Rocky Ford enterprise., 1905-08-25
Home of DR.. Manette
Especial correspoadenee.)

There have been many books writ
ten upon Dickens London. the London
which Is so rapidly vanishing away.
and many Dickens localities have been
satisfactorily identified and described
by the authors. But there seems al
ways TO have been doubt as TO the
exact situation of one of the most In.
terestins Of all the houses Inhabited
by the characters OF the master-the
quiet lodgings OF DIR. Mnnettc. that
wonderfully pathetic hgurc In the
Tale OF Two Cities" Recently one OF
the parish magazines OF the metropolis
came out with the following state
ment:
Charles Dickens In his Tale OF Two
Cities describes Manette street. with
its quaint soldbeaicr's arm projecting
from shop on the south side. We aEe
sorry to learn from Mr. Dickson. who
has beaten out gold leaf In the odd
pancicd shop for no less than forty.
Ave years. that foreign competition
has % reduced business that he Is
compelled to retire from II. II Is with
much regret that We have to record
Now. Dickens does not describe
Manette s,reet-Rosc street. In his
tlme-ln the Tale OF Two Cities" nor
does he speak OF tho arm-tha gold
bcatcr's sign-as projecting from a
shop. II was with view TO throw
some light upon the situation OF DR..
Manctte's London residence that m
artist and writer set forth on the
quest. with tho result here chrouiclcd
by pen and pencil.
Here IL what Dickens wrote:
-Thc quiet lodgings OF DIR. Manct;c
were In a quiet street corner not far
from Soho Square. a quaintcr
corner than the corner where tho doc.
tor lived was not to bc found In Lon.
don. There was no way through II.
and the front windows OF the doctors
lodgings commanded pleasant little
vista of street that had n congeniai
air OF retirement on II. The
summer light struck into tho corner
brilliantly In the earlier part OF the
day. but when the streets grew hot
the corner was In shadow. though not
In shadow so remote but that you
brightness. II was n cool spot. stnid
but cheerful. wonderful place for
echoes. and very harbor from the
raging streets. The doctor
occupied two floors OF large. still
house. where several calilugs purport.
ed to be pursued by day. In
building at the back. attainable by
a courtyard. where plane tree rus
tied its green leaves, church organs
-laimed to be made and silver TO be
chased. and likewise gold to be beaten
by some mysterious giant who had a
golden arm starting out of the wall OF
the front hall. Occasionally n
stray workman putting his coat on
traversed the hall, or n stranger peered
about there. or distant clink was
heard across the courtyard. or n thump
from the golden giant. These. how.
ever. were only the exceptions re.
quired to prove the rule that the spar
rows in the plane tree behind the
house and the echoes In the corne,
before 1t had their own way from Sun.
day morning unto Saturday night.
tBook H.. Chapter 6).
The Golden Arm.
And further on (Book H.. Chapter
17) the golden arm is again referred to
when Lucie Manette and Charles Dar-
nay leave the house on their wedding
day, and the doctor and Mr.. Lorry and
Miss Pross see them off:
"The corner being out of the way of
the idle and curious, and the prepara-
tions having been very simple and
few, the doctor. Mr.. Lorry and Miss
Pross were left quite alone. 1t was
wher they turned into the welcome
shade of the cool old hall that Mr..
Lorry observed n great change to have