The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-03
1912 -Fsb.Z-l912

1OkA AGS1l
When Charles Dickens began THE Per
sonal History OF David coppertl l..l,,
bers from 1S49 to 1850, there grew uhueI
his wonderful hand enough characters 10
make many books To say that the rs rs.
IRE of Wilkins AIicawber towers lar
above the rest in a story that contains
the Peggottys, Little Emily, Dora, 1Sidh
Heep, Steerfo-th, Traddles and Betsy
T,rotWoOd, is a suggestion or the SIede-
ness of this extraordinary creation AS
the novel progresses. MI Nilc1W Pc
grows until it is at last, not as II ciLsaa 10
Ticl<enss were inventing Mr. MlcaWDef,
but as II Mr. Nicawber We're cnallehSlll5
charles Dickens to depict him Hopeless
" hopeful, contemplating ms own M ~ q
and mental grandeur with innocent, "
1Iehtf4ll worship, dissipated, borroWlhS.
teanring. he stands, eternaily allNS .,,. a.,
eternally magnificent cavalier OF shllli rs
1nisfortine: and Mrs. Micawber STANDS py
his side hardly as second chalAc -.
7,tIt as his complement the Two are o5 ~,
Old in sordid things, they are spienSIulS
Young with hope Iney are SAille-. -
-~o775e5-fIII great children, to whom every
thing is real the moment II - ON G -
And so, as we live with lnelh anu 49, 49,
a. their s,Idacious absurdity, we grow
~ love them hardly knowing why, IN
Ne realize that it is this; that tnes
s,ossess that childhood immortality 'iis'1
most of US lose with Its years ..
Mr. AFicawber long has been a IaNorltes
,-itation Tor those who hold that DICKENS
characters are eXtravagant- II lIeLs =
+a1rTTr
.,- 20 the writer that the eNtraNd
ga1re IS only in the eXtravagance OF
Genius that he lavished on nun, Al ~ a.. "
e. 4s a marvellous object, reared m, IN
.os-tzI,-a1 HE in a market place OF per1shlus
4l15neS to astound and delight US @s II
7s+o95nded and delighted those VINO saS
A. reared and as it Will astouiiu AAAu -
light those who come AFTER US
on the day when David Copperfleld
began his duties in the VINE ware
house Of Murdstone & GrlnDy III L .1ll
dor he was introduced to a stoutlsn'
,1oidSlle-aaed person in a brown surI-
out and black tights and SHOES, WIZ
no more hair upon his head (Wnlcn
was a large one and very sLl1nA-s
than there is upon an egg. HIS race was
I-e7-1- extensive and bore a certain IN
6escriba BILE expression as OF DelHS
about to say something very Sen1eel.
This was Mr.. Micawber
He carried jaunty SUCK WIN
large pair of rusty tasSels on II, ana
on the outside of his coat hung a
large eyeglass. purely for erect, as ne
looked through it very rarely ana coulu
not possibly see anything Wheh ne oiu-
Though his clothes We're Nastiy
aha bx- he wore a magnificent SHIRT
collar that made an overpoWerlng ell
feet on the behoIder, especially When
he settled his chin in it, as ne uid
whenever he had something more man ~
usually condescending or impressive TO
Mr.. Micawber explained that he was
willing to receive the young beslililsi
whom he now had the pleasure TO pc
hold as an inmate OF MS ooihlche' II
short as a lOdger-
Mr. Micawber's house in Windsor
Terrace. shabby like himself and hhe
himself, making all the show IL coulu,
had the blinds down on the flrst Ilooi
in order to deIude the neighoOrS, that
floor being entirely unfurnished- mrs
NIicawber, a thin and faded lady, was
sitting in the parlor with papy q ~
her breast This baby was one OIL
twins: and nobody ever saw both the
twins detached from Mrs. Micawber
at the same time One OF them always
was taking refreshment. Two other
children Master and Miss MlcaWber,
conDleted the establishment, with a
dark young woman who had hablt
of snorting and acted as servant 70 the
family. being, as she explained, an
s.orfIing from st. Luke's work House.
Mrs Micawber welcomed Master
Copperfield with the sorrowful state
ment that when she lived with papa
and mamma she never expected TO
take a ledger, but, sad sne p[sNe-
". Mr.. Micawber being in difficulties
ali considerations of private char-
acter must give way
Poor Mrs. Micawber had tried TO
exert herself The center of the street
door was quite covered by a great
brass plate on which was engraved
Mrs. NicaWber's Boarding taStapllsH-
ment for Young Ladies' But no youhS
Iadv ever had been to school there,
nor had the least preparation ever
been made to receive any young Iady-
The only visitors were creditors, some
quite ferocious. At these tunes MT
Mieawber would be transported VIZ ~
grief and modification. even to the
length of making motions at hlmsell
with a razor; but within halt an hour
he would polish his shoes with extra
ordinary pains and go out hummlng
time with an air of greater gentli1ty
than ever
Something Unpleasant Turns Up.
saturday nights were Mr.. Micaw-
hers most difficult times. Then he
would engage in heartrendlng conn
dences. accusing himself so bitterly
that he sobbed; but, happily, though
he might contemplate salf-annihila-
ton at the beginning of one or THESE
confessions. he was fairly certain e
sing a merry song toward the emu OF
n He might arrive home with tears
flooding his fine face, and with the
declaration that nothing was le1t bul
a iail and he would go to BED max
ing a calculation of the expense o.
putting bow windows to the mouse II
case anything turned up, lne nopt -, -
something turning up being one ina
sustained Mr.. and Mrs MlcaWoel
through all afflictions-
So little turned up, however, ina
feasDoons. two salt spoons and pail
of sugar tongs) had been pawned
and even Mr.. Micawber's library G
few books on a little chiffonier) had
gone to a second hand shop, Mr. MI
caxrIer was arrested and carried u
the kings Bench prison, announc
ing to the world that the God of Da!
had now gone down on him. but be
ing able to recover his courage SUI
ficientlv to play a very lively game o
sI<ifflss before noon and to give a yer.
pleasant little dinner as sort o
ioint-stock repast with some othe