In a dark, narrow street, in one of those heterogeneous boarding-houses
abounding in the city, where clerks, market-boys, apprentices, and
sewing-girls, bolt their meals with railroad velocity; where the
maid-of-all-work, with red arms, frowzy head, and leathern lungs,
screams in the entry for any boarder who happens to be inquired for at
the door; where one plate suffices for fish, flesh, fowl, and dessert;
where soiled table-cloths, sticky crockery, oily cookery, and bad
grammar, predominate; where greasy cards are shuffled, and bad cigars
smoked of an evening, you might have found Ruth and her children.
* * * * *
"Jim, what do you think of her?" said a low-browed, pig-faced,
thick-lipped fellow, with a flashy neck-tie and vest, over which several
yards of gilt watch-chain were festooned ostentatiously; "prettyish,
isn't she?"
"Deuced nice form," said Jim, lighting a cheap cigar, and hitching his
heels to the mantel, as he took the first whiff; "I shouldn't mind
kissing her."
"_You?_" said Sam, glancing in an opposite mirror; "I flatter myself you
would stand a poor chance when your humble servant was round. If I had
not made myself scarce, out of friendship, you would not have made such
headway with black-eyed Sue, the little milliner."
"Pooh," said Jim, "Susan Gill was delf, this little widow is porcelain;
I say it is a deuced pity she should stay up stairs, crying her eyes
out, the way she does."
"Want to marry her, hey?" said Sam, with a sneer.
"Not I; none of your ready-made families for me; pretty foot, hasn't
she? I always put on my coat in the front entry, about the time she goes
up stairs, to get a peep at it. It is a confounded pretty foot, Sam,
bless me if it isn't; I should like to drive the owner of it out to the
race-course, some pleasant afternoon. I must say, Sam, I like widows.
I don't know any occupation more interesting than helping to dry up
their tears; and then the little dears are so grateful for any little
attention. Wonder if my swallow-tailed coat won't be done to-day? that
rascally tailor ought to be snipped with his own shears."
* * * * *
"Well, now, I wonder when you gentlemen intend taking yourselves off,
and quitting the drawing-room," said the loud-voiced landlady, perching
a cap over her disheveled tresses; "this parlor is the only place I
have to dress in; can't you do your talking and smoking in your own
rooms? Come now--here's a lot of newspapers, just take them and be off,
and give a woman a chance to make herself beautiful."
"Beautiful!" exclaimed Sam, "the old dragon! she would make a good
scarecrow for a corn-field, or a figure-head for a piratical cruiser;
beautiful!" and the speaker smoothed a wrinkle out of his flashy yellow
vest; "it is my opinion that the uglier a woman is, the more beautiful
she thinks herself; also, that any of the sex may be bought with a yard
of ribbon, or a breastpin."
"Certainly," said Jim, "you needn't have lived to this time of life to
have made that discovery; and speaking of that, reminds me that the
little widow is as poor as Job's turkey. My washerwoman, confound her
for ironing off my shirt-buttons, says that she wears her clothes
rough-dry, because she can't afford to pay for both washing and
ironing."
"She does?" replied Sam; "she'll get tired of that after awhile. I shall
request 'the dragon,' to-morrow, to let me sit next her at the table.
I'll begin by helping the children, offering to cut up their victuals,
and all that sort of thing--that will please the mother, you know; hey?
But, by Jove! it's three o'clock, and I engaged to drive a gen'lemen
down to the steamboat landing; now some other hackney coach will get the
job. Confound it!"