Evening journal., 1900-03-15
RED LION INN.
Dickens Famous Landmark
70 Be Torn Down.
Nondon correspondenee

(London Correspondence
The rampant red lion in Pa lament
street, which marked the publh house
of that name, at the corner OF l'erbey
street, ramps there no longer. Tn Alion
is gone, and the house itself is GO lg,
and with them goes another of the Wis
ible links with the London of Charles
Dickens. 1t was a memorable Dickens
locality, that corner house Of Ye Old
Red Lion, for It was there that Dickens
himself, when a lad, called for a glass
of 'the very best ale, with a head to
1T He transferred the experiences
connected with that incident to David
Copperield, and to all lovers Of Dick
ems that house, now being destroyed,
had, therefore. a double interest.
1t is told in Forster's Life Of Dick
ems" how all Attempts to avoid going
through the bankruptcy court having
failed, it became necessary for the elder
Dickens TO obtain the benefit Of the
Insolvent Debtors act. Little Charles
-he was at that time a little lad-had
his part to play in the ceremonies
which had to be undertaken; he had
TO appear before the official appraiser
so that his clothes might be seen, one
condition of the statute being that the
wearing apparel and personal matters
retained by the debtor and his family
were not to exceed 500 in value. "And
so" said Charles Dickens himself later
In life, speaking OF the incident, Il had
half holiday TO enable me to call up
on him. recollect his coming out to
look at me, with his mouth full and a
strong smell of beer upon him, and
saying good naturedly that That would
do and 1T was all right Certainly
the hardest creditor would not have
been disposed, even IL he had been
legally entitled, TO avail himself Of my
poor white hat, little jacket or corr
duroy trousers"
All formalities being complete. the
elder Dickens went into the AIarshalsea
the debtors prison, in which so much
of the story of Little Dorrit is laid and
which still stands (the very room oc-
cupied by Mr.. Dickens can still be iden-
tihed)-and the little Charles led that
strange, lonely life which rouses such
intense pity as we read It in David
Copperfeld' and in "Forster's Life
for as we'll known, David Copper
field" was in many respects an actual
transcript Of Dickenss own bitter
youthful experiences. He had no COM
panions of his own age. He strolled
about neglected and alone in the back
streets of the Adelphi or explored its
dark arches. 1t was at this time that
the incident at the Red Lion occurred
which he made use Of in David Cop
perfeld"
Dickens's own account of the incl
dent, in his own words. is thus given in
the second chapter of "Forster's Life:
Il was such a little fellow. with my
poor white hat, little jacket. and cordu-
roy trousers, that frequently when ]
went into the bar OF a strange public
house for a glass OF ale or porter to
wash down the saveloy and the loaf
had eaten in the street they didn't like
20 give il to me. remember one even
ing Q had been somewhere for my
father and was going back to the Dor
ough over Westminster Bridge that
went into a public house in Parliament
street, which is still there though al
tered, at the corner OF the short street
leading into Cannon row, and said tC
the landlord behind the bar. What is
your very best-the very best-ale a
glass7" For the occasion was a fes-
tive one for some reason--I forget why
II may have been my birthday ol
somebody else's. 'Twopence,' says he
Then says I, Just draw me glass oi