The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-01

 The two 'herones," Madeline Bray and Kate Nickleby almost shadowy fig ures with whom the author evidently is acquainted only slightly and who interest him little. Mrs Nickleby, the con trary, Is drawn with exquisite skill.
 Dickens is said to have drawn Mrs. Nickleby from his own mother, as he drew Micawer from his own father. Whatever may be thought of the ehcs of making such use of ones parents, there Is no question of the success of the drawing. Mrs. Dickens is said to have asked her son once If he supposed that there really ever existed such a person as Mrs. Nickleby?'
 The character sketeched in Nicholas Nickleby' are of the 'immortar' sort; but many who have read the book over and over again could not relate offhand the plot of the story
 IA XR. RALPH NIChLEBY, the emi- M nent money lender, was quite 4 right in lamenting the fatal tend ency for getting poor, which was the most distinguishing characteristic of his brother Nicholas. Nicholas lived on the family estate in Devonshire until he went to speculating and lost it. Then he took to his bed and died
 His widow, a slmple-minded lady, took here two children, Nicholas, aged about 19 and Kate, aged about 16, and went to London. There, I knew it!'' said Ralph, when he received the news.
 Knew what?' said Newman Noggs, poking his head into the room from the little closet where he kept books and ad- ded up and multiplied the sums and re- suits of old Ralphs villanies.
 Newman had been a gentleman once; now he was shabby person with red nose and an overwhelming thirst He had begun his downward career by borrow ing money from Ralph Nickleby His last attempt in that line was to ask for one pound. Many thousands of pounds had Newman borrowed of Ralph at usurious interest before, put now being at the end of his rope Ralph could not, of course, lend him the pound He happened to want a clergy, though-a clerk who would work cheap-so Newman Noggs received that office instead of the pound.
 When Newman asked Knew what?' old Ralph replied with some asperty that ''that brother of his down in Devon shire being dead, he. Ralph would be expected to feed a great hearty woman and two growing children" at the same time he intimated to Newman that the matter was no affair of his and he would better wait next time until he was spok- en to- Then in high i'll humor the money lender put on his hat and sought the modest apartments over Miss La Creevy's little miniature shop where his brothers wife had taken refuge with her children.
 Mine was no common loss.' said the widow Nickleby, applying her handker chief after the first words of greeting had passed between her and her brother in-law.
 Tt was no uncommon one, ma'am," re- piled Ralph soury. Husbands die every day"
 And brothers too, it would seem,"
 tAa .Ifr who had supported his mother when she arose to welcome Ralph. Yes, sir and puppies likewise growled the uncle.
 As he looked at Nicholas and the boy looked at him. it was evident that two antpathic natures gazed at each other. Nicholas felt repulsion for his uncle. Ralph felt a growing hatred for his ne- phew Still when Ralph proposed that Nicholas take position which he thought he could procure for him as teacher in MT. Wackford Squeers acad emy, Dotheboys Hall, in Yorkshire, where young gentlemen and young noblemen were educated and generally done for" and when he further offered Kate position in the celebrated Mrs. Mantalinfs dressmaking establishment, the young man though he might have judged his uncle harshly. and wrung the old money-lenders hand in an excess Of joy and gratitude.
 Nicholas, of course, would be away from his mother and sister. This simple family, born and bred in retirement, an1 wholly unacquainted with the world-a conventional phrase which, being inter- preted. often signiheth all the rascals in it-mingled their tears together at the thought of their first separation and then began to build air castles of towering proportions.
 Nicholas castle began to dissolve when he met MT. Wackford Squeers at the tavern whence the coach was to take him down to that eminent educators s Yorkshire establishment. Squeers was not prepossessing. He had but one eye and popular prejudice runs in favor of two The eye he had was greensh in col or and resembled in shape a fanlight over a door. The blank side of his face was much wrinkled and puckered up, which gave him a sinister appearance, especially when he smiled, when 1t bor- dered closely on the vilainous. His hair was fiat and shiny, except where it was brushed straight up from low protud- ing forhead. He was short of stature, rough of voice and coarse of manner, as well as dirty in dress.
 A short sleek man, who "humbly hop ed he was something in the pious line" was driving a bargain with the amiable 6oueers for the education of his two step sons when Nicholas came upon the scene. The chief anxiety of MT. Snawley the pious man, seemed to be that the boys should be of no more bother to him whatever happened to them at the de- Iightfui retreat of Dotheboys Hall
 Old Ralph and Squeers greeted each other in a way that showed that they had done business together before and that. somehow. either by his knowledge of Soueer's methods of education or of his past the money lender had the whip hand of the schoomaster.
 As the coach was about to start New man Noggs made his appearance, and handing a letter to Nicholas, said. Take RAad it Nobody knows That's all