The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-18 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

71E CHIMES; A GOBLIN. STORY.

Chapman and Hall, London, 1844.
kr• Dickens's " Christmas Carol," which was pub-
tl,l3_4(l about this time last year, was unquestionably
Most effective hit that this popular author ever
katie• The spirit that pervaded it was so thoroughly
catholic ; its purpose was so benevolent ; its humour
so 11°11s, unforced, and seasonable in its character ;
441
fil,
its mixture of the imaginative and the matter-of-
et dexterously and easily managed,
Ili the one
111 into the other imperceptibly and without the
ghtest apparent effort, that it could scarcely fail to
17e all classes of readers. Then, too, there was
Itimeh Abundant feasting going on in every chapter—
boiaterous merry-makings—such relishing de-
-I;il3ti°ns cf Christmas dinners in high life, in middle
e4l and in low life—that so far from being surprised
that
it reached a tenth edition, our only surprise is
tot it has not yet reached a twentieth. It rarely
tlys to the lot of even the most successful author to
ue two such hits in a life-time ; and accordingly
atnusing little story before us—though
htt„,c°lltains some passages equal in force and
ICour to any that Mr. Dickens ever wrote—
tio4 s whole, inferior both in conception and execu-
lterl r' to his "Christmas Carol." In so saying, we
4r fr(nn meaning to imply that it is an indifferent
4
production,lit but only that it is not to be put in com-
son with the author's acknowledged master-piece.
lier° is Trotty Veck, an elderly, simple-minded
tl:?°rter, whose usual post is near the door of a
ti,--e") to whose chimes--like Quasimodo in Victor
Et g° "Notre Dame"—he has long been In the
4,14 of listening with a sort of vague, mysterious
1tt.841: cif mingled awe and pleasure. One day, while
ilel;'ng for a job in the convivial Christmas season,
Wl° agreeably surprised by the sight of his only
Wit" Meg, with a plateful of tripe in her hand,
the , she has brought for her father's dinner. While
the 's'cl man is busy doing justice to this dainty on
}, door-steps of an Alderman's house, Meg's sweet-
t' Richard, comes up, and a little innocent flirtation
ih®toes 0
between the young couple, which is, however,
t:rtly
interrupted by the appearance of Alderman
ttkim and his two friends—one, a political economist,
ith the other a disciple of the " Young England"
to 1' who enter into conversation with Trotty, the
°f which is to convince him that he is a very
blid'nedy worthless fellow who has no business to be
the ping the earth with his presence. Soon after
P 4 leave him, he goes to the house of a pompous
thi'litiet who proclaims himself the friend of the poor
itit,t4litos with prodigious self-complacency of his dis-
kiit?tod devotion to the cause of the lower classes ;
'fit having delivered the letter with which he was
tilt.;lted to this pompous patron of the destitute and
,1,11 tlendless, Trotty returns home, and there, like
t Runyan, " dreams a dream" about the church
tt,les) which he imagines make all sorts of wonderful
itt,totati°fla respecting himself, his daughter, and his
813 n-in-law, Richard. The story concludes
frit °la waking up from his dream, and finding his
the about him, anxious to celebrate the nuptials of
143::ning couple. This is but a faint outline of the
tl48: however, is exceedingly meagre in its
144 4,ter, and is far less obvious and useful in its moral
44;1° "Christmas Carol." Nevertheless, it contains
t)11T elever, and some few brilliant passages, which
" Boa " could have written, and which are
of aced to make a profound impression on the mind
tlikleader. There are also several admirable touches of
414 ter interspersed throughout it, and some caustic
Nlitkit;the Pseudo-philanthropy of certain well-known
13r 'lt,ris• The humour, too, is excellent, though it
4tWaYs free from the author's besetting vice of
tirligßeration, who, in his love of drollery, is some-
Pt to run a joke fairly off its legs. As a fa-
the rfkble
sample of his more serious manner, we quote
(:)11'"
140 q, wing speech of a destitute labourer, which is
tf the I,
to be delivered at a meeting of the Friends
00r;—..
Set,' ragged visitor—for he was miserably dressed—
° the 'Quod upon the company, and made his homage
r, to with a humble bow.
4)°l‘:Calittrniteibil,k,s," he said, "You've drunk the Labourer.
;1"a:111'4, "roe from gaol," said Mr. Fish.
‘f," erls-t°4145 from gaol," said Will. " And neither for
'ourth.
time, nor the second, nor the third, nor yet the
aft kin
4 was k rd to remark testily, that four times
1,
tb° average ; and he ought to be ashamed of
l'ottentlefolks I" repeated Will Fern. " Look at we !
470:tae I'm at the Worst. Beyond all hurt or harm ;
itt iti-„, /our help ; for the time when your kind words
Alt h'"" actions could have done ME good "—he struck
nqall,4 Upon his breast and shook his head—" its. r Le,
Let the scent of last year's, beans or elt,o)vtoirieolaabonuring.
1)%,„i4e say a word f,,or these, ' you're
in the hall ; and when,gmet together, hear
t%al Truth spoke out for once."
14: here's not a man here," said the host, "who would
~e him for a spokesman."
14,4 Like enough, Sir Joseph. I believe it. Not the
•ttrue,perhaps, is what 1 say. Perhaps that, sa proof
Gentlefolks, I've lived many a year in this place.
deb ' see the cottage from the sunk fence over yon-
dr Ivo seen the ladies draw it in their books a -hull-lot .
ibt ,
itaeS. It looks well in a picter, I've heerd say
—ere an't weather in picters, and maybe 'tis fitter
th,rthat than fora place to live in. Well ! I lived
W(4 How hard—how bitter hard I lived there, I
qn f ~saY• Any day in the year, and every day, you
1104uge for your own selves."
f%tad4N as he had spoken on the night when Trotty
bb re
I:gra in the street, His voice was deeper, and
h,','ltsky, and hal a trembling in it now and then ;
‘40,t,'.1-I,eYer raised it, pa,sionately, and seldom lifted it
"'Fla firm stern level of the homely facts he stated.
'ID harder than you think for, gentlefolks, to grow•
ittoe,;‘ilent commonly &cent : in such a place. That /
410 ; ,1113 a man and not a brute, says something for
be WAS then. .A lam now, there's nothing can
,or me, or done for me. I'm past it."
l'rjlenhaln Rim,' this man has entered," observed Sir
looking round serenely. " Don't disturb him.
~kkiirntiars to be Ordained. liv's an Example ; a living
't W4'l'. I hope and trust, and confidently expect, that
Doc be lost upon my friends here."
dragged on " said Fern, after a moment's silence.
Ini,"°w• Neither me nor any other man knows how. ;
or
43411,-eavY! that I couldn't put a cheerful face upon it,
believe that I was anything but what I was.
Ith,tlgentlemen you gentlemen that sits at Sessions-
-3:°4 „YOU see a man with discontent writ on his face,
rtibtls to one another, he's suspicious. I has my
llaYa you, about Will Fern. Watch that fel-
%tty T4 don't say,' gentleman, it ain't quite nat'ral, but
"4e6 '".4 80 ; anti that hour, whatever Will Fern
lets alone—all one—it goes against. him::
peck te,rkian Cute stuck his thumbs in lu.s. waist.coilitd-
't 9n
-es'.' and Waning back in his chair and smiling, win Le
Z?tlrh,,l,ghbourinm chandelier. As much as to say, "Of
~"'*att"' I told so. The common cry ! Lord
Mi 'nethell are up to all this sort of thing—myself
k " i'tlAn aure."
.°W e tlem n " said Will Fern, holding out his
flushingond ne
'for an instant in his haggard face.
,4t. 'Ow your laws are made to and hunt us when
v;kmught to this. I tries to live elsewhere. And rm
"kii-;v°lld. To gaol with him I comes back here., I
‘ll„,Loatting in your woods, and breaks—who don't?--
your 'ollt.--171' branch or two. To gaol with him I One ofn
titteCeepers sees me in the broad day, nlear.tTyow
lika of garden, with a gun. To gao him 1
oat'ral angry word with that man,. when T I'm freet:
I'4lll' To gaol with him ! I cuts a stick. o gal
pith ! I eats a rotten apple or a turnip. To gaol
ka -1411 It's twenty mile away ; and coming back, I
a trifle on the road. To gaol with him! At last
k doc.,cmstable, the keeper—anybody—finds me anywhere,
and lIR IMithing. To gaol with him, for he's a vagrant,
a .
glV)Mb'ucd known ; and gaol's the only home he's

11
' 1 " Alderman nodded sagaciously, as who should say,
4./I".Y good home, too !'
kkht,), say this to serve rY cause!" cried. Fern,e
aekb",e4ll give me back my liberty, who can give m
1,41qc"40' flood name, who can give me back my innocent
45tit Xot all the Lords and Ladies in wide England.
.seotleErnen gentlemen, dealing with other men like
11,qiilt1.111 at the right end. Give us, in mercy, better
,Nt,,ll.Ashen we're a laying in our cradles ; give us
Lbod when we're a working for our lives ; give us
law s to bring us back when we're a going wrong;
Lt'n. 134't set gaol, gaol, gaol, afore us, every where we
.140„ Ztieee ain't a condescension you can show the
NJ.I.,r• then, that he won't take, as ready and as
ays a man can be, ; for he has a patient, peaceful,
4i4CZ he, irt. But you must put his rightful spirit in
"rst ; for whether he's a wreck and ruin, such as
BPiriir, is like one of them that stand here now, his
Reriti„,ts ttivided from you at this time. Bring it back,
cottl,:tuiltft, bring it back I Bring it back, afore the day
411 d —th Mien even his Bible changes in his altered mind,
tittiQs." Words seem to him to read, as they have. some-
Pesi rTead ill my own eyes—in gaol : Whither thou
1. Can Not go ; where thou lodgest, I do Not
6 ; shy people are Not my people ; Nor thy God
Y God ??,
h,t t
Trilt udden stir and agitation took place in the Hal).
the Y thonviit at first, that several had risen to eject
13:t. —411; nu 1.1 hence this change in its. appearance.
411 C;ittioluer moment showed him that the room and
Lia d company had vanished from his sight, and thq
litu?ughter was again before him, seated at her work.
Le 140-9 4 Poorer, meaner garret than before ; and with
—‘alt by he side.