New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-02-23
WHOLE NO. 1922.

Paul. who sat down on the bottom ster. ana
watched the operation sttentively now and then
CLAIMING at the clock face. leaning all askew
sgains. the wall hard by. and feeling little con-
I fused blythe suspicion that Il was Oshng him.
The workman on the steps was very civil and
( as he said when he observed Paul " How DO You
DO. sirl" Paul cot into conversation with him. and
told him he had ~ been quite wei lately. The ice
1 being thus broken, Paul asked him q multitude Of
questions about chimes and clocks as whether
people watched up in the lonely church steeples
by night to make them strike and how the
bells were rung when people died aud whether
those were different bells from wedding bells
or only sounded dismal in the fsncies of the
living. Finding that his rev acquaintance was
not very well informed on the subject Of the
Curfew Bell OF ancient days. Paul gave him an
account Of thst institution and also asked him.
as a practical man what he thought about King
Alfreis idea Of measuring time by the burning
Of candles to which the workman replied that he
thought would be the run OF the clock trade If il
was 10 come up again In fine Paul looked on. IN.
I'll the clock had quite recovered It's familiar aspect
and resumed its sedate inquiry when the work.
man putting away his tools in long basket. babe
him good day and went away. Though not before
he had whispered something. on the door mat, 70
the iootman in which there was the phrase &" old.
fashioned for Pau hesrlit
What could that old fashion be. that seemed to
make the people sorry What could it be
idNlnS uoRulot 10 learn now ne tuolgnt OF THIS
frequently though not so often as he might have
done, if he had had fewer things 10 think Of. But
he had great many and was always thinking
all day long
First, there was Florence coming tn the party
Florence would see that the boys were tord OF him
and that would make her happy. This was his
great theme Let Florence once be sure that they
were gentle and good to him. aud that he had be-
come little fsvorite among them and then she
would always think OF the time he had passed
there. without being very sory. Florence might
be all the happier, too for that perhaps when he
came back.
When he came back Fifty times day. his
noiseesss little feet wen, up the stairs to his own
room, as he collected every book, and scrap and
trife that belonged TO him, and put them all to-
gether there down 10 the minutest thing, for tax.
! ing home There was no shade OF coming back on
little Paul preparation for it, or other reference
to it, grew out OF anything he thought or did. ex'
cept this slight one in connection with his sister
On the contrary, he had to think of everything ia
milisr to him, in his contemplating moods and in
his wanderngs about the house, as being 10 be part
! cd with and hence the many things he had TO
think OF. all day long.
He had to peep into those rooms upstairs and
think how solitary they would be when he was
gone and wonder through how many silent days,
weeks months and years, they would continue
| Just as grave and undisturbed. He had TO think
would any other child loldfashioned, like himself
stray there at al any time, TO whom the same gro
tesqus distortions OF pattern and furniture would
manifest themselves; and would any body tell that
boy OF little Dombey who had been there once
| He had to think OF portrait on the stairs which
| ALWAYS looked earnestly after him as he went away
eyeing il over his shoulder and which when he
| passed il in the company OF any one, still seemed
| 10 gaze ut him, and not at his companion He hac
much TO think OF, in association with print thai
hung up in another place, where, In the centre OF q
[ 81. L.. l~Y,t Som
with a light about its head-bengnant. mild and
merciul-stood pointing upward.
! At his own bedroom window, there were crowds
/ of thoughts that mixed with these, and came on
one upon another upon another like the rolling
waves Where those wild birds lived, that were
always lowering out at sea in troubled weather
wherefthe clouds rose, and first begans whenc,
the wind issued on its rushing flight, and where i
stopped; whether the spot where no and Florence
had so often sat, and watched, and talked abou
these things, could ever be exactly as Il used TO b'
! without them; whether It could ever be the same
70 Florence it he were in some distant place. anc
she were sitting there alone.
/ He had 10 think, too VI Mr. TOots and Mr.
| Feeder. y. A.. Of all the boys, and OF Docto
| Blmber Mrs Blimber and Miss Blimber; o
homo. and of his aunt and Miss Tox OF his IA
Their Dombey and Son, Walter with the poor ole
uncle who had got the money he wanted, and thai
gruif.voiced Captain with the iron hand Beside
| all this, he had number Of little visits to pay ia
the course OF the day; to the school-room, TO Doc
| Blimber's study, TO Mrs. Blimber's private apart
ment 10 Miss Blmbers and to the dog. For he
was free of the whole house now, 10 range Il as he
| chose and in his desire TO part with everybody
on afectionate terms, he attended, in his way, 10
/ them ALL Sometimes he found places IN books Ion
! Briggs who was always losing them sometimes
he looked up words in dictionaries tor other young
| gentlemen who were in extremity sometimes he
| held skeins of silk for Mrs Blimber 10 wind some
| times he nut Cornelias desk 10 rights; sometimes
he would even creep into the Doctors study and
sitting on tho carpet near his learned eet turn the
| globes softly, and go round the world, or take a
! fight among the iar-or stars
Ia those DAYS Immediately before the holidays.
! in short when the other young gentlemen were
| abosng for dear life through general resumption
of lie studies Of the whole half year Paul was
| snch a privileged pupil as had never been seen In
that house before. He could hardly believe 1t him.
self bat his liberty lasted from hour to hour and
from day to day and little Dombey was caressed
| by every one Doctor Blimber was so particular
| about HIM. that he requested Johnson 10 retire
/ from the dinner table day, for having thought
lessly spoken 10 him az poor little Dombey
which Paul thought rather hard and severe, though
| he had flushed az the moment, and wondered why
Johnson should pity him. It was the more ques'
tionable Justice Paul thought, in the Doctor, from
his having certainly overheard that great authority
proposition stated BY Mrs. BlInber that poor dear
| ittle Dombey was more old fashioned than ever.
| And now IL was that Paul began to think Il must
surely be oldiashioned TO be very thin and hight and
/ easily tired, and soon disposed to lie down any
where and rest for he couldn't help feeling that
these ere more and more bis habits every day
AT last the party day arrived, and Doctor blIm'
/ her said az breakfast, " Gentlemen, We viii re
4 sumo our studies on the twenty -hith Of next
| month" Mr Toots Immediately threw oh AIS al
! leziance and put on his ring and mentioning the
| Doctor In casual conversation shortly siterward'
spoke OF him as Bhmber - This act OF freedom
Inspired the older pupils with admiration and envy
bat the younger spirits were appalled,. and seemed
20 marvel that no beam fell down and crushed
| him.
Not the least alluslon was made 10 the ceremo'
nies OF the evening either az breakfast or al dinner
but there was hustle in the house all day ana
aud in the course Of his perambulatio Pau made
acquaintance with various strange benches and can
d!esticks and met harp in green greatcoat stann
NJ on the landing outside the drawing room door.
There was something queer too about Mrs I'M Der
head at dinner-time, II she had screwed her mar
up 700 tight; and though Miss Climber showed a
graceful bunch Of plated hair on each temple 'ne
seemed 10 have her own little c1ris IN paper an
| derneaih, and in a playful, too Tor Paul read
| Theatre ROYAL" over one Of her sparkling spec
| tacles and Brighton" over The other
There was a grand array OF white waistcoats and
a -. - h-~r faraa q