The Republican journal., 1872-01-11
VOLUME ~.
Charles Dickens Childhood

Oh \ narleS Dickens mas Just DteH puDIlsn
ed and the narl ative of his childhood ant
youth is of great interest. His childhood
was passed in abiect poverty; his father
a man of shifts and expedients, was til,
prototype of Micawber, and familiar witt
the inside of prisons as an insolvent debt
or. AT an early age, the son was put t,
service in a backing g-manufactory tn,
wretchedness OF which he thus describe.
in his autobiographical sketch.
This speculation was a rivalry of War
reu's Blacking. 30 Strand" at that time
very famous. In an evil hour tor me, a,
often bitterly thought its chief manag
er, James Lamcrt, the relative who had
lived with us in Bayham street, seeing
how | was employed from day to dav
and knowing what our domestic circum-
stances then Were, proposed that | should
20 into the hlacking- warehouse. to be rs
u~eiul as | could, al a salary, think. OF
siN Shillings y week. am not clear
whether II was SIX or seven. | am in
clned to believe, from my uncertainty or
this head, thai ii was six at first and seven
atterward. Al any rate, the offer was ac-
cepted very willingly by my father and
mother, and on Monday morning went
down to the Daching warehouse to begin
my business life.
Ii l. wonderful to me how could have
been 50 easily east away al such an age.
It is wonderful to me that, even after my
descent into the poor little drudge had
been since we came To London, no one
|, Il, ,
OF Singular abilities. quick, eager deli
cate. and soon hurt, bodily or mentally
10 suggest that something might have
been spared, a> certainly he might have
been. To place me al any common school.
Our friends, take ii. We're tired out No
one made any sign. My father and
mother were quite satisfied. They could
hardly have been more SO il | had been
twenty Years of age, distinguished At a
grammar school, and going to Cam
bridge.
The blackjn1 warehouse was the last
house on the lelt-haud side OF the way, ut
oie liungertord Stairs 1t was a crazy.
tumbIe-down old house abutting. of
course, on the river, and literally overruu
with rats Its wan-coted rooms. and
It's rotten floors and staircase, and the old
gray rats 'warming down in the cellars.
ana the sound OF their speaking and
>culflinE coming up the stairs 1T All
times. and the dirt and decay ot the place.
rise mp yi,ibly before me. a~ if | was
there again The counting house on the
first toor, looking over the coal-hargcs
and the river. There was recess in it.
in which was to sit and work. Nv work
tI,. / ! 4
first with a piece of oil-paper. and then
with piece ot blue paper to tie them
round with a string. ana then rlip the pa-
per close and neat all round. until 1t look
ed as smart Is Il pot of ointment from an
apothecary ; Shop. When a certain mum
Der Of crosses oi pots had attained this
pitch of perfection. WAS To paste On each
label. and then 90 on again with more
pots. Two or three other BOYS were kept
nj similar duty down Slairs on similar
wages. One of them came up. in Il rag
red apron and a,paper cap, on tile first
Monday morning. to show ne the trick
of using The string and tviue the knot
His name was Bob Fagin. and | took the
liberty ut using hi name. Ionp atterward
in Oliver Twist
our relative had kindly ARRANGED to
teach me something in the dinner hour
from twelve to one, think il wa,-every
day. But an arrangement 50 ncompati-
bic with counting house business soon
died away, from no fault OF Ills or mine ::
and, for the same reason. my small work
table, and my crosses OF pots my papers.
string, scissors, pa>te-pot. and labels by
little and little. vanished out Of the rece $
N h44 ittf IN
with the other small work-tables, crosses
OF pots. papers. string, scissors, and paste
pots down stairs. 1t was not long before
Bob Fagin and |, and another boy whose
name was Paul Green, but who was eur
rentlv supposed to have been chri>tened
Poll Ga belief which | transferred long
afterwards again to Mr. Sweedlepipe. in
MARTIN Chuzzlewit,') worked generally
side by side. Bob Fagin was an orphan,
and lived with his brother-in-law. a wa
ternan. Poll Green's father had the ad-
ditional distinction OF being a fireman
and was employed at Drury Lane Theatre
where another relation of Polls. think
his little sister. did imps in the panto-
mines.
No words can express the secret agony
of my soul as | sunk into this companion
ship; compared these everyday associates
with those of my happier childhood; and
felt my early hopes OF growing up to be
a learned and distinguished man, crushed
in my breast The deep remembrance OF
the sense had of being utterly neglected
and hopeless; of the shame I felt in nv
position; OF the misery it was to my
Young heart to believe that, day by day.
what had learned, and thought, and de-
lighted in, and raised nv fancy and nv
emulation up BY, was passing away from
me, never to he brought back any more.
cannot be written. Nv whole nature was
so penetrated with the grief and humilia-
ton Of such considerations. that even
now, famous and caressed and happv. |
often forget in nv dreams tina, | have a
dear wife and children; even that | am a
man: and wander desolately back to that
time of my life.
Nv mother and nv brothers and sisters
(excepting Fanny in the Roval Academy
OF Music) were still encamnad with :,
vouno servant oirl FROM, Cb,tbo,,, Warl.
house in GOwes street north 1t was a
long way to 90 and return within the din
ner hour, and usually either carried nv
dinner with me- ar went and hourbt II az