The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-09-26
The LEATHER BOTTLE.
An American Tourist in the Footsteps OF
Mr.. Pickwick.

An American Tourist in the Footsteps of
Mr.. Plckwick.
Finding myself in Gravesend, during
recent visit to England, ! determined
to seek that hostlery where the too
amorous Tracy Tupman retired after
being Tilted by the spinster aunt, and
was run to earth by Mr.. Pickwick and
his friends and discovered eating roast
fowl and bacon, and not, as had been
expected, looking after the printing of
the suicidal pistols.
Somewhere across the fields I knew
lay Gotham, where the Leather Bottle
stands, and to which thereafter was con-
veyed, by the great founder of the club,
that stone bearing the mystic letters
which the caititf Blotton had the audacity
to translate into "Bill Stumps His
Mark" Not very regretfully did leave
Gravesend behind; and after an hours
walk, I found myself in the diminutive
village of Gotham, where every thing is
on small scale, except the epitaphs on
the tombstones. The village has
charming nesting air, with it's little
gentle-winding street of quaint red
which stands the modest Leather Bot
tie opposite the church. "And really"
added Mr.. Pickwick, after half an hours
walking had brought them to the viii
lage: really for misanthrope's choice
this is one of the prettiest and most de-
sirable places of residence l ever met
with" statement which ] can fully
corroborate.
A pretty, compact, white little tene-
ment it is, with sign swinging over
the door portraying Mr.. Pickwick, his
hand under his coat-tails. and the in
scription, Dickens Old Pickwick
Leather Bottle Hotel" There is an
over-hanging, well-tiled roof, with a
lamp over the door, little suffered
windows at each side and a general air
of cosiness. The coffee-room, where the
fugitive Tupman was discovered, is I'M
altered in a feature From the chronicle
which is with us we learn that: "a
stout country lad opened door at the
end of the passage, and the three friends
entered a long, low-roofed room, fur
nished with a large number of high
backed, leather-cushioned chairs of fam
tastic shapes, and embellished with a
great variety of old partraits and rough
ly colored prints of some antiquity. At
the upper end of the room was table
with a white cloth upon it, well covered
with roast fowl, bacon, ale and etcete-
ras." And there it is still; the passage,
and the door at the end of the passage,
and a charming old room of some size,
very low, and with sort of framed cell
ing, its yellow walls grimed with the
smoke and steam of a hundred "ordi-
narys."
1t was pleasant. after more than fifty
years, to find every thing corresponding
SO exactly to Dickens description.
There are half dozen or so Of old high
back chairs, no doubt bought in RocheS-
ter to add local color" and correspond
with the text; the old portrait of tho
tea-board pattern and the ancient clock,
the only addition to the collection of
artistic trophies being colored photo
graph of Dickens two pictures of his
house at Gad's Hill, and copy of the
Empty Chair" of Luke Fides. Mine
host is q dapper and attentive little
man, wearing white apron. His liter
airy leanings, however, are not consid-
cradle. Indeed, he admits, with engag-
ing frankness, that he is not well up in
Dickens, but as a great many people
make inquiries OF him, he has ordered u
copy of "Pickwick." | envied mine host
of the Leather Bottle the treat ne had
before him, though question whether l
e
studied as a matter of business.-Once