By Jumna's Banks
Paul Markham
Paperback
(RareBooksClub.com, May 14, 2012)
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 Excerpt: ..."I have floundered, in fact; but proceed, Crofton. Proceed to fish for that sympathy which alone can soothe your gentle spirits; yet stay! me thinks I hear a fizz. Yes, 'tis my iced peg, and his--" "Do let me hear your story, Mr. Crofton, and don't mind Jack." "Well, Miss Crawford, after our labours and lunch were over, we were placidly resting in the shade, smoking the "pipe of peace" quite happy, careless, and contended." "Idle after dinner in his chair." "Hush Jack! Go on, Mr. Crofton." "When an elderly female appeared on the scene, carrying a Moorah. She placed the Moorah at a very short distance from us and then placed herself on it, side ways to us, and proceeded to contemplate the sad sea waves, (meaning the muddy canal water)." "Not ruddy, fat, nor fair was she!" said Jack. "She had that stupid, listening look, which I have noticed in most deaf people, especially when they put the hand up to help the sound into the ear. So without saying anything to each other we both concluded she was hard of hearing: and this belief was confirmed almost immediately, by her remaining stony and immoveable during some very loud and shrill calls for "Miss Gerad! Miss Ge-rad!" Well, as we were the first comers, we stayed where we were and continued our conversation as though it had never been interrupted. After we had exhausted several subjects, we naturally turned to her, and I said--What did I say, Crawford?" "You said--What an evil-tempered-looking, fiddle-headed, old frump that is,"--gently waving your pipe in her direction. And 1 replied, mildly: 'She certainly aint a beauty according to our lights, but an ivory man might value her for tusks!'--When--you c...