The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

forrn. At night he sat on his bed while the boys gathered around him, with Steerforth as leader of ceremonies and told them the stories he had read dur ing his lonely childh ood. Then came the holidays, and David Copperfield went home to find a little stranger there who was introduced to him as his baby brother, and whom David was permitted to admire from a distance under the grim eyes of Miss Murdstone who counted the days of his vacation time ostentatiously, showing intense re- lief when she was able to check off the last day on her calendar.
 As the carriers cart took him away he heard his mother calling. She stood at the garden gate alone, holding her baby up in her arms for him to see.
 So he lost her. So he ever saw her afterward-looking at him with the same intent face. holding up her baby in her arms for the little mother and the little brother died before David's next term was ended.
 Very soon afterward David, taken out of school, was sent by MT. Murdstone to wine wareh ouse in London, where he had an interest. There he was set to work washing bottles, to begin the world on his own account. On the evening of the first day he was intro duced to gentleman in brown sur tout, whose extremely large bald head arose like shining egg out of most imposing shirt collar. This was MT. Micawber, with whom he was to lodge.
 MT. Micawber's house was shabby, but made all the show 1t could like MT. Micawber himself. MT. and Mrs. Micawber, with the twins and Master and Miss Micawber, took David into the family at once, and Mrs. Micawber appealed to him, quite as to an equal in, o11 in the daily pecuniary difficulties amid which MT. Micawber was involved.
 These difficulties were so dire that MT. Micawber often came home in a flood of tears, declaring that nothing was now left but jail--a bitter state of despondency which was happily re- lieved before bed time by a plan for putting windows to the house in case anything turned up.
 At last Mrs. Micawber's daily pro- phecy that MT. Micawber's affairs were reaching a crisis was proved true by MT. Micawber's imprisonment for debt in the Kings Bench prison. And Mrs. Micawber, after the first transports of grief, removed thither with the family, vowing that she would never. never desert MT. Micawber There af- ter weeping bitterly, the reunited fam fly settled down to an agreeable ex- istence, enhanced by enthusiasm over a petition to Parliament praying for an alteration in the law of imprison- ment for debt, which MT. Micawber began to draw up at once.
 David lodged near the prison now, for with the exception of the Micaw- bers, he had no friend. His days pass ed by in leaden misery, spent in the squalid, black warehouse, amid ignor- ant, brutalized creatures, laboring like himself for a starvation wage, drudg- ing without hope, living without gleam of joy. His days at home seem ed but dream. He dared not think about Steerforth, dreading even to im- agine what that hero of his past would say were he to see him now.
 Then at last came a day when Mir. Micawber's creditors released him, and he decided to leave London and exert his talents in the country. According ly, the family started for Plymouth, so that MT. Micawber might be on the spot in case anything turned up.
 Bereft of these poor friends, David Copperfield decided to run away and seek out an aunt whom he had never seen and of whom he knew only that her name was Betsy Trotwood and that she lived near Dover. With half guinea sent him by his old faithful nurse, Peggotty, he trudged away. Robbed on the road, starving, sleep ing in bushes and open fields, the tiny figure toiled along dusty highways until at last with ragged shoes and tattered clothes he reached neat cot tage with cheerful bow windows and met Miss Betsy Trotwood stalking about in her agrden.
 When he walked up to this tall, hard featured, infiexible, handsome la dy and announced that he was her ne- phew, she sat fiat down on the garden 4xx .okn ion n a markable posture listened to his story. Then she sent for MT. Dick, most ex- traordinary old gentleman. whose only trouble was that he could not keep King Charless head out of memo rial that he had been writing for years.
 What shall I do with this boy?" de- manded Miss Betsy. Come! l want some very sound advice"
 "Why, if I was you" said MT. Dick, considering deeply, T should---I should wash him."
 With this triumphant solution of great difficulty David Copperfield was ush cred into a new life-new even in name, for his aunt promptly changed his name to Trotwood Copperfield. He went back to school life again, the life for which he had longed so pas sionately during the dreary, endless, hopeless days in the warehouse. But if was a different school this time in Canterbury, belonging to a ripe old sch olar. Dr. Strong. And there being no board to be had there, he was put to board in the fine old house of MT. Wickfield Betsy Trotwood's legal ad- wiser and the manager of her prop erty
 Now there began a beautiful period for him. All the more beautiful for tho contrast with the past. The house. hold of MT. Wickfield, who was wid- over, was conducted by his daughter, Agnes, a girl of David's age. Bright. happy and beautiful, with tranquil litv- about her face and about her-a ouiet good, calm spirit-she came to exercise over David Copperfield an in fiuence that made him feel that good ness. peace and truth were wherever Agnes was. He went to her with all his perplexities and his hopes-first about his lessons and later about his love for Miss Shepherd, whom he ador- ed. and the eldest Miss Larkins. who nearly broke his heart.
 one day Agnes warned him against Steerforth. wh om he had found again. falling under his delightful over-mas- terinr spell even moro helplessly and lovalIv than in the old, gone school days. "He Is your bad angel. Trot- wood" said Agnes.
 Tn that moment, while she spoke, steerforth's radiant, splendid image seemed to dark en in David's mind; but th e,, a passionate sense of fidelity and love overswept the disloyal feeling. and bs burst forth into a rapt defense of hs. hero. So traitorous did that mo-