The Lincoln County herald., 1872-04-18
The Early Life Of Dickens.

The FIRST volume of Mr.. Fosters Life
Of Charles Dickens has just been given
to the public by j. B Lippincott g. Co,
aud it contains some things that will be
new 10 the readers and ad mrers of the great
novelist. Among these is touching de.
scrlption of portion Of his early life
hitherto entirely unknown. At the age
Of ten years he was placed in backing
house ut six shil!;ugs week. Years
afterwards, he thus writes Of his sad
youthful experience.
at Is wonderful to me how could
have been SO easily cast away at such an
age. 1t is wonderful to me that, even
after my descent into the poor little
drudge | had been since we came to
London, no one had compassion enough
on me-a child of singular abilities,
quick eager. delicate, and soon hurt, bod
lily or mental y-to suggest that some
thing might have been spared, as it Ger
tanly might have been, to place me at
any common school. Our friends, |
take it, were tired out. No one made any
sigu My father and mother were quite
satisfied. They could hardly have been
more SO if had been twenty years of
age, distinguished at grammar school
aud going to Cambridge.
"The backing warehouse was the last
house on the left hand side of the way. at
old Hungerford Stairs. 1t was crazy,
tumble, down old house, abu,ting of course
on the river, and literally oyerruu with
rats. Its wainscoted rooms, aud its
rotten floors and staircase, and the old
gray rats swarming down in the cellars,
and the sound of thier squeaking and
scuffling coming up the stairs at all times,
and the dirt and decay Of the place, rise
up visibly before me, as if were there
again. The counting. house was on the
first floor looking over the coal-bar2es
and the river. There was recess in it,
in which was to sit and work My
work was to cover pots Of paste blackiDg
first with a piece Of oil-paper, and then
with piece Of blue paper; to tie them
round with string aud then clip the
paper close ana neat, all round, until it
looked as smart as a pot Of ointment
from an apothecary's shop. When q
certain number of crosses Of pots had
attained this pitch Of perfection, | was tc
paste on each printed label, and then
60 on again with more pots. Two OF
three other boys were kept at similar duty
downstairs on similar wages. One Of
them came up, in ragged apron and q
paper cap, on the first Monday morning
| . ho, hn 81 nf ho ctrin
aud tying the knot. His name was Bot
Fagin and took the liberty Of using
his name, long afterwards, In Oliver
Twist.
"Our relative had kindly agreed to
teach me something in the dining hour
from twelve to one, l thuk it was. every
day. But an arrangement SO incompati
BILE with counting house business soon
died away, from no fault Of his or mine
and, for the same reason, my small work
table, and my crosses Of pots. my papers
string, scissors, paste pot, and labels, by
little and little, vanished out of the re
cess in the counting house, and kept
company with other small work.tablss
crosses Of pots, papers, strings, scissors
aud paste pots. down stairs. 1t was mol
long before Bob Fsgin and l. and an
other boy whose name was Paul Green
but who was currently believed to have
been christened Poll Ga belief which
transferred, long afterwards again to MIR
Sweedlepips, in Martin ChuzzlewiD
worked genesally, side by side. Bot
Fagin was an orphan, and lived with BIZ
bsother.iu law, a waterman. Poll Ireen'
father had the additional distiuc tion o.
beieg . &seman, sna was employed a.
Drury Laae theatre where another re-
latioa Of Polls, his little sister, did imp'
in the paHtomirses.
"No words css express the secre
'agosy Of my sss! Is sunk into this cos