The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-08-23
Dickens Micawber.


ss we know, modelled directly from nature,
and Dickens indeed might have answered,
rs Sam did Justice Stareleigh, 81 rayther
think it's my fatherl" Sam was threaten
ed with commttal if he did not point his
parent out. But every one can point to
Mr.. John Dickens, member of the gal
lery," as the original of this sketch.
1t used to be said that Mr.. Micawber was
a caricature much overdrawn, not resem
bling anything we are likely to encounter
in life. The truth is, the portrait was an
exact copy, and, if anything fell rather
short of the original. The delightful por-
ton of him was not his odd, fantastic
speeches and quaint formulas so much as
the character, exhibited chiefly in odd
views of pecuniary transactions, the es
sence being than an obligation could be
satisfied by rotund and flowing phraseol-
ogy, and the setting forth in a stately style
his own indebtedness as though he were
proud of it,
AS a letter writer Mr.. Micawber, we
know, reveled in such Furnishings, and his
most amusing peculiarities were exhibited
when he found himself seated at his desk
In one or two places in his letters Dickens,
the son, has noted "A characteristic speech
or two of his sire, which might have been
appropriately put into the mouth of Mr.
Micawber. These paternal utterances the
son relished hugely and even reveled in.
Messrs. Conway e. Noel, autograph
dealers in Birmingham, have a few relics
of this amusing parsonage. Among these
is fragment of a little burlesque styled
"OThello' written by young Charles for
the Theater Royal back drawing room. Its
date is 1888, so it is fairly claimed to be the
earliest scrap of the novelist's handwriting
in existence He was then 81 years old,
1t is even more interesting from the fact
that Mr. Mcawber, or Mr.. John Dickens,
the sire, took part in the little piece, that
of THE Great Unpaid, who was "discov-
cred at table on opening scene" The
Great Unpaid" was of course the Duke of
Venice, under grotesque conditions;
G. U.-Begin the business
Brab-Rushes in and says "Ruinl Confu-
sion!'D
q. U.-What charge can warrant such a
gross intrusion5
Brab.- Warrant.
q. U.-You're not warranted
In making noise enough to wake the
Tell us Qirst having made proper
bow,
What is the meaning of this precious
Brab.- Ston my daughter.
G. U.-Who has done this?
| Brab.- O'Thello.
&. U.-Cal the man in and command
silence.
What you say, sir, in your own
defenseY
Music. wait till he comes in and music
stops.)
Mr.. Dickens, ST., presented this scrap to
a friend, one Mr.. Hayden, in the year 1872
indorsing it with much solemnity, This
page is from an unpublished travestie
written by Mr. Charles Dickens for private
performance in his own family Cls33), and
it is in his own handwriting. The Great
Unpaid was your humble servant, John
Dickens, Alptington, June, 1872"
have never hitherto seen a letter of the
real John Dickens to put beside one of the
racy epistles given in the novels. BY Il
rare chance, however, one of these docu
! ments lately came into my possession
Nothing more characterised, as Ella
has it, could be desired, and | am certain
that all lovers of Boz" will welcome with
pleasure the epistolary specimen of this
choice character:
"a EDWARDS STREET, PoRTMAN SQUARE,
IA February, 1887. I
| GENTIEMEN-It has occurred to me that at a
moment of some difficulty you may be willing
to extend to your obliging assistance. If
not inconvenient, or inconsistent with your ar
rangements, will you do me the favor to de-
duct the Four Pounds owe you from the in
closed Bill for ego, due 18th April, with fore
shillings, the amount of the interest, and let
) me have the balance, :fl5 lbs? DO not suppose
| ask this on any other footing than that of an
act of obligation conferred on me, and assure
, you, though small in amount its effects on me
, are matters of grave consideration, because
anything that should occasion my absence
from my duties in the Gallery would be pro-
ductive of fatal effects
You may consider it an intrusion that i
, should apply to you in moment of difficulty,
and | feel it to be so; but, recollecting how
: your interests are bound up with those of my
son, fatter myself if you can confer favor
t upon the father without transgressing any
I | rule that you have laid down, and without in
, | convenience, you may feel disposed to do SO.
: do not enhance it when l say that the IA
vor, though small in amount, yet under the
1 circumstances would be signal obligation con-
ferred on, gentlemen, your obliged and obe-
dent servant, JOHN DICKENS
Messrs. Chapman and Hall.
This is richly characteristic production
. and has the true Micawberian flavor. There
l is nothing better in the novel than the pro
posal of the bill The writer, it will be
Q seen, owes the firm ga, and he asks them tc
8 ''do him the favor" to deduct this sum
r from the rather problematic bill, and ther
;. what is the point of the whole-"let him
have the balance, els los" a delightful
method OF ulscnafglnS ms ueDt ana incur
ring a new and more substantial one "A
moment of some difficulty" which woult
It have fatal effects" are equally character
2 istic Notable, too, is the hint as to tn,
!, paper in question not being likely "to b,
r met" or taken up''-for he throws GU
n that it is IAN act of obligation conferred OF
n me-" as well as the more significant him
a that their Interests are bound up will
: those of my SON" This seems to have haC
= its effect, for we find the infinitely calcu
y lated interest on the bill-"fore shillings'
II ALTERED in another hand and in "A diiTeren
Il ink to ''3s. 4d."
y A pleasant touch is the iteration of Tia
9 point of Inconvenience to themselves" a
l. though this We're the only objection tina
r, could reasonably be presented by the firm
)r who would otherwise, ihe assumed, be cage
/, to honor his paper. The displayed fouris
10 at the close-''signal obligation conferr>.