New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-03

tico; and long columnar lines rise between state
ly windows to the roof. 1t stands back from the
street with an air OF dignifed reserve, and
high stone wall with mimic watch-tower at the
end runs out to the fence-line, with menacing
air, as though to protect the old mansion against
assault from modern innovation and the de-
structive energy Of the Board Of Public Works.
The street Is wide on the border of the Fields
and there Is no lack OF breathing space: and
there IL no reason to believe that this stately
mansion will be removed for many year. This
Is fortunate. for It Is Mr. Tulkinghorn's house.
the centre Of much Of the action Of BLEAK
House"
1t was the house where John Foster lived and
where Dickens was frequent visitor. 1t was
in his friends chambers with their frescoed CELL
!ngs that the novelist read to a select company
his Christmas story. THE Chimes" when Mac
lise made sketch Of the scene. So familiar
was he with the interior Of the house. with its
spacious stairways and lofty chambers that
1t was an easy and congenial task for him to
reproduce II with few touches Of deep color
ing In the pages Of "Bleak House" Half a
century has passed, but 1t Is essentially the
same house. Now as then, ut is let off in sets
Of chambers: land in those shrunken frag-
ments Of its greatness lawyers lie. like maggots
in nuts" One important exception is to be
noted. The painted ceiling OF the chambers Of
Mr.. Tulkinghorn. with "Allegory in Roman
helmet and celestial linen sprawing among
balustrades and pillars, flowers. clouds and big
legged boys" has been replaced with common
place whitewash.
NEMO's GRAVE AMONG PAUPERs.
Half a block toward the Strand opens into
the Fields a short. crooked passage known as
Portsmouth-st., and at the bottom, where Portu-
gal-st runs in is the site Of the little archway
with iron gates and stone STEP where 10 pointed
out to Lady Dedlock the place Of burial Of his
mysterious friend Memo in the paupers' cen,e-
terry. I am aware that this is a matter Of dis
puted Identification. There is an obscure court
behind Drury Lane with an archway, which Is
reported to be the scene Of this tragic incident;
and there was another pauper graveyard east
OF Chancery Lane. which was broken up twenty
years ago and was referred to at the time as
the scene of Lady Dedlock's forlorn end. But
the internal evidence Of the story points un-
erringly to the parish burying ground Of St.
Clement Danes as the real scene Of the pathetic
interview between Lady Dedlock and 10. Log-
cally. II was the cemetery where Hawdon, the
suicide. dying q short distance away in Bishops
Court would have been buried. for 1t was In
the same parish, whereas the graveyards Of St.
Dunstan-in-the-West and St. Mary-le-Strand
(the church where Dickens's parents were mar
ried), were in parishes outside the range Of the
Coroners commitment; and the inherent proba-
bilities Of the case favor the assumption that
this was the spot which the novelist included
In his circle Of action.
The scene Is easily reached from the quaint
church Of st. Clement Danes where Dr. John
son used to sleep out the sermon in his pew in
4 the gallery. short turn across the garden
beside the New Law Courts leads to a high
nisht Of stone steps, and with the first turning
to the left up Portugal-st the angle at the bot.
tom Of Portsmouth-st Is deserted. Kings Col
lego Hospital stands on the site Of the
ioathsome pauper cemetery where Memo Haw-
don was buried. In JOS graphic language,
"among them piles Of bones and close to that
there kitching -winder." The cemetery was con-
demned in the year when Dickens was writing
Bleak House." and the ground where thou
sands OF paupers had been buried was COM
pleteiy spaded up before the story was finished.
The gateway was allowed TO stand for many
years. and it correspondent closely to the de-
scription given Of II by 10 as he swept the
entrance stone with his broom. There Is now
only an empty corner at the bottom of the
street. which leads upward to Mr. Tulking-
horns house.
Cooks Court will be ransacked In vain for a
glimpse Of Mr.. Snagsby's shop. where Mr. Chad
band denounced the irredeemable wickedness of
poor 10: and the Identification OF Mrs Jellaby' q
home is uncertain; but with all the changes OF
half century in the neighborhood Of Chancerv
Lane. the principal scenes of BLEAK House" re-
main within the compass Of a short ramble and