midday
Hysterical laughter seized upon me as I beheld -LRB- in imagination -RRB- myself , the waggoner , and the Genius of Muskegon , standing in the public view of Paris , without the shadow of a destination ; perhaps driving at last to the nearest rubbish heap , and dumping there , among the ordures of a city , the beloved child of my invention . From these extremities I was relieved by a seasonable offer , and I parted from the Genius of Muskegon for thirty francs . Where she now stands , under what name she is admired or criticised , history does not inform us ; but I like to think she may adorn the shrubbery of some suburban tea-garden , where holiday shop-girls hang their hats upon the mother , and their swains -LRB- by way of an approach of gallantry -RRB- identify the winged infant with the god of love . In a certain cabman 's eating-house on the outer boulevard I got credit for my midday meal . Supper I was supposed not to require , sitting down nightly to the delicate table of some rich acquaintances . This arrangement was extremely ill-considered . My fable , credible enough at first , and so long as my clothes were in good order , must have seemed worse than doubtful after my coat became frayed about the edges , and my boots began to squelch and pipe along the restaurant floors .