the unfortunate treatment referred to, it was picked up by
Master Benjamin Franklin, who appropriated it, rejoicing, and indulged
in most unheard-of and inordinate ablutions in consequence, so that his
hands were a frequent subject of maternal congratulation, and he smelt
like a civet-cat for weeks after his great acquisition.
After watching daily for a time, I think I can see clearly into the
relation which is growing up between the little gentleman and the young
lady. She shows a tenderness to him that I can’t help being interested
in. If he was her crippled child, instead of being more than old enough
to be her father, she could not treat him more kindly. The landlady’s
daughter said, the other day, she believed that girl was settin’ her cap
for the Little Gentleman.
Some of them young folks is very artful,——said her mother,——and
there is them that would merry Lazarus, if he’d only picked up crumbs
enough. I don’t think, though, this is one of that sort; she’s kinder
childlike,——said the landlady,——and maybe never had any dolls to play
with; for they say her folks was poor before Ma’am undertook to see to
her teachin’ and board her and clothe her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account