Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

Thackerayful, cheerful, tender, affectionate John brought me in alittle bill for seventeen pounds of sugar consumed duringthe illness—”Often ‘ad sugar and water; always wasa callin’ for it,” says John, wagging his head quitegravely. You are dead, years and years ago, poor John—so patient, so friendly, so kind, so cheerful to the invalidin the fever. But confess, now, wherever you are,that seventeen pounds of sugar to make six glasses ofeau sucree was a little too strong, wasn’t it, John? Ah,how frankly, how trustily, how bravely he lied, poorJohn! One evening, being at Brighton, in the convalescence,I remember John’s step was unsteady, his voicethick, his laugh queer—and having some quinine togive me, John brought the glass to me—not to mymouth, but struck me with it pretty smartly in the eye,which was not the way in which Dr. Elliotson had intendedhis prescription should be taken. Turning thateye upon him, I ventured to hint that my attendanthad been drinking. Drinking! I never was more humiliatedat the thought of my own injustice than at John’sreply. “Drinking! Sulp me! I have had only one pint ofbeer with my dinner at one o’clock!”—and he retreats,holding on by a chair. These are fibs, you see, appertainingto the situation. John is drunk. “Sulp him, hehas only had an ‘alf-pint of beer with his dinner sixhours ago;” and none of his fellow-servants will sayother wise. Polly is smuggled on board ship. Who tellsthe lieutenant when he comes his rounds? Boys are playingcards in the bedroom. The outlying fag announcesmaster coming—out go candles—cards popped intobed—boys sound asleep. Who had that light in the dormitory?Law bless you! the poor dear innocents are everyone snoring. Every one snoring, and every snore is alie told through the nose! Suppose one of your boys ormine is engaged in that awful crime, are we going tobreak our hearts about it? Come, come. We pull a longface, waggle a grave head, and chuckle within our waistcoats.Between me and those fellow-creatures of mine whoare sitting in the room below, how strange and wonderfulis the partition! We meet at every hour of the daylight,and are indebted to each other for a hundred105