The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-09-22
A NEW SKETCH BY DICKENS.
MIR. Robert Bolton, the Gentleman Com
nected with the Press.

Below we make room for one OF
s ries of six sketches-calleH the " Mud
frog Papers written in his early days
by Chasles Dickens for RcntleV'S MiScel-
| JIny. These sketches have never APP
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 the Green Dragon, n
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 " a gentleman connected
with the press" which is a definition of
| peculiar indehniteness. Mr.. Robert
Bottoms regular circle of admirers and
listeners are an undertaken, a green
grocer, hairdresser, a baker, q large
stomach sufhounted 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 a ten-pound note
| till CbristmasP" inquired the hair
dresser of the stomach.
Where's your security, Mr.. Clip?"
MY stock in trade-there's enough
of it, I'm thinking, Mr.. Thicknesse.
Some fifty wings, two poles, halt a dozen
he ad blocks, and dead bruin."
No, l won't, then," growled out
Thicknesse, "I lends nothing on the
security of the wings or the Poles
either. As for wigs, they're cheats;
a, for the Poles, they've got no cash. 1
never have nothing to do with block
heads, unless l can't avoid it (ironi-
cally), aud q dead bears about as much
use to me as could be to dead bear"
"Well, then" urged the other,
there's book as belonged to Pope,
"Byron's Poems," valued at forty
cal scratch on the back; what do you
think of that for securityP"
"Well, to be sure!" 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's s
| 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,
defereDtially, 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
Hurried, you'll pay for the first upset
afore you thinks of another"
Now" said the undertaken, bowing
amicab.y to the hairdresser, "I think,
says | think-you'll excuse me, Mr..
Clip, l think, you see, that won't go
down with the present company-un-
fortunately, my master had the bonoT
of making the coffin of that ere lords
housemaid, not no more nor twenty
year ago. Don't think Pm proud on it.
gentlemen; others might be; but hate
rank of any sort. I've no more resp ct
for a lords footman than have for nv
respectable tradesmen in this room.
may say no more nor l have for Mr.
, Clip bowing1. Therefore, that ere
|, lord must have been born long after
Pope died. And it's n logical inter.
ferance 10 defer, that they neither O
7 them lived at the same time. So what
mean is this here, that Pope never haG
no book, never seed, felt, never smelt M
book (triumphantly] as belonged to that
ere Lord. And, gentlemen, when
consider how patiently you have 'eareC
the ideas what have expressed, / fee
bound, as the best way TO reward yoU
for the kindness you have exhibited, tC
sit down without saying anything more
-partickler as l perceive a worthie
visitor nor myself is just entered. / an
not in the habit of paying compliments
gentlemen; when l do, therefore,
hope l strikes with double force"
"Ah, Mr.. Murgatroyd! what's al
this about striking with double Rrce?
said the object of the above remark. a
4 he entered. Il never excuse mans get
ting into rage during winter, even whe
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
element, sir!"
! Such was the very philosophical ad
dress of Mr.. Robert Bolton, n shorthan
T. writer, as he termed himself--a bit O
Cquivoque passing current among hi
, fraternity, which must give the unir
itiated vast idea of the establishmer
of the ministerial organ, while to III
. initiated it signifies that no one paper ca
, lay claim to the enjoyment of their SCI
= vices. Mr.. Bolton was young mar
4 with u somewhat sickly and very diss
q pated expression of countenance. H
Z habiliments were composed of an e1
. quisite union of gentility, slovenliness
- assumption, simplicity, newness an
Y old age. Half Of him was dressed fC
the winter, the other half for the sum
= mer. His hat was of the newest Gu
al the D'Orsay; his trousers had bee
e white, but the inroads of mud and inl