The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-11-05
A NEW SKEICH BY DICKENS.
MIR. Robert Boiton, the GentIemnn Con.
nected with the preas


Below we make room for one of a
series of six sketches called the Mud.
frog Papers, written in his early days
by Charles Dickens for beatley's Nisce1-
ldny. These sketches have never ap-
peared in any of Dickens published
works, and are therefore unknown to
the present generation of readers. Any
thing new from the pen of the great
English novelist cannot fail to arouse
interest in the thousands who have
been charmed by the great novelist's
works:
In the parlor of tina Green Dragon, q
public-house in the immediate neigh
borhOod of Westminster Bridge, every
body talks politics, every evening, the
great political authority being Mr..
Robert Bolton, an individual who de-
fines himself as Z" a gentleman connected
with the press" which is a definition OF
peculiar indefiniteness. Mr.. Robert
Bottoms regular circle of admirers and
listeners are an undertaken, green
grocer, hairdresser, a baker, large
stomach surmounted by mans head,
and placed on the top of two particularly
short legs, and thin man in black,
name, profession and pursuit unknown,
who always sits in the same position,
always displays the same long, vacant
face, and never opens his lips, sur
rounded as he is by most enthusiastic
conversation, except to puff forth a
volume of tobacco smoke, or give vent
to very snappy, loud and shrill hem
The conversation sometimes turns upon
literature, Mr.. Bolton being literary
character, and always upon such news
of the day as is exclusively possessed by
that talented individual. found my
self (of course accidentally in the
Green Dragon, the other evening, and
being somewhat amused by the follow
ing conversation, preserved it.
Can you lend me ten-p0und note
till Christmasf" inquired the hair
dresser of the stomach.
Where's your security, Mr.. ClipP''
MY stock in trade-there's enough
of it, I'm thinking, Mr.. Thicknesse.
Some fifty whigs. two poles, half dozen
head blocks, and dead bruin."
No, won't, then" growled out
Thicknesse. 81 lends nothing on the
security of the wings or the Poles
either. AS for wigs, they're cheats
as for the Poles, they've got no cash.
never have nothing to do with block
heads, unless l can't avoid it Croni-
cally), and a dead bears about as much
use to me as could be to dead bear. VI
"Well, then" urged the other.
"there's a book as belonged to Pope,
"Byron's Poems," valued at forty
pounds, because it's got Pope's identi-
cal scratch on the back; what do you
think of that for securityP"
"Well, to be surem cried the baker.
But how dye mean, Mr.. Clipp"
Mean! why, that it's got the hotter
gruff OF Pope.
'Steal not this book, for fear OF hangman'a
rope;
For it belongs to Alexander Pope
All that's written ON the inside of the
binding of the book; so, as my son says,
we're bound to believe it,"
"Well, sir" observed the undertaken,
defereptially, and in half whisper,
leaning over the table, and knocking
over the hairdresser's grog as he spoke
"that arguments very easy upset."
Perhaps, SIR" said Clip. little
flurried, you'll pay for the first upse,
afore you thinks of another"
"Now," said the undertaken, bowine
amicab.y to the hairdresser, think,
says / think-you'n excuse me, Mr.
Clip, I think, you see. that won't &C
down with the present company-un
fortunately, my master had the bonol
of making the coffin OF that ere lords
housemaid, not no more nor twenty
year ago. Don't think I'm proud on it.
gentlemen; others might be; but hatt
rank of any sort. I've no more respec
for lord 8 footman than have for any
respectable tradesmen in this room.
may say no more nor l have for MIR
Clip bowing]. Therefore. that err
n
Pope died. And it's a logical inter
ferance to defer, that they neither o
them lived at the same time. So what
mean is this here, that Pope never ha(
no book, never seed, felt, never smelt nj
book (triumphantlyl as belonged to tina
ere Lord. And, gentlemen, when
consider how patiently you have 'earet
the ideas what / have expressed, fee
bound, as the best way TO reward yol
for the Kindness you have exhibited, II
sit down without saying anything NOR,
-partickler as / perceive a worthie
visitor nor myself is just entered. l an
not in the habit of paying compliments
gentlemen; when l do, therefore,
hope strikes with double force"
"Ah, Mr.. Murgatroyd! what's al
| this about striking with double forceP'
said the object of the above remark, a
| he entered. 81 never excuse mans get
ting into rage during winter, even whel
he's seated SO close TO the fire as you are
It's very injudicious to put yourself int,
such perspiration. What is the caus
of this extreme physical and mental ex
| citement, sirp"
Such was the very philosophical ad
dress of Mr.. Robert Bolton, n shorthan,
| writer. as he termed himself-a bit O
eQuivoque passing current among nj
i fraternity, which must give the unin
itiated vast idea of the establishment
OF the ministerial organ, while to tn
initiated it signifies that no one paper ca
lay claim to the enjoyment of their SCI
vices. Mr.. Bolton was q young man
with somewhat sickly and very dissl
pated expression of countenance. Hi
habiliments were composed of an ex
quisite union of gentility, slovenliness
assumption, simplicity, newness an
old age. Half of him was dressed fo
the winter, the other half for the sum
mer. His hat was of the newest cut
the D'Orsayi his trousers had bee
white. but the inroads of mud and inl
etc., had given lhem piebald appear
ance; round his throat he wore a yer
high black cravatot the most tyrannics
StluneSS, WLlit Ills tOut euS6uDlb wa
hidden beneath the enormous folds of a
old brown poodle collared greatcoai
which was closely buttoned up to th
aforesaid cravat. His fingers peepe
through the ends of his black kid glove.
and two OF the toes of each foot took
similar view of society through the es
tremities of his higblows. Sacred t
the bare walls of his garret be the myt
teries of his interior dress! He was
short, spare man, of a somewhat inferiC
department. Everybody seemed Unfit
enced hy his entry into the room, an
his salutation OF each member partoo
of the patronizing. The hairdress,
made way for him between himself an
the stomach. A minute afterward |
had taken possession of his pint an
1 pipe. A pause in the conversatio
took place. Everybody was waitin
anxious for his first observation.
"Horrid murder in Westminster th
morning" observed Mr.. Bolton.
y Every body changed their position
All eyes were fixed upon the man
paragraphs.
"a baker murdered his son by boili
him in "copper"" said Mr.. Bolton.
"Good heavensi" exclaimed ever
body. in simultaneous horror.
sn@sloA him nant1as..o.. aAAad nv