The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-23
I Charles Dickens IM

est and the most thoughtful person in the
world. Before they had been there two
days they felt9as II they had known him
all their lives.
Bleak House was building where one
went up and down steps from one room
to another, and where there we're always
more rooms when one thought he had seen
them all. In the day tlmo there was horse
back or walking to nmuse them, and In
the evening Ada often sang and played
toSthe rest. Altogether the time flew By
most pleasantly, and Judging by Mr..
Jarndycc's jolllty. the wind seldom show
ed any sign OF coming from the east.
Il 1t was soon clear to everybody that
Richard was In love with Ada and that
Ada herself was beginning to love him
In return. This pleased Mr.. Jarndyce,
for he was fond of both. But he WAS
fondest OF all Of Esther. He made her
his Ifousekceper. and she. carried a big
bunch OF keys and kept the house as
clean as new pin. He used to say she
reminded him OF
Little old woman, and whittier so high? r
i TO sweep the cobwebs out OF the SKY.
She was 80 cheerful, he said, she would
sweep the cobwebs out OF anybody VS. sky.
And from this they took to calling her
Little Old Woman and e Cobweb'' and
Mother Hubbard. !" till none Of them
& thought OF her real name at all. II 4
Bleak House had q nun1be of visitors,
\ who came with more or less frequency
I One Of these was an old school friend OF
Mr.. Jarndyce, named Boythorn: He was
a big. clustering man. with a laugh as
big as himself. Wherever he went he
carried a tiny tame canary. that used to-
sit at 1ncaltimc. perched on the top OF
his great shaggy head. It was an odd
sight to see this wee bird sitting there,
aur@fraid. even at one. OF his "ha-h a has. III
4 that shook the whole house. Mr. Boy
thorn was immensely tender-tcarted, but
took delight In pretending to be the
9stubbornest.! most cross-grained, worst
tempered individual spossble. His neigh
Dor was Sir Leicester Dedlock. a dignihed
and proud old baronet, and him Mr.. Boy
thorn loved to keep in perpetual anger
by bringing against him all manner OF
lawsuits regarding the boundary between
their land. # IN
Another visitor whom Esther found
amusing was Harold Skimpole. a light
bright creature. OF charming manners
with a large head and full OF simple gay
ETY.. He was a man who seemed to trife
with everything. lie sang little. COM
posed a little and sketched a little. But
his songs were never completed and his
sketches never finished, Ills aim In life
seemed to be to avoid all responsibility
and to ind someone else to pay his debts.
He always spoke Of himself as a child.
though he was niddle-aged. He claimed
to have no idea whatever of the value
1 OF money. He would take handful OF
coins from his pocket and say, laughing:
Now there's some money. I have no
idea how much: l don't know how to
count 1t. ! dare saytI owe more than
that. II good-natured people don't stop
letting me owe them, why should II?
There you have Harold Skimpole." Mr.
Jarndyce was too honest and innocent
himself to SEQ through the mans hollow
$selfishness. and was continually paying
his debts. MS they soon learned
But most OF all the houses vlsitor.
Esther came to like Allan Woodcourt. a
handsome. dark-haircd young surgeon,
and before long she found herself @un-S
consciously looking and longing for his
coming. yYoodcourt was poor however
and although he was in love with Es-s
ether he did not tell her, but soon sailed
away on a long voyage as ships doc
tor. 5ia55igjs4 49, 3t5j ss