The Red Cloud chief., 1901-07-05

imaefnation-people who became az real
to us as the houses themselves-are in
the process OF demolition, or about 10 be
demolished. and the streets and SQUARE,
frequented by the beings OF Ms fancy
are Being transformed. The world moves.
even In London and improvements are
sweeping away the old literary land.
marks. Even In the rural England. where
all the camp with Nell In English
meadows wandered and lost their way.
a change rapidly Ia taking place.
hut II is In London that the change IN
sreatest. for there new streets and new
buildings will soon take the piace OF the
houses at which American tourists used
TO iook ana say Here liver Sairey damp:
In that other house she watched turn
ana turn about with Betsy Prig by the
sickbsd OF Lewsome. Here lived Little
Nell and down the street the rioters In
"Barnaby Rudge' went. howlfrE. to burn
a church. All the world Knows that
saircy Camp lived I'm Kinsseate street.
High Holborn. next door but one TO the
eelebrated mutton pie shop and directly
opposite to the original cats meat ware
house" The house once occupied by the
estimable Mrs. Camp and her famous
umbrella has stood until now. almost UNI
Altered from tho day when Dickens dis
covered II ana engaged lodgings there for
the chum or Mrs. 'Arris. Now, even an
then. a barber shop occupies the ground
moor. but the successor Of Pom Sweedle-
pipe does not add the setting Of birds to
his other occupations ms Poll did. 9th
crwise 1t remains about the same as u
was whom the precocious Mr.. Bailey as
tonished Mr.. Sweediepipe by asking Their,
for a shave. This house is now about 10
come down to make room for the new
Strand to Holborn venue.
Americans will regret the isappenrnnce
or this landmark OF D~ickens-and more
than the Londoners themselves, who sell
dom appreciate their literary shrincs until
they have been discovered and exploited
by the Americans. The ~well-known case
OF Shakespeare's house In S.ratford-on-
Avon In only one OF many Instances In
which England failed to realize the value
OF her possessions until Americans
aroused her from her apathy. To the
old house In Kingsgate street more and
more American pilgrims nave gone every
year to look up at the window through
which Mrs. Camp first made the acquain-
tance Of Mr.. Pecksnin and Poll Swcedie-
pipes successor has had his business
much increased by visitors from the
new world who wanted to say when they
got home that they had had a Dickens
shave In the house OF Salrey Camp.
But the Kingsgate house Is not the only
one with which the worthy Camp Is as
socated which In shortly to vanish before
the pick and spade OF improving house,
breakers. The Black Bull inn In Hol-
born Is doomed. II was there that Sairey
and Betsey Prig nursed Lewsome. 1t 10
just as II was In sairey's t<ne. and the
"parapet" which was such q source OF
comfort to Mrs. Camp (who anticipated
an easy escape that way In case of fre).
still adorns tho front Of the building. 1t
was In the Black bull that Mrs. Camp so
highly recommended the "cowcumbers'
to her colleague. and the building to-day
IL redolent of the creature-comforts
which. In forms liquid and solid. did 30
much to cheer Mrs. 'Arris' chum through
her vigils. Was 1t there or In the Kings
gate house that Sairey uttered the his
toric injunction to Mrs. Prig: Drink
fair. Betsey! what ever you do. drink
fair!'
Still another Dickens place Is to be de-
molished. This In the Old Curiosity Shop
In Portugal street. 1t is the real shop
without a doubt of which Dickens wrote:
1T was one or those receptacles for old
and curious things which seem to crouch
In odd corners Of this town and to hide
their treasures from the public eye In
jealousy and distrust." II Is now a
wastepaper warehouse but on It's front
It bears the inscription, 1.-The Old Curios-
ity Shop Immortalized by Charles Dick
ems" Dickens came across II In one OF
his rambles about the city, nobody knows
when. perhaps when he was a boy work.
Ing In the backing factory, and often
hungry for want of a meal. At any
rate, when the poor little city waif.
whose father was In the debtors cell. be-
came the great author he hired the house
for the %ccupanc Of Little Nell and her
grandfather. From hat house Qullp
turned them out and thither came Dick
Swiveller, Kit, Goblin and Short. 1t In
a picturesque old shop In just the condi-
ton 1t was when the Dickens folk lived
there, and It takes little imagination to
repeople It with the characters OF the
story to which It CAV. a name. But its
doom has been spoken.
A whole slice OF Dickensland will dis
appear with the blotting out OF Sardinia
street. This queer little thoroughfsre il
associated with the description OF the
Gordon riots In "Barnaby Rudse." Never
at any one time "a so many literary
| landmarks IN IOHuOH DeeH III tUe process
OF destruction or awaiting 1t as now. But
what London will lose In sentiment IL
will gain In substantial street improve
ments. Besides. as Mrs. Camp observed
on the occasion Of another disappear
ance:" ITS what we must all come to.
It's as certain as being born. except that
we can't make our calculations as ex.
act"
The reality of Dickens depends. after
all. very little upon material things.
Everybody has In his imagination an
''Old Curiosity Shop OF his own which
Is more satisfactory, perhaps, than the
real article would be. Frequently when
one has built for himself imaginary
houses and landscapes wherein live and
move the creatures of the novelist's fan
cy 1t 10 a distinct shock to be brought
face to face with the real place-the ono
the novelist had In mind-and find out
how utterly different II Is from his own.
And as To the necessity OF tearing down
these landmarks OF Dickens. why Lon