Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-02-01
THE EARLY LIFE OF DICKENS

The first volume Of Mr.. Forster's Life
Of Charles Dickens, has just been given to
the public by J. Il. Lippincott 4 Co, and
it contains some things that viii be new to
.hc readers and admirers Of the great no.
velist Among these is a touching de-
scription of portion of his early life hith-
cr,o entirely unknown. At the age Of ten
years he was placed in blacking house
nt six shillngs n week Years afterwards.
he thus writes Of this sad youthful expert
encc.
ut is wonderful to me how | could
have been SO easily cast away at such an
age. 1t is wonderful to me that. even af-
ter my descent into the poor little drudge
| hal been since we came to London. no
one had compassion enough on mc-a
child of singular abilities, quick. eager.
delicate. and soon hurt. bodily or mental
ly-to suggest that something might have
been spared. as certainly it might have
, been. TO place me at common school -
Our friends. take it. were tired out No
ono made any sign My father and moth
er were quite satisfied They could hard
~ have been more So If had been twen-
~ years Of age. distinguished at gram
mar school. and going to Cambridge.
1.-The backing warehouse was the last
house on tie left t-hand side of the wav. at
old Hungcrforl Stairs 1t was crazy.
tumble-down old house. abuttng of course
on the river. aud literally overrun with
rats Its wainscoted rooms. and its rot
ten floors and staircase. and the old gray
rats swarmng down in the cellars. and the
sound oftheir squeaknc and scuffiinr COM
ing up stairs at all times. and the dirt and
decay of the place. rise up visibly before
me. rs il | was there again. The count
ing house was on the first foor, looking
over the coal -barges and the river. There
was a recess in it, in which l was to sit
and work. Ny work was to cover the
pots of paste backing; first with a piece
of oil-paper. and then with piece OF blue
paper to tie them round with string !:
and then to clip the paper close and neat,
all round. until it looked as smart as pot
of ointment from an apothecary's shop
When certain number Of crosses Of pots
had attained this pitch ofpcrfec,ion. was
TO paste on each printed label. and then
go on again with more pots. Two or three
other boys were kept at similar duty down
stairs on similar wages. One Of them
come up. in ragged apron and paper
cap. on the first Monday morning. to show
me the trick Of using the string and ty-
ing the knot. His name was Bob Fagin;
and took the liberty Of using his name.
long afterwards, in Nirrr 7iris
"Our relative had kindly arranged to
teach me something in the dirner-hour /;
from twelve to one. I think it was; eve
ry day. But an arrangement so incom-
patible 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. passe-pot. and labels. by
little and little, vanished out Of the recess
in the couuting-house. and kept company
! with the other small wora-,ables, crosses
ofpots. papers. strings. scissors. and paste
pots. downstairs. Ii was not long be-
fore Bob Fagin and I. and another boy
whose name was Paul Green. but who
, was currently believed to have been chris
tened Poll Ga belief which | transferred.
long afterwards again to Mr.. Sweedlepipe.
in .hsrtin CAss-ie~i). worked generally
side hy side. Bob Fsgin was an orphan.
aud lived with his bro,her-in-law. q wa
tcrman. Poll Green's father had the ad-
diticnal distinction Of being fireman. and
was employed at Drury Lane theatre
where another relation Of Polls. think
his little sister. did imps in the panso-
mines.
mo words can express the seere. ago
ny Of my soul as l SINK ratio this eompan-
ionship; compared these etefy-day ssso-
eiates with these OF my happier childhood
end felt my early hopes Of growing TO b