The sun., 1891-01-25
DOTHEBOYs HALL.
Bowes and Roundabout, where Dickens
Pat the ssueerses and John Brodie.

NlCuOldS NlCkl0Dy VI SudTlcS DlVkSuS
During the early part OF the present century
the private schools. and particularly the boys
schools OF England. with few notable excep-
tions like that Of Rugby. were the most infa-
nous In the world. II there can be superiority
In infamy, Yorkshire stood first and best
Dickens himself said Of its private schoolmas-
ters: Traders In the avarce, Indifference or
imbecility OF parents. and the helplessness Of
children: ignorant, sordii, brutal mon. to
whom few considernto persons would have on
trusted the board and lodging OF horse or
dog: they formed the worthy corner stone OF q
which. for absurdity and maRnif-
cent high minded laisse.-al'er neglect. has
rnroly been exceeded In the world"
How Dickans's grand aud humane genius
came to espouse the cause Of tho hosts OF
rcminiscence OF his magnificent
literary caresr. The English speaking world
was still In raptures over his first success un-
der the nom de plume OF Boz" His publish
ers. Chapman 4 Hall Of London had imme-
dfately engaged another work from his pen to
appear Ia parts. Its plan aud scoDo werc still
subjects for discussion. and. under the burdens
and impositlons OF the young authors
now relation to mon AMI things.
grievons aud desperate anxiety to Dick.
ems himself. In this condition Of unrest
and perturbation. there foated into his mind
sa isnciss schoes lie
tells Of these in his own lnimitaole way ip the
lest preface written. by him fTr "Sicholas
how came to hear about Yorkshire schools
when was not very robust child sitting IN
nm Of PartrIdEs. Strap, Tom Pipe and saneho
Panza; but know that my fret imprsssionss
they were seehoW or other I'll eonnected % with
suppuraed abscess that some boy bad come
With in % hi
oGsn with an inky penk niiei" ,,
Here was Opportunity lor great and merci-
Hablot Browne. Dickens lett London a few
weeks before Christmas of 1897. The two
the @ Old postchsise routes. gathering under ali
manner OF pretenses every possible fact benr-
iSS on the IS Gs Of
for records OF damage suits brought against
proprietors Of these schools for cruelty; wheed.
his way into that one; and. at last. ia the re-
wotest and most dreary nortion Of m northern
iss i : SiIisse II M o. Gt SoSss. nere SisEens K & :.
immortais oi foiion as honest John BROW.
die" He represented himself as agent Of
in quies country school. In this way he s..
cured admission 10 a number in the vicinity
The school seeming most suitable rs a rro-
totype Of them al. from NE persouneI Of its
s hS h IN
with the hopelessness OF the school lie OF the
ssSs se I Rno the Han Ncks M
,".SmiSe." and scores OF other helpless young
nconccivabie s bpiHiisu lie Of serVisude Starvation
aud cruelty Invs.tigations showed that the
sSrs sa ana o. oa nG, ss
ment in the original preface that Mr..
hss a1S 4Ss ia
70 %er iss and nshsd Ia
Al the aprearance Of the frat m part he ran away %
shown ,hs sus Of NcS
oas XeElsby his ioTE,aSs sknSi1g II. xns r9t .,
part exceeded 80 900 copies. Not six months
had passed before the torture aud cruelty to
wess sbssed. and before the last ohaptsr Of
"NirholAs Nickleby" had been read. public
barely escaped @ expresslon on in rot had annihl;
lated every child hell of tho Dotheboys Hall
variety in England:
q the village 10 the millions who learned
and 1fsf5 IN boheSoys &c Hall
l. It, was purely hcti3nal t3wn, ! asked over
S"a asd nsTsr % So Knew
until came to Kirby Stephen. in the moor
1na Wild, s q ba9 ia%n
nobody seemed 10 know. until | found
rustic ansiaua5ian who had d,. at =, one e, time
and who. after q hard struggle, remem;;
ssrsa where lay over aSS Sey"nd n s wa 0a
as he nut it. in ending an aiuration not to
cross staremoor that day. unloss willing 70
isk beng blown from the ron into ,h ths rock
lug ierocious warlock haRs which, iu ing
every wild mountain storm. waylay belated
Gthsss.'B Gross. Bu, the pilc]rimaeo ] was was to rescue
r9m oblivion the aetun site Of by n nt"ti.na
ture n The loci ocation tx A. and nd enSirons Of SPOT. dim;
sns and oa Word IN ans .ns 'e New
No two stout American legs could shrink Il ON
its mai way from solwnv Firth 70 tne German
moors and ieils with mighty balls Of fog which
slid md rico"heted over Langdale Fell and
oi @ the Ioiiler % Stsnemoor Heights, and lnally be
huriel over the mountain upon dreary dead
Doves, AZ il 4 70 % crnsh every remaining silver OF
II YOU came from Londop 70 Bowes Gver the
saaesrs sn'as and the lille boys % aud tSeir i'm ei
Inn" yom would haye come BY the, cd coach
road from London To- EIinburGh and Glasgow;
4R . W % ancient hshwSy s S SSk wo%f "a
Masses Of Iiomnn isEons have swept tide on
tide back aud forth over the, same stone road,
Stern AcrlcolH, the EoHriy TssStus and E% n.
uneonquerable North uGon II. The latter ielt N
10000 OF bis army dead among the Scotch tn
face. i set toward Home, and home: only
ehasrin. il is the great Roman ioad 0! Eng.
| land. Waiting or Waihling street II is calle !,
/ Away In the north OF Yorkshire q few miles
! above Catterick Bridge, ono stem OF his high
way goes on through Durham ami ,Sorthum.
berland. and thence TO EdlnLuggl' The other ttn
Westmorsland and Cum hsrlsnd through Carl
iiec!ed Britain from the Caledonian hordess
| and thence. In u more modern coach rond
! winds through The oden lovers haven. Gretnn
I Green. to Glasgow. On this western stem, be
tween the rivers Tees aud Greta nj the eastern
edge OF Stanem oor. nearly surrounded by deao,
! lata moors. aad in tue northwest corner o'
Yorkshire. lies what Is left OF Bowes.
Coming on foot TO Bowes from Kirby stephen
tho wild. grand sweep OF country usualiX visi
ble from the top OF Stanemoor was denied
| But 1t was q treat to stand by Reic Cross I'M
! molested by witch or warlock, and recall the
meaning OF the gray old relic that had stood
there 80 sturdiiy for more than 500 years
William the Conaueror and Malcolm. Klng, ol
Scotland met here with the armies to decide
,-lo Of oil nt,xyo