The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1850-05-14
FROM DAVID COPPERFIEBD.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

The FIRST objects that assume distinct
the blank of my infancy, are my mother.
with her pretty hair and youthful shape,
and Peggotty with no shape at all, and eyes
so dark that they seemed to darken their
Whole neighborhood in her face, and cheeks
and arms so hard and red that wondered
the birds didn't peck her in preference to
apples.
believe | can remember these two at a
little distance apart, dwarfed to my sight by
STOPPING down or kneeling on the floor, and
/ going unsteadily from the one to the other
| have an impression on my mind which |
cannot distinguish from actual remembrance,
of the touch of Pegotty's fore-6nger as she
used to hold it out to me, and of its being
roughened by needlework, like pocket nut
lneg-grater
This may be fancy, though l think the
memory ofamost of us can go farther back
into such times than many of us suppose.
sJust as | believe the power of observation
lin numbers of very young children to be
quite wonderful for its closeness and accura-
ICY. Indeed, think that most grown men
who are remarkable in this respect, may
with greater proprlety be said not to have
lost the faculty, than to have acquired it ;
The rather, as generally observe such men
= toretain certain freshness and geutleness,
and capacity of being pleased, which are
also an inheritance they have preserved from
their childhood.
"a ! might have a misgiving that I am
8 Wandering" in stopping to say this, but
y it brings me to remark that | build
/ hese conclusions, in part upon my own ex-
,erience of myself; and if it should appear
u from any thing may set down in this mar
! rative that was child of close observa-
sion. or that as man | have strong memo
z yofmy childhood undoubtedly lay claim
. both Of these characteristics.
Looking back, as | was saying, into the
lank of my infancy the first objects l can
member as standing out by themselves
ON confusion of things, are my mother
ID Pegotty. What else do | remember ?
et me see.
There comes of the cloud, our house
,t new to me, but quite familiar, in its ear
st remembrance. On the ground floor is
gotty kitchen, opening into backyard
tn a pigeon-house on pole, in the CEN
= without any pigeons in it; great dog
anel in corner, without any dog and
Hiantity of fowls that look terribly tall to
walking about in a menacing and fero.
Jus manner. There is one cock who gets
on post to crow, and seems to take par
49, lar notice of me as ] look at him through
r. ,kitchen window, who makes me shiver
Il. so fierce. Of the geese outside the
s-gate who come waddling after me with
ii long Decks stretched out when I &c
{ way, ! dream at night as man envi
! led by wild beasts might dream of lions
4 Here is long passage-what an enor
Jus perspective / make of Intending
m Peggottys kitchen to the front door
dark store-room opens out of it, and that
D place to be run past at night; for
1T know what may be among those tub.
jars and old tea chests, when there il
dy in fhere with dimly Burning light
~ d aa0uldy air come out at the door
hich there is the smell of SOAP pickles
rer, candles and coffee, all at one Whit
d there are the two parors; the parlo
hich we sit Of an evening, my mothe
II / and Pegctty-for Peggotty is quit
.oapanion, when her work is done am
ire alone-and the best parlor wher
it on Sunday, grandly, but not g
dortably There is something of dole
aif about that room for me, for Peggott,
toh mel don't know when, but ap
enaY ages ago-sbcut my fathers fune