The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1916-07-06
Charles Dickens and His
Boys
Continued from first page)

Joe, the Fat Boy of the Pickwick Papers.
His master, NJ. Wardle, is always COM
planning of Joe, bu, how plainly Dickens
makes us see that Mr. Wardle is proud of
possessing such prodigy of fairness and
sleepiness.
''Now Joe, the fowls!" But Joe is
asleep, and it requires sundry taps on the
head to awaken him. "Come, hand in the
eatable''
"There was something in the sound of
the last word which reused the unctuous
boy. He jumped up; and the leaden eyes,
which twinklei behind his mountainous
cheeks, feared horribly upon the food as
he unpacked it from the basket.
"Now, make haste" said Mr.. Wardle;
for the fat boy was hanging fondly over
capon, which he seemed wholly unable to
part with. The boy sighed deeply, and,
bestowing an ardent gaze upon its plump
ness; unwillingly consigned it to his master.
This little incident is a good illustration of
the habit Dickens had of taking some
striking personal characteristic and making
it always prominent wherever that charac-
ter appears in the story.
Another funny boy is Sloppy, in "Our
Mutual Friend" He turns the mangle
for old Betty Higden, who took him from
the poorhouse, and looks after the
"Minders,' who were little children in
Betty Higden's care. Zone of those sham
bling male, human creatures, born to be in
discreetly candid in the revelation of but
tons; every button he had about him glar-
ing at the public to quite preternatural ex-
tent. Tullprivate Number One in the
Awkward Squad of life was Sloppy, and yet
had his glimmering notions of standing
true to the colors." Sloppy is hardly dig
nihed by real name, and yet one of the
prettiest scenes in the whole book is the one
between Sloppy and Jenny Wren, the little
dolls dressmaker, when Sloppy goes after
''little Miss Harmonses' doll. when Jenny
hops around on her clutches, ''Hoppetty,
klcketty, Peg peg" and Sloppy de-
clares she doesn't seem to need the crutch
hardly at all, ''for there was an instructive
delicacy behind his buttons.
But the boy of all boys in the writings of
Charles Dickens is David Copperfeld.
The novel by that title is his masterpiece,
and we know now that the story of David
boy hood is almost literally the story of the
Dickens himself We see him crushed and
abused by Mr.. Murdstone, his stepfather;
we see him at the villainous school of Mr..
Creakle, the master "who had delight in
cutting at the boys, which was like the
see him in the dirty warehouse of Murd-
stone and Grinky, washing out empty bot
ties and FASTING labels on them when filled;
we are glad when he decides to run away,
and we go with him all the way from Lon
don to Dover, until hungry, penniless, fool
sore and exhausted he stumbles into the
house of his aunt, Betsey Trotwood. Then
we eagerly follow his new course of life,
his happy school days at Doctor Strong's
and all the steps by which he travels into
noble and successful manhood. "Of all
my books" Dickens wrote 81 like this
the best. Like many fond parents, l have
in my heart of hearts favorite child, and
his name is David Copper6ed.' -
The name of Charles Dickens is never
forgotten. New editions of his works are
being issued, whose sales will be added to
the millions of copies already disposed of.
1t is more than seventy-fve years since he
began to write, more than forty since he
died; yet his books sell almost as steadily as
the Bible, and their influence is always to
cheer, to inspire with hope, sympathy and
brotherhood and as such they will! be
storehouse of good things for many gen.
J erations.-Ex.