FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52  
53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>  
light the lodgers to bed, was Ben's regular task--from eleven at night till three during the week, and until four on the Sunday morning. At this summons, one or two who had become drowsy through the powerful influence of the pipe or pot, roused themselves upon their legs--stretched their arms out, and yawned, which was as much as to say, "they would follow." Ben took the hint, and moved on with his lantern, like an ostler leading horses to the stable, to show to which house in the building, and to what room, they were to repose their precious selves. [Illustration] CHAPTER X. THE RETURN;--AND A LITTLE UNKNOWN. The kitchen was again getting crowded. The fire once more gave notice that it was busy with chops and steaks; and as for the gambling-table, it had literally become thronged. The bawlers of catch-penny papers, or "booksellers," as they styled themselves, were now beginning to make their appearance, in parties of three or four; every one having a copy of the news he had been so loudly proclaiming stuck in the front of his hat, with that awful word, "murder," printed in large letters as the head-line; or the more melancholy announcement of the dying speech of one John So-and-so. They busied themselves in arranging their papers and dividing the gains. We have before noticed that these people have partners or mates. A quarrel was now about to take place between a publisher and his Co. The Co. swearing that the principal was going to put him in the hole (cheat him); but after a recasting up of accounts, business was at length amicably adjusted. These lung-labourers then threw away all further care for the night, and each sought after his own individual amusement--as smoking, eating, gambling, and larking. A singular being now entered the kitchen--one who would have afforded a fine treat to such observers as Sir Walter and the American Irving--those accurate delineators of the human race. Such places as these, we have before observed, teem with originality; they, in fact, run wild (if we may so use the expression) with character. The man, (for the creature was in masculine garb,) was between four and five feet high; he was long armed, and one leg was rather longer than the other, which caused one of his shoulders to rise a little when he walked or stood, and which gave his shoulders, which were naturally broad, a very square appearance. He was dressed in one of those flash coats already des
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52  
53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>  



Top keywords:

kitchen

 

appearance

 
gambling
 

papers

 

shoulders

 

amusement

 

smoking

 
eating
 

individual

 

sought


length

 

quarrel

 

publisher

 
swearing
 
principal
 

recasting

 

larking

 
adjusted
 

amicably

 

noticed


people
 

accounts

 
business
 

partners

 

labourers

 

accurate

 

longer

 

caused

 

masculine

 
dressed

square

 

walked

 

naturally

 
creature
 

Walter

 
American
 
Irving
 

delineators

 

observers

 
entered

afforded

 
character
 
expression
 

places

 

observed

 

originality

 

singular

 
lantern
 
follow
 

stretched