New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-03
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

NEWLY COLLECTED SKETCHES BY BOZ.
THE MUDFOG PAPERS: etc BY Cn.SLEs pIc lG@s
Now fret collected l!."isuie Hour eei'esl' 'o'"'
pp. 249. Henry Holt d Co.
The six sketches included in this collection OF
necss. by the author Of "Pickwick," are not now
certainly not all OF them reprinted for the hrs'
time The two papers on the " Meetings OF tue
Mudfcg Association" which make together apou'
half the present volume, will be found appehuc" w
DIR. Shelton Mackenze's 4" Life OF Charles DICKENS
philadelphia, 1870. and other fugitive sketches
were caught and imprisoned in the same DOCK
The Mudfog PAYERS were contributed 10 tue cary
numbers Of Bentley's Miscellany. under the famous
nom de plume which. in 1887, was just BEGINNING 10
have high commercial value. "Pickwick " was
still appearing III numbers from the press Oh Nhap-
mau g. Hall, and the young novelist had made an
Increment with Mr. Bentley to conduct his new
nasazine and TO write for II a serial story. Inc
first chapters of "Oliver Twist" were thus issued
while Pickwickn was yet in hand, and the author
was never so much as week In advance OF 'ne
printer with either of them. "Ohver lwlSl'
however was not ready for the first number OF the
Niscelldny; and rs II considered Important that
something from Dickens's pen should inquire IN inc
initial table of contents he inserted for the occa
sion the paper which stands at the head OF the
present volume and which bears the TITLE Puohc
Life of Mr.. Turnmble. once Mayor OF Mudfog.
also owed their publication to the clamor for
"copy which terribly harasSed Dickens during
this aborious period of bis life, when to the cares
of editorshlp were added the simultaneous produc-
ton of two works so widely unlike as " PlckwicK"
and Oliver Twist" We assume that Mr.. Bentley
who is responsible for their resuscitaton, IS correct
in his statement that they were written for" the
first numbers OF the magazine. From internal EVIL
dence We should have been inclined to refer them
10 a much earlier period of Dickens's career. we
sbould have supposed that they were the unused
fragments of ms youth originally Intended perhaps
for the columns OF The Chronicle aud laid aside to
make room for something better. Their interest is
mainly tina; which attaches to all relics of great
author however slight and unworthy of his fame.
They have less vivacty less point, and less fuency
than the we'll known Sketches" which first made
the name of d" Boz" familiar; they have even less
literary polish, and more distinct marx OF hl'ha-
turity while il we compare them with the WfltlngS
of the period to winch they are assigned FIck-
wick" with its exuberant and ineXhaustlpie
humor; Oliver Twist" With its tremendous Ora
matte force the crisp. sparkling and energetic pri-
yate letters which have recently been given 10 the
vorld-they seem almost unaccOuntabic. t0nsiu-
ering The company in which they made their appear
snce-for those early numbers of Bemtty'S M'Scet
any contained The verses of Father Prout, some OF
the "lngolisby Legends" ana Lovers Handy
Andyn-lt is not surprising That they were soon for
gotten.
Tuey contain. however, many passages which can
be called remarkable ludcrcus comparisons; dron
dasLes az characters bits OF humorous desc ption.
admirably terse and vivid; excellent dialogue;
blows at public abuses ideas aiterward expanded
with brilliant effect IN the novels. " Mudiog Is
pleasant town-a remarkably pleasant town-situa-
ted in charming hollow by the side of arycr,
OF litcb tar. Goals and Tope-yarn rowing pOpuia-
ton in oil-skin hats pretty steady influx 81
drunken bargemen, and a great many other mar
time advantages. There Is a good deal OF water
abou, MuAOg and yet It il is not exactIy the SORT
of town for watcTing-place either Water Is
peryerse scr; of element at the best OF times. and III
MudfOg il IS particularly So In winter II comes
oozng down the streets and tumbling over the
fclds-nay PUSHES INTO the very cellars and kltch-
ems of the houses with lavish pTod gality that might
well be dispensed with; bat in the hot summer
weather it wiU cry up aud turn green. We
consider the town-ha one of the finest specimens
of shed architecture cXtant: Ii is a combination OF
the pig-sy and tea-gardcn-box orders, and the
SIMPLICITY Of its design is Of surprising
beauty. The idea of placing large window on
one side of the door and small one on III,
other is particularly happy. 1h1r Is me, O0f,
Lorc jeaaiy t0) ab0at The pddi0ck dnd Scrdper which
i, strictly III keeping with .he general effect" This
is far below the level OF the " Sketches; but it
contains the germ OF that humOr which soon after
wards captlvated the world. Nj. Nicholas Tui-
rumble whO began life III shed, with stock M
trade OF three bushels and half Of Goals, exclusive
OF the large lump which lung 0y way of sign' board
outside rose to fortune by slow degrees. " He Ell
larced the shed and kept truck; then he left the
she'd aud the truck too, ana started donkey ana
a Mrs Turumble." H. is visiting London, at the
time of the Lord Mayer show, and there he re-
ceives the news OF his elevation to civic honOrs:
My dear" said Mr. Tulrumblc 70 his wife, they
have elected me Mayor OF Audi9g:"
LaI-a-nussyi" said Mrs. Tuirumble; " why,
whats become OF old Sings !! 800
'.The late Mr.. Smgcs. Mrs. Tulrumbie," said Mr.
Tu.Iumbc sharply, for he by no means approved OF
inc motto OF uncclcmonIou,iv designating gen
iicmaE who filed the high office OF Mavor as - Old
SnIge. y" The late Mr.. shggS Mrs. Iulrumble, Is
ocad.'
Nj Iulrunble only calculated "Lor-a-mussy -
once s@i,in, is if Mayor were a mere ordinary
Cnristan. at which Mr.. Iulrumbie frowned gloom
What a pity 'tau't in London. amt ~" said
MI. Iu.rGinb'c, after SAolt pause what lnIy
'tdn'( III London, where you ment have had
mion have bad show in Mudfog. i'll thought
proper apprehend" sad Mr.. Iuirumble mystoii-
Lor, 20 Won might, l declare" replied Mrs. TUT
Ani gool one. too" said Mr. TuIrumble
delightful" exclaimed Mrs. iulmmblc.
Bna winch would rather astnush the Ignorant
pcnp.a down { here SAID Mr.. Iulrum5le.
. d" II would XII thea with enVI,' said Mrs. Iu-
rumble. .
80 was agreed that his Maic>ty's lieges III Mud
fog saoud d. as t0uis3rd with spicndor and si9ugl-
cred wit envy, aud tb&t such Il show should take
place a. uad never b en- seen IN that town. oy III
other Towns beiOfe.-nO, NOT even III London Itself
The great feature of the show was to be a live
man III arm0r. 4 complete suit OF mail was brought
down ior the occasion, aud enc Ned TwIgger, To- |
caly known rs Botticnos.d Ned, was persuaded 10 |
parade IN II. Ned dniy apparelled at Mr.. ul- |
runblcs house. and the procession SET forth amlds;