She
had such a splendid mouth of teeth. It was a sin to bury her in her
teeth."
I only knew of one thing at which she professes to be shocked. It is
that her son Tom and his wife Topsy are teaching the baby to swear. "Oh!
it's too dreadful awful," she exclaimed, "I don't know the meaning of the
words, but I tell him he's a drunken sot." I believe the old woman in
reality rather likes it.
"But surely, Mrs Jupp," said I, "Tom's wife used not to be Topsy. You
used to speak of her as Pheeb."
"Ah! yes," she answered, "but Pheeb behaved bad, and it's Topsy now."
Ernest's daughter Alice married the boy who had been her playmate more
than a year ago. Ernest gave them all they said they wanted and a good
deal more. They have already presented him with a grandson, and I doubt
not, will do so with many more. Georgie though only twenty-one is owner
of a fine steamer which his father has bought for him. He began when
about thirteen going with old Rollings and Jack in the barge from
Rochester to the upper Thames with bricks; then his father bought him and
Jack barges of their own, and then he bought them both ships, and then
steamers. I do not exactly know how people make money by having a
steamer, but he does whatever is usual, and from all I can gather makes
it pay extremely well.
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