Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-07-13
dNOrtestrr 5ailg Spp,
CFrom ''All the Year Round"1
DICKENS VISIT TO THE TALKING FISH. IN
PICCADILLY.

polIoih vi IT'S luu, he was struck urSt OF all by
the creatures eyes, by their intelligence, their
soft beauty, and by the glance Of helpless APP
peal which it directed from one to the other of
the faces by which it was surrounded. This
was what struck him first. Then it struck
him that, if convenient, he should like to have
a large ship ready in the Pool of London, to
convey the talking fish back to the coast of
Africa, from which it had been brought; then
1t struck him that as this was perhaps not con-
venient, he should like to have rifle loaded
with ball, with full liberty to discharge the
same at the head OF the poor seal, and so put
her out of her misery for once and for all.
These different inclinatons having passed
through the head Of your eyewitness, and
there appearing to be obstacles to the gratifica-
ton Of every one OF them, it occurred to him
next to resign himself to circumstances, to
look about him, and see what was going on
Nothing was going on. a large seal was w.
ing at the bottom of an immense tub round
which about twenty persons were standing,
with their mouths open, wondering when the
performance was to begin. The seal appeared
to be almost in a torpid state, except when, as
has been described above, it turned from time
tn time It's languid eyes to the faces round the
bath, looking from one to the other with vexed
perplexity. 1t uttered, too, at intervals. a
sharp and painful cry, which was accompanied
by swapping sound occasioned probably by
the meeting OF its teeth. A fat man, whom
your witness liked, who spoke kindly to the
seal another man like foreign ambassador,
or Royal Duke, whom your witness disliked,
who spoke savagely to the seal; and faint
hearted man, whom your witness regarded in
negative light who spoke childishly to the
seal, seemed all to have a share in exhibiting
the animal, and all tried in their different
ways, to make the poor beast exert itself.
1t has been said that the seal uttered now
and then cry like a bark. This was only at
intervals at first; but when the Royal Duke,
mounting on "coign of vantage" commenced
a scientific lecture on the animal which was
he said, to be ''the subject of few remarks
the seal took to barking violently and fire.
quently, and at last never left off at all, taking
1t evidently as an insult that it should be lee
tured upon, and determining that not word
that was said about its nature and habits should
reach the public. The talking-fsh is not onlv
declined to talk ITSELF but was an enemy to
talkatiYeness in others.
The extraordinary ANIMAL" the lecturer
began-"the extraordinary animal-bow-wow
SUBJECT OF the present exhibition-bow
bow-bow-on the coast of Africa-bow -wow-
mouth of the-bow- wow-riyer-bow WOW
bow wow-disputed point-bow -wow-natur-
alists- bow-wow indeed, Professor--bow-
wow-eXprasses himself to this effect-bow.
WOW, bow-wow, -wow-while that eminent
comparative anatomist, Dr.-bow-wow. in
treating on this subiect-bow-wow bow-wow
in his work on the function of-bow wow
has been understood to say-bow-wow, bow
wow, bowwow, bow-wow bow-wow-
This was all that was audible of the lecture.
the rest was all lost in the uninterrupted volley
OF the loudest and most overpowerng descrip
ton. The Royal Duke descended from his
bad eminence in evident disgust, and saying
to the taint-hearted man, ''See what YOU can
do with her" proceeded to look modify on
as If he were spectator from outside, and to
lash with many taunts the faint-hearted man,
who for his part had evidently no hope of the
seal from the beginning. The talking-fish, il
must be mentioned, was female talking fish.
and her name it seemed was Jenny.
evil um's Jenny come and kiss um's
hand g! said this faint he~rted --.----, l--.--e,
over the tub to address the seal. "No, of
course, she won't" he added, when the seal
declined the invitation with bark Of disgust
81 knew she wouldn't"
you've got no perseverance" said the
Royal Duke why don't you go on at her till
she does"
"Much better leave her alone" said the fat
man. "Poor Jenny" he continued, STOPPING
over the bath. The seal rose up out Of the
water, and, lifting up her face, kissed him as
he uttered the words. 'Poor Jenny" said
the fat man, "have they been beating you,
Jenny 2"
Had they? Why did Jenny vince when
the Royal Duke happened to wave his hand
why did she vince, and shrinking away to
the other end of the bath, look again from
face to face, in mute but strong appeal! Poor
Jenny
CRY her again." said the Royal Duke to
the faint-hearted man.
whats the good! 2" answered that despond-
ent gentleman.
"Never mind asking, whats the good q y
retorted the Regal Potentate, ''but try her
again."
The gentleman who according to the prov
erb, was disqualified for the winning of fair la
dies, did try her again.
Gums Jenny's naughty tickle girl not to kiss
um's handsome, zen, kiss um's hand" said
the faint-hearted man. "There," he contin-
ued, when this appeal proved no more success
full than the last-"there, what did | tell you
Are you satisfied now 2"
mo" said the Royal Duke, "I'm not Try
showing her some fish"
"Give um's Jenny pretty little fish, if um's
Jenny III kiss ums hand, /" said the faint-heart-
ed man, showing highly favored founder to
the unfortunate animal.
The talking fish, knowing it would not get
the founder or perhaps not liking the smell of
it, remained stationary at the other end of the
bath, and sure enough the founder was taken
away again and put into a basket whose per-
fume was not agreeable.
ooh, hang It'll the fat man interposed,
"don't break faith with fellow-with fish,
/ mean-like that. Give it to her. What's
the good of tantalizing her like that 2"
whats the good OF anything" said the
respondent man This was one of those prop
ositions of general nature which nobody pres
ent seemed capable of graphing with; so the
faint-hearted man went on "When she says
she won't do a thing, she won't"
you've no perseverance" said the Royal
Duke. CRY her again"
CRY her Yourself" retorted the fant-heart-
ed man.
"Come here, Jenny" said the Royal Duke,
i'm fierce tone. The seal came across the
bath to where he stood, looked timidly up to
him. and skunk away to the other end OF the
tank.
Such was the exhibition at which your eye
witness assisted with heavy heart. Some
times the regal-looking parsonage, dragging
the seal abou. by the skin of its back, and,
pushing it violently across the bath, would
force it almost into the mouth OF the
faint-heated man, who was the chief exhibitor
On these occasions she would in desperation,
raise her head and breast out Of the water
and put her lips to his mouth Sometimes
she would half present him with fin. But
where was the talkingl Was this the animal
for whose feats of dialogue the public has been
prepared by pacard stuck on every dead
wall III London, representing British SAILOR
III earnest conversation, not to say argument
with an enormous Goldfish standing upright up
on the tip Of his tail? Was this all?
No, this was not all. 10 the eye of you
witness there was exhibited the heart Of tina
nnor seoI He read IL throuul bar ayas aud