602 The Dobson Family. 



hysterics from Julianna, and another of heroics as soon as lie was 

 safely deposited on shore, greatly to the edification of half a dozen 

 German students, who stood quietly looking on, enjoying- the double 

 luxury of a scene and the fumes of their beloved Virginian weed. 

 Mr. Dobson returned to the hotel, abusing every thing and every 

 one who rejoices in the name of German, simply because he had 

 the awkwardness to fall over-board. He even went so far as to 

 abuse the river for it, upon which Julianna defended the cause of the 

 Rhine, and quoted that passage of " Childe Harold/' which begins, 

 " The river nobly foams and flows !" " Foams, indeed!" answered 

 Mr. Dobson, who had no idea whatever of poetical license, " what 

 do you call foaming ? surely, not that thick yellow mud that we saw 

 running under those boats that they call a bridge. I know if Bar- 

 clay, Perkins, & Co., did not foam a little better than that, I'd soon 

 send it back to them, and Julianna's damned castled crag of Drachen- 

 fels." 



Emily, as a matter of course, bought a considerable quantity of 

 eau de Cologne, all of which, we may as well here state, was seized 

 at the English Custom House on their return. The next morning 

 at six they got on board the packet, amidst that Babel-like con- 

 fusion that always attends on such an operation, and doubly so on 

 these banks of Rhine, where the mixture of languages might well 

 have puzzled even such a linguist as Sir William Jones; as one con- 

 tinually hears such sentences as this, Geben sie mir this sac de nuit 

 und dieses large brown portmanteau. The Dobsons were hurried on 

 board without being allowed even a brief moment to look about them. 

 Fiz, fiz, went the steam : round went the paddles, and they were 

 off in an instant. When they had proceeded a mile or two up the 

 river, Mr. Dobson went forward to look at his carriage, in order to 

 show the passengers that he had one, and consequently what an im- 

 portant personage he must be ; and so indeed he was in the opinion 

 of himself and spouse. 



He beheld a carriage truly ; but, alas ! it was not the property of 

 Jeremiah Dobson, Esq. Poor man ! he was nearly frantic, and 

 betook himself to the common practice on such occasions, crying out 

 in English, " Stop, stop ;" but he might as well have asked the water 

 rushing by them to perform the same operation. An explanation of 

 course ensued and it appeared that Mr. Dobson, in his anxiety to 

 have no confusion or mistake in the morning when his family were 

 going on board, had shipped it on board the vessel bound for Hol- 

 land, whence he was assured that both it and all his luggage would 

 be safely forwarded to London by the first boat. This really was an 

 unpleasant accident ; but what was to be done $ Poor Mr. Dobson 

 was in a state of desperation, and Emily kept weeping bitterly, until, 

 suddenly looking up, she perceived two very gentlemanly-looking 

 young men close to her, conversing in English. My young lady im- 

 mediately remembered that crying makes the eyes look red; so 

 she thought, that she had better defer it to a more convenient oppor- 

 tunity. Dinner was announced just as they got to the best part of 

 the scenery : however, all the passengers seemed to consider the 

 gratification of the palate of more importance than that of the eyes. 



