Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-06-08
ONE OF DICKENS CHARACTERS.
The Elder Weller Taken From Life,
Name, "Viddcr" and All.

The Elder Weller Taken From Life,
Name, ''Viddcr" and All.
That Charles Dickens adopted the
uncommon name of Pickwick from that
Of Moses Picllwick, the coach IrCprie-
tor Of Bath, is generally known; for
who will forget Mr. Pickwlck's aston
ishmcnt at the coincidence when Sam
drew his attention to the "magic name
in gilt letters of goodly size" OH the
coach door. or the Indignation of the
faithful servitor: Amt nobody to be
whopped for takin' this ERE liberty,
sir?' But il IS not, says the London
Globe, Of more than local knowledge
that he met the Wellcrs in the flesh.
Lest so strange n discovery should be
found too shocking we hasten to quail
fy it by the admission that the immor-
tai Sam Mt all events owes little to
his prototype Six years ago John
Weller, then aged about seventy, was
living in High street, Ian sdowne, Bath,
n pretty little round featured, red
checked man, like one of Randolph
Caldccott'S pOstboys He was as CHEEKY
as he looked, and his quite unusual
powers Of memory and conversation
were united 10 n pleasant sense of hui
NOR. He was at that time candidate
for st. Johns hospital in the town
where, if he is still alive, it ia possible
that he may be found. He had been
apprenticed successfully as Il jockey
and as n pOstboy, but had exchanged
those stirring situations for the more
sedel:ary one of the coachboX. He
was driver for Il local fyman at a
moderate weekly wage. John was COM
municatiye on the subject of his fam
lily history and charmed to enlarge on
the occasion when the great novelist
crossed its path.
His father. Dan Weller, an Essex
man, was in the coaching line. and
lived OH the west road, with headquar-
tiers ut Bath. He had known his sOr-
rows. for he was n Widower, but he
prOspered in business, and at the eli
max of his fortunes was in charge of
the stables attached TO the York House
hotel, Bath. Here he met his fate.
Tho York House tap was in the hands
Of Il widow. who was reputed TO be n
lady of property. She viewed the man
Of horses with an eye, like Mrs. Wad-
mans salutatory-hc was n personal
tie offer which generally comes from
the other side, but rarely in form so
tcrse and suggestive: Hang up your
hat here, Weller" The hint was taken,
and. to- quote John again, they came
together" for better. or worse. 1t was,
unhappily, for the latter. There had
been hole ia the widows stocking.
She was in daDt. A veil may be drawn
over the c0nnubial chickering's which
cnsucd, though Mr.. Weller, ST., was
indiscreet enough to publish them 'urbi
ct orbi." From the wider sphere there
suddenly dropped into that urban cen
ter a gentleman Of an inquiring turn
Of mind. This was Mr.. Dickens. He
lodged in st. James square, an aristo-
cratic quarter, but 1t was remarked of
him that he went out little into so
ciety. His pleasure seemed to be to
hold converse with coachmen, stable
men and persons of that class. To him
Mr.. Weller, ST., "Ore rotundo," and in
the dialect of his native Essex, dis
closed his griefs, and spoke his mind.
''Viddics, avoid viddies, sir" 1t will
be noticed that the pronunciation is not
that of the parsonage whom, lotwith-
standing his fictitious being, we may
call the real Mr.. Weller. That gentle
man spoke Of ''vidders." John Weller,
on the other hand, contended that he
gave the word as his father used to
utter it; it was one Of the marks, in
his opinion, of his fathers Essex birth
and breeding