The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-19
The Door-knocking of London.

inC OOOI-NUOChIilS vi GOiiOOits
What souvenir of a great man can COM
pete with the knockers of his door,
door knoeker is to a mans house what
sign is to a shop or tavern. but II Is also
something more. Take, for instance, says
the London Strand the knocker on the
door Of the official residence Of the prime
minister, No. 10 Downing street No less
person than Lord Beaconsfeld once de-
scribed to a friend this particular knocker
as having a marked resemblance TO the
features of mis- political opponent, Glad
stone. There is no knocker in existence.
We may fairly state. that has been hand
led by so many distinguished people as
this one. II only the friends Of Mr.. Glad
stone were enumerated they would make
up long list of illustrious names, and
many prime ministers have resided al the
unpretentious, old-fashioned mansion so
conveniently situated for the house OF
parliament.
The knocker on the door OF Carlyle's
house, Cheyne row. Chelsea. house
which was occupied by him for half
century, is another interesting specimen
Scarcely was the young ex-schoolmaster
and author of '-Sartor Resartis" Well set
tied in his new abode than he began TO
receive callers, who. if not famous then,
have since achieved considerable renown.
Among them was young Mr.. Charles
Dickens then the blushing Boz" who.
with Mrs. Dickens. stepped out OF gor-
geous green hackney coach TO administer
a. knock on the door. having driven all
the way from Doughty street, Brunswick
square. TO pay a call. Foster, Sergeant
Talfourd, Maclise, Macready, Landor,
Leigh Hunt and Thackeray were frequent
knockers during the first decade.
1t is not difficult 10 imagine some youth
ful admirer of Carlyle giving a timid
knock at the door and then wishing that
he had the courage 10 run away from
the house before being ushered into the
presence of the irascible PHILOSOPHER.
Mr.. Alma Tadema's knocker * forbid
ding enough in appearance and holds out
but little promise of the beauties OF that
wonderful house where the artist resides
in St Johns Wood. No doubt it is. like
everything else about his home, from
design by the great painter himself
The most beautiful knocker in this coll
lection, if not the most beautiful in Lon
don, is that of the Duke of Devonshire,
at No. 50 Piccadilly. 1t represents head
OF classic contour set in circular disk.
chiseled with an exquisite border. Now
a few among the Dukes guests have so
far expressed their admiration for this
work of art as 10 desire duplicates for
themselves but it is not known if any
exist, it having been done by the Duke ;
own command from his own designs
1t is to be wished that the Duke would
follow up his artistic success in this par
ticular by designing wall for Devonshire
House to replace the existing hideous
structure.
Dickens door knocker recalls the resi-
dence Of the happy couple who removed
to Doughty street from Furnivafs Inn
shortly after marriage. II was here taat
Charles Dickens the younger was born
and where the author of ''Pickwick'' first
became on terms of friendship with mary
of the brilliant men of letters of his Gay.
The knocker is held in its place by fleur-
de-lis of the same metal, and it was Ser
geant Talfourd who humorously rallied
Dickens on his supposed prediction for
the French. who at that time were in
the midst Of preparing that series OF more
or less revolutionary movements which
preceded the downfall of Louis Philippe
and the ascendency of the third Napo-
leon.
But an older and more characteristic
door knocker may be found we'll within
a mile of Doughty street, still on the door
Of house once inhabited by the great
sage. DR.. Samuel Johnson himself. Sure
~ if any knocker is characteristic of its
owner this one is 1t represents a sturdy
fist clinching a baton from which de-
ponds a bulky wreath of laurel fastened
in the middle of a lions head The wor-
thy doctor. as we are told by Boswell.
carried no key, nor did he permit any
member of his oddly selected household
to possess one. At all times and seasons
the house in Bolt court was inhabited,
on ha
sounded in the ears of the inhabitants Of
the court often enough, and at unseemly
hours, for the sage was not at all scru-
puIous as to what hours ne kept. and
many time would talk irregularly on
at the club until some OF his neighbors
had serious thoughts of rising.
The contemporaries Of the great carica-
turist, George Cruikshank, during a fruit
full period Of his life would gaze not with
out feelings Of emotion on a representa-
ton of the familiar knocker on his house
in the Hampstead road.
It was Clarkson Stanfield who. calling
upon his friend, Cruikshank, one day. had
much ado in making the artists aged
servant aware that a visitor awaited at
the portals. Again and again he knocked.
but in vain; the servants deafness was
proof against the Onslaughts of a Vigor-
Jus II AlOL Hitp4iN 81 A4sltt dbDl iUiU4SfutilI.
At last, losing all patience. he picked up
the foot scraper and was about 10 fmpet-
uOusly hammer away at the panels. when
the caricaturist, hastily throwing up an
upper window sash. recognized and ap-
peased his indignant visitor
you should" remarked Stsnfeld. get
a young servant, or a heavier knocker.
or else build your house IN Turkish fash
ion-that is, without doors"
In every article which deals with the
curioslties of London the name Of Dick
ems must figure largely The last knocker
II our collection Is the most remarkable
one Of all, inasmuch as Dickens derived
his ideal OF ScrOoge in "A Christmas
Carol from its hideous lineaments Look
at the description OF the unamlabls
Scrooge:
OH but ne was a tiKht-fsted hard at
the Erindstone. Scrooge: a squeezing.
wrench!ng. grasping. scraping ciutchinE.
coyetous old sinner Hard and sharp as
flint from which no steel had ever struck
out generous fire; secret. and self-con-
tanned. and solitary as an oyster The
cold within him froze his old features
nipped his pointed nose. shriveled his
cheek stiffened his gait. lie car
ried his own low temperature always
about with him; he iced mis- Office in the
dog days: and didn't thaw 1t one degree
az Christmas