author - "Charles Dickens"
s well to be on the safe side, sir," replied Tom.
"Safe side!" repeated the captain, laughing. "You'd guard against asun-stroke, with that old hat, in an Ice Pack. Wa'al! What haveyou made out at the Post-office?"
"It is the Post-office, sir."
"What's the Post-office?" said the captain.
"The name, sir. The name keeps the Post-office."
"A coincidence!" said the captain. "A lucky bit! Show me where itis. Good-bye, shipmates, for the present! I shall come and haveanother look at you, afore I leave, this afternoon."
This was addressed to all there, but especially the young fisherman;so all there acknowledged it, but especially the young fisherman."He's a sailor!" said one to another, as they looked after thecaptain moving away. That he was; and so outspeaking was the sailorin him, that although his dress had nothing nautical about it, withthe single exception of its colour, but was a suit of a shore-goingshape and form, too long in the sleeves and too short in the legs,and to
culiar difficulties and dangers in it, a long way over and above those which attend all voyages. It must not be supposed that I was afraid to face them; but, in my opinion a man has no manly motive or sustainment in his own breast for facing dangers, unless he has well considered what they are, and is able quietly to say to himself, "None of these perils can now take me by surprise; I shall know what to do for the best in any of them; all the rest lies in the higher and greater hands to which I humbly commit myself." On this principle I have so attentively considered (regarding it as my duty) all the hazards I have ever been able to think of, in the ordinary way of storm, shipwreck, and fire at sea, that I hope I should be prepared to do, in any of those cases, whatever could be done, to save the lives intrusted to my charge.
As I was thoughtful, my good friend proposed that he should leave me to walk there as long as I liked, and that I should dine with him by-and-by at his club in Pall Mall. I accept
p>
The two letters to Mr. Macready, at the end of this year, refer to a farce which Charles Dickens wrote, with an idea that it might be suitable for Covent Garden Theatre, then under Mr. Macready's management.
[Sidenote: Mrs. Charles Dickens.]
GRETA BRIDGE, Thursday, Feb. 1st, 1838.
MY DEAREST KATE,
I am afraid you will receive this later than I could wish, as the mail does not come through this place until two o'clock to-morrow morning. However, I have availed myself of the very first opportunity of writing, so the fault is that mail's, and not this.
We reached Grantham between nine and ten on Thursday night, and found everything prepared for our reception in the very best inn I have ever put up at. It is odd enough that an old lady, who had been outside all day and came in towards dinner time, turned out to be the mistress of a Yorkshire school returning from the holiday stay in London. She was a very queer old lady, and showed us a long letter she was carryin
earnestness. He even found leisure to organize a theatrical company (in which he himself acted with a number of other famous writers of the time), which gave several plays for the benefit of charity. One of these was performed before Queen Victoria.
People have often wondered how Dickens found time to accomplish so many different things. One of the secrets of this, no doubt, was his love of order. He was the most systematic of men. Everything he did "went like clockwork," and he prided himself on his punctuality. He could not work in a room unless everything in it was in its proper place. As a consequence of this habit of regularity, he never wasted time.
The work of editorship was very pleasant to Dickens, and scarcely three years after his leaving the Daily News he began the publication of a new magazine which he called Household Words. His aim was to make it cheerful, useful and at the same time cheap, so that the poor could afford to buy it as well as the rich. His own sto
ts upon them for the price of the birds; others had bills of exchange in their pockets, or in belts. Some of these documents, carefully unwrinkled and dried, were little less fresh in appearance that day, than the present page will be under ordinary circumstances, after having been opened three or four times.
In that lonely place, it had not been easy to obtain even such common commodities in towns, as ordinary disinfectants. Pitch had been burnt in the church, as the readiest thing at hand, and the frying-pan in which it had bubbled over a brazier of coals was still there, with its ashes. Hard by the Communion-Table, were some boots that had been taken off the drowned and preserved--a gold-digger's boot, cut down the leg for its removal--a trodden- down man's ankle-boot with a buff cloth top--and others--soaked and sandy, weedy and salt.
From the church, we passed out into the churchyard. Here, there lay, at that time, one hundred and forty-five bodies, that had come ashore from the wreck. He h
illings, say five, say two andsix. You don't say even two and six? You say two and three? No.You shan't have the lot for two and three. I'd sooner give it toyou, if you was good-looking enough. Here! Missis! Chuck the oldman and woman into the cart, put the horse to, and drive 'em awayand bury 'em!" Such were the last words of Willum Marigold, my ownfather, and they were carried out, by him and by his wife, my ownmother, on one and the same day, as I ought to know, having followedas mourner.
My father had been a lovely one in his time at the Cheap Jack work,as his dying observations went to prove. But I top him. I don'tsay it because it's myself, but because it has been universallyacknowledged by all that has had the means of comparison. I haveworked at it. I have measured myself against other publicspeakers,--Members of Parliament, Platforms, Pulpits, Counsellearned in the law,--and where I have found 'em good, I have took abit of imagination from 'em, and where I have found 'em
Meg!"
"Good gracious me!" said Meg presently, "father's crazy. He's put the dear child's bonnet on the kettle, and hung the lid behind the door!"
Trotty hastily repaired this mistake, and went off to find some tea and a rasher of bacon he fancied "he had seen lying somewhere on the stairs."
He soon came back and made the tea, and before long they were all enjoying the meal. Trotty and Meg only took a morsel for form's sake (for they had only a very little, not enough for all), but their delight was in seeing their visitors eat, and very happy they were--though Trotty had noticed that Meg was sitting by the fire in tears when they had come in, and he feared her marriage had been broken off.
After tea Meg took Lilian to bed, and Toby showed Will Fern where he was to sleep. As he came back past Meg's door he heard the child saying her prayers, remembering Meg's name and asking for his. Then he went to sit by the fire and read his paper, and fell asleep to have a wonderful dream, so t
Slinkton. There he was, standing before the fire, with good large eyes and an open expression of face; but still (I thought) requiring everybody to come at him by the prepared way he offered, and by no other.
I noticed him ask my friend to introduce him to Mr. Sampson, and my friend did so. Mr. Slinkton was very happy to see me. Not too happy; there was no over-doing of the matter; happy in a thoroughly well-bred, perfectly unmeaning way.
'I thought you had met,' our host observed.
'No,' said Mr. Slinkton. 'I did look in at Mr. Sampson's office, on your recommendation; but I really did not feel justified in troubling Mr. Sampson himself, on a point in the everyday, routine of an ordinary clerk.'
I said I should have been glad to show him any attention on our friend's introduction.
'I am sure of that,' said he, 'and am much obliged. At another time, perhaps, I may be less delicate. Only, however, if I have real business; for I know, Mr. Sampson, how precious business time is,
red the anguish of my own bride's being also made a witness tothe same point, but the admiral knew where to wound me. Be still,my soul, no matter. The colonel was then brought forward with hisevidence.
It was for this point that I had saved myself up, as the turning-point of my case. Shaking myself free of my guards, - who had nobusiness to hold me, the stupids, unless I was found guilty, - Iasked the colonel what he considered the first duty of a soldier?Ere he could reply, the President of the United States rose andinformed the court, that my foe, the admiral, had suggested'Bravery,' and that prompting a witness wasn't fair. The presidentof the court immediately ordered the admiral's mouth to be filledwith leaves, and tied up with string. I had the satisfaction ofseeing the sentence carried into effect before the proceedings wentfurther.
I then took a paper from my trousers-pocket, and asked, 'What doyou consider, Col. Redford, the first duty of a soldier? Is itobedience?'
'It
legs and a little smile, and a little voice, and littleround-about ways. As long as I can remember him he was always goinglittle errands for people, and carrying little gossip. At this presenttime when he called me "Sophonisba!" he had a little old-fashionedlodging in that new neighbourhood of mine. I had not seen him for two orthree years, but I had heard that he still went out with a littleperspective-glass and stood on door-steps in Saint James's Street, to seethe nobility go to Court; and went in his little cloak and goloshesoutside Willis's rooms to see them go to Almack's; and caught thefrightfullest colds, and got himself trodden upon by coachmen andlinkmen, until he went home to his landlady a mass of bruises, and had tobe nursed for a month.
Jarber took off his little fur-collared cloak, and sat down opposite me,with his little cane and hat in his hand.
"Let us have no more Sophonisbaing, if you please, Jarber," I said."Call me Sarah. How do you do? I hope you are pr
s well to be on the safe side, sir," replied Tom.
"Safe side!" repeated the captain, laughing. "You'd guard against asun-stroke, with that old hat, in an Ice Pack. Wa'al! What haveyou made out at the Post-office?"
"It is the Post-office, sir."
"What's the Post-office?" said the captain.
"The name, sir. The name keeps the Post-office."
"A coincidence!" said the captain. "A lucky bit! Show me where itis. Good-bye, shipmates, for the present! I shall come and haveanother look at you, afore I leave, this afternoon."
This was addressed to all there, but especially the young fisherman;so all there acknowledged it, but especially the young fisherman."He's a sailor!" said one to another, as they looked after thecaptain moving away. That he was; and so outspeaking was the sailorin him, that although his dress had nothing nautical about it, withthe single exception of its colour, but was a suit of a shore-goingshape and form, too long in the sleeves and too short in the legs,and to
culiar difficulties and dangers in it, a long way over and above those which attend all voyages. It must not be supposed that I was afraid to face them; but, in my opinion a man has no manly motive or sustainment in his own breast for facing dangers, unless he has well considered what they are, and is able quietly to say to himself, "None of these perils can now take me by surprise; I shall know what to do for the best in any of them; all the rest lies in the higher and greater hands to which I humbly commit myself." On this principle I have so attentively considered (regarding it as my duty) all the hazards I have ever been able to think of, in the ordinary way of storm, shipwreck, and fire at sea, that I hope I should be prepared to do, in any of those cases, whatever could be done, to save the lives intrusted to my charge.
As I was thoughtful, my good friend proposed that he should leave me to walk there as long as I liked, and that I should dine with him by-and-by at his club in Pall Mall. I accept
p>
The two letters to Mr. Macready, at the end of this year, refer to a farce which Charles Dickens wrote, with an idea that it might be suitable for Covent Garden Theatre, then under Mr. Macready's management.
[Sidenote: Mrs. Charles Dickens.]
GRETA BRIDGE, Thursday, Feb. 1st, 1838.
MY DEAREST KATE,
I am afraid you will receive this later than I could wish, as the mail does not come through this place until two o'clock to-morrow morning. However, I have availed myself of the very first opportunity of writing, so the fault is that mail's, and not this.
We reached Grantham between nine and ten on Thursday night, and found everything prepared for our reception in the very best inn I have ever put up at. It is odd enough that an old lady, who had been outside all day and came in towards dinner time, turned out to be the mistress of a Yorkshire school returning from the holiday stay in London. She was a very queer old lady, and showed us a long letter she was carryin
earnestness. He even found leisure to organize a theatrical company (in which he himself acted with a number of other famous writers of the time), which gave several plays for the benefit of charity. One of these was performed before Queen Victoria.
People have often wondered how Dickens found time to accomplish so many different things. One of the secrets of this, no doubt, was his love of order. He was the most systematic of men. Everything he did "went like clockwork," and he prided himself on his punctuality. He could not work in a room unless everything in it was in its proper place. As a consequence of this habit of regularity, he never wasted time.
The work of editorship was very pleasant to Dickens, and scarcely three years after his leaving the Daily News he began the publication of a new magazine which he called Household Words. His aim was to make it cheerful, useful and at the same time cheap, so that the poor could afford to buy it as well as the rich. His own sto
ts upon them for the price of the birds; others had bills of exchange in their pockets, or in belts. Some of these documents, carefully unwrinkled and dried, were little less fresh in appearance that day, than the present page will be under ordinary circumstances, after having been opened three or four times.
In that lonely place, it had not been easy to obtain even such common commodities in towns, as ordinary disinfectants. Pitch had been burnt in the church, as the readiest thing at hand, and the frying-pan in which it had bubbled over a brazier of coals was still there, with its ashes. Hard by the Communion-Table, were some boots that had been taken off the drowned and preserved--a gold-digger's boot, cut down the leg for its removal--a trodden- down man's ankle-boot with a buff cloth top--and others--soaked and sandy, weedy and salt.
From the church, we passed out into the churchyard. Here, there lay, at that time, one hundred and forty-five bodies, that had come ashore from the wreck. He h
illings, say five, say two andsix. You don't say even two and six? You say two and three? No.You shan't have the lot for two and three. I'd sooner give it toyou, if you was good-looking enough. Here! Missis! Chuck the oldman and woman into the cart, put the horse to, and drive 'em awayand bury 'em!" Such were the last words of Willum Marigold, my ownfather, and they were carried out, by him and by his wife, my ownmother, on one and the same day, as I ought to know, having followedas mourner.
My father had been a lovely one in his time at the Cheap Jack work,as his dying observations went to prove. But I top him. I don'tsay it because it's myself, but because it has been universallyacknowledged by all that has had the means of comparison. I haveworked at it. I have measured myself against other publicspeakers,--Members of Parliament, Platforms, Pulpits, Counsellearned in the law,--and where I have found 'em good, I have took abit of imagination from 'em, and where I have found 'em
Meg!"
"Good gracious me!" said Meg presently, "father's crazy. He's put the dear child's bonnet on the kettle, and hung the lid behind the door!"
Trotty hastily repaired this mistake, and went off to find some tea and a rasher of bacon he fancied "he had seen lying somewhere on the stairs."
He soon came back and made the tea, and before long they were all enjoying the meal. Trotty and Meg only took a morsel for form's sake (for they had only a very little, not enough for all), but their delight was in seeing their visitors eat, and very happy they were--though Trotty had noticed that Meg was sitting by the fire in tears when they had come in, and he feared her marriage had been broken off.
After tea Meg took Lilian to bed, and Toby showed Will Fern where he was to sleep. As he came back past Meg's door he heard the child saying her prayers, remembering Meg's name and asking for his. Then he went to sit by the fire and read his paper, and fell asleep to have a wonderful dream, so t
Slinkton. There he was, standing before the fire, with good large eyes and an open expression of face; but still (I thought) requiring everybody to come at him by the prepared way he offered, and by no other.
I noticed him ask my friend to introduce him to Mr. Sampson, and my friend did so. Mr. Slinkton was very happy to see me. Not too happy; there was no over-doing of the matter; happy in a thoroughly well-bred, perfectly unmeaning way.
'I thought you had met,' our host observed.
'No,' said Mr. Slinkton. 'I did look in at Mr. Sampson's office, on your recommendation; but I really did not feel justified in troubling Mr. Sampson himself, on a point in the everyday, routine of an ordinary clerk.'
I said I should have been glad to show him any attention on our friend's introduction.
'I am sure of that,' said he, 'and am much obliged. At another time, perhaps, I may be less delicate. Only, however, if I have real business; for I know, Mr. Sampson, how precious business time is,
red the anguish of my own bride's being also made a witness tothe same point, but the admiral knew where to wound me. Be still,my soul, no matter. The colonel was then brought forward with hisevidence.
It was for this point that I had saved myself up, as the turning-point of my case. Shaking myself free of my guards, - who had nobusiness to hold me, the stupids, unless I was found guilty, - Iasked the colonel what he considered the first duty of a soldier?Ere he could reply, the President of the United States rose andinformed the court, that my foe, the admiral, had suggested'Bravery,' and that prompting a witness wasn't fair. The presidentof the court immediately ordered the admiral's mouth to be filledwith leaves, and tied up with string. I had the satisfaction ofseeing the sentence carried into effect before the proceedings wentfurther.
I then took a paper from my trousers-pocket, and asked, 'What doyou consider, Col. Redford, the first duty of a soldier? Is itobedience?'
'It
legs and a little smile, and a little voice, and littleround-about ways. As long as I can remember him he was always goinglittle errands for people, and carrying little gossip. At this presenttime when he called me "Sophonisba!" he had a little old-fashionedlodging in that new neighbourhood of mine. I had not seen him for two orthree years, but I had heard that he still went out with a littleperspective-glass and stood on door-steps in Saint James's Street, to seethe nobility go to Court; and went in his little cloak and goloshesoutside Willis's rooms to see them go to Almack's; and caught thefrightfullest colds, and got himself trodden upon by coachmen andlinkmen, until he went home to his landlady a mass of bruises, and had tobe nursed for a month.
Jarber took off his little fur-collared cloak, and sat down opposite me,with his little cane and hat in his hand.
"Let us have no more Sophonisbaing, if you please, Jarber," I said."Call me Sarah. How do you do? I hope you are pr