The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29


 however, will induce those who have not read that first great work of Dickens If any such there be-to do SO every word of it. Dickens wrote "Piekwick Papers when he was only 25 and by its publiea- tion obtained at once to fame. In it he showed for the first time his marvellous power of character drawing and in it for the first time the English middle class was exploited for literary purposes, an exploitation which Dickens continued to the end and in which he had at once many imtators and has had ever since many followers. The names of Sam Well Ter, the elder Weller, Alfred Jingle, Mr. Pickwick himself and many others of the characters in the book are now familiar on our lips as household words and their sayings have passed into proverbs. TT was a great day for the Pickwiek
 club when it dispatched its founder 1 and perpetual president, Samuel Pickwick Esq. upon tour of investiga- ton through the districts lying within easy coaching distance of London. The Piekwick club was a scientific society and MT. Pickwick was a scientist, as every one knows who has read, and every one of scientific attachments has read, the mass of pamphlets published in the great controversy which arose between the Pickwiekians and other scientifh societies, foreign and domestic, over MT. Piekwick's celebrated Theory of Tit tiebats,' as well as the agitation of the scientific world upon the same gentle- mans Discovery of the Source of Hamp- stead Ponds"
 MT Pickwick was short rotund bald headed, elderly gentleman with kind heart and a somewhat irascihle temper. He was a retired merchant of independ- ent means and dwelt in lodgings kept by the Widow Bardell in the retired precincts of Boswell street. Three friends accom- panied the eminent scientist upon his travels and adventures. There was MT. Tracy Tupman, younger than his chief, but not so very young; Mr. Augustus Snodgrass and MT. Nathaniel Wrinkle, both younger than MT. Tupman. MT. Snodgrass was rather lean and wrote poetry; Mir. Wrinkle was rather lean and professed to be considerable of sports man; MT. Tupman was short, excessively fet and excessively susceptible to female charms All were filled with devotion to their illustrious leader.
 Ordinary people have been known to take a cab to the Golden Cross inn with out adventure But MT. Pickwick was not an ordinary man. His thirst for knowledge prompted him to make in quiries of the cabman concerning his horse and his accurate mind inspired him to make notes of the replies. How old is that horse?' asked MT. Piclwick. "Forty-two,n replied the eabman. How long do you keep him out at a time?" Two or three weeks. He lives at Pen tonville ven he is at ome,' said the cabby, but We seldom take him there on account of his weakness. He always falls down ven we take him out of the cab, but ven he is in we einehes him up tight so he can't fall down and we has werry big wheels which runs arter him so he has to go' "Wonderful' said MT. Pickwick, iotting it down.
 But when they stopped at the Golden Cross, where MT. Pickwick and his friends were to take coach to Rochester and the man was handed his fare there was a scene. The man threw the money on the ground. danced about in most astonishing manner, declared that MT Pickwick had taken his number,' invited him to ''come on,' knocked his hat off, tapped him on the nose and collected sympathizing crowd against which the three other PickWickians, who rushed out of the inn to their leaders assistance, ware nm ble tn nlaIya beadWaV
 But a tall spare man shabbily dressed elbowed his way through the crowd asked, Whats the fun?' and then. push ing MT. Pfckwicl toward the inn door said sharply, Here No 924-take your fare-no nonsense-resp pectable gentleman know him well-be off-brace up-never say die-damned rascals." Talking in this disjointed manner with great volatility he had the illustrious scientist and his followers safe inside the Golden Cross and was comfortably seated with the party ordering drinks at MT. Piekwicks s expense before that worthy had fairly recovered his breath,
 The stranger, who wore a remarkably faded and short-sleeved olive green coat closely buttoned up. evidently to conceal the absence of linen, was MT. Alfred Jingle, also bound to Rochester. AS the coach drove under the arch out of the inn yard MT. Jingle said, Look out-take care heads-terrible place-dangerous- lady other day-tall lady-eating sand wiches-forgot ch-crash-bang-head off sandwich in hand-no mouth to put 1t in" MT. Pickwick made notes.
 There was an assembly ball at Roches ter and MT. Tupman, learning that the female beauty of the place was to be there assembled, wanted to go But his fellow Pckwickians had dined not wisely, but too well, and went to bed early "Horrid situation said Jingle. Hike to go my self-luggage gone astray-no dress suit" Tupman abstracted MT Wrinkles dress suit from that gentlemans room and loaned it to the stranger. When the ball was over he put it carefully back again.
 But Jingle had managed to get into row with a peppery little doctor belonging to the garrison. The buttons of MT. Wrinkles dress suit had the mystic let tsrs F. c. Pickwick Club on them, and with this as a clue to the identity of his fnsuter, the doctor challenged MT. Wrinkle to mortal combat early in the morning s'Good heavens" thought MT. Wrinkle, s.did I really go to that ball last night? know I was slightly-slightly-I don't