How to position boxes along side each other?

Hi,

I would like to create this effect with CSS:

<table>
<tr>
<td>fjdklsafjd<br>fjdsklajfd<br>jfdklsajf</td>
<td>fjdkls<br>fjkdlasjfdkl<br>fjdslkafjd<br>jfkldsajflkdsja</td>
</tr>
</table>

I want to translate this to using divs alongside each other:

<div>fjdklsafjd<br>fjdsklajfd<br>jfdklsajf</div>
<div>fjdkls<br>fjkdlasjfdkl<br>fjdslkafjd<br>jfkldsajflkdsja<br></div>

If I use display:inline on the div's the <br>'s will disrupt the div's and they won't sit along side each other properlly.

float:left and whathaveyou didn't seem to work either....

I don't want to use absolute positioning either, which is the only way I can think of doing it.

thanks
-Adam