The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-10-05
CONDENSED
CLASSICS
~
THE OLD
CURIOSITY SHOP
~
B, CHARLES DICKENS
p, CHARLES DICKENS

I B, CHARLES DICKENS I
+ Frederick n. Dole, Junior Mas
( ter, Boston Public Latin School
M,.,+:>*******$%*%*****+&
:. q. X. CAesterton's searching study
=, Charles Dickens, he points out what
=. Extraordinary difference there u be-
tveeu the popularity Of Dickens and
80 popularity Of the most eagerly read
E.sIish writer's Of today. People read
. nickens' story elk tlmes, says Mr.
Che,terton, because they know II 10
cell. II they can read q modern popu-
In, novel ak times. 1t In only because
they can forget 1t SIX times.
one reason for this difference II the
vfvtdness with which the people Of
Mekens stand out. There are dozens
~ characters In Dickens whom readers
feel they know better than they do
their most intimate friends. One has
ut to think Of Dick Swiveller or Quilp
then moving past. And there are
ethers in this hook and In all the
.oyels who are 20 familiar that the
mere mention OF their names centuries
them into life. Much ~ we like and
are thrilled by the men and women
who dare and love In the popular
stories Of today, there are none of them
whom we should recognise A. quickly
II We saw them in the street ~ We
would Micawber or Mrs. Camp or Sam
Weller o. a host Of others created more
than half century ago.
1t was the writer's Imagination that
made his characters seem giants when
they are placed beside the characters
Of later men. 1t In this imaGin alton,
"now humorous, now terrible, now
simply Krotesque," that Professor
saintsbury terms '1of . quality which
stands entirely By itself, or In ap-
prsaehed at . distance, and with .
difference, only b. that Of his great
a LITTLE child-the beautiful
~ ~ drawn character sketch of
such one as the Divine Mas
ter so often chose to hold up as mod
81 for his followerstthis Is our hero
me.
Though not yet fourteen years old,
she could look back on better days
gone by. Then her grandfather was
happy and contented and had often
talked of her angel mother. She had
walked with him in the fields beyond
the citys noise, and they had there en-
jcyed many delightful hours.
Now he has changed. He is anxious,
worried, and secretive. He often sends
the child on business to the house of
the hateful dwarf. Quilp. He is away
from home every night, returning Just
Before day. and Is filed with gloom
whenever he comes back. The child
cannot comprehend the reason for this
change.
She tells this to the sympathetic
Mrs. Quilp, while the monster who has
leaned her grandfather money listens
at the door. He has supposed the old
man to be possessed Of great secret
wealth and to be in the way of making
much more money IL only he could be
carried over temporary emergency.
But the child's statements to his wife
made the dwarf suspicious. He inves-
dgated and found Nell's grandfather
had taken his loans to the gaming ia
bic and had lost.
Il am no gambler" cried the old
man hercely, when accused by Quilp.
call heaven to witness that never
played for gain Of mine or love of
play; that at every piece I staked
whispered that orphans name and
called on heaven to bless the venture
which 1t never did,"
He cried out that his winnings would
nave been made from evil men and
would have been spent on q sinless
enlld. Quilp was unmoved by his ap-
peals for further aid. He had a legal
mold on the old mans curiosities and
otner property and brought his lawyer
70 take possession Of the premises.
MI, the servant boy Of Nell's grand
tatner' had angered Quilp by calling
MN names. and the dwarf took re-
ssnse BY telling the old man that Kit
naa Informed Of the gambling.
early one morning, before Quilp
ana MS lawyer awoke, Nell and her
grandfather crept softly out and left
unelr home forever. They had visions
ASAuS uuu COuutIy SCeueS
through which they would journey.
tne Child had learned that she must
oe the leader, and he followed willing
w. She had little money, but they
must depend upon charity when that
was gone.
Inc first day they made long jour-
ues una were given ride by kind
.ountryman. They stayed that night
=. an inn with two Punch and Judy
81. for whom Nell had done
W VI manding. With them they went
" the races the next day, but Nell be-
.aine suspicious Of the men and es-
eaped with her grandfather into the
open country.
yearly exhausted by another long
with they arrived ut school play
ssoutu' The schoolmaster kindly took
t tasin nome, and they stayed there a
'eC uay'' obtaining needed rest.
~, S'itinuing their Journey, they next
a us, WIN travelling wax-figure show,
1nu u Neli SO favorably impressed Mrs.