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  Now,supposesix-feet-twoconqueror,andfive-feet-eightbeaten;

  wouldSayershavebeenawhitthelessgallantandmeritorious?IfSanchohadbeenallowedREALLYtoreigninBarataria,Imakenodoubtthat,withhisgoodsenseandkindnessofheart,hewouldhavedevisedsomemeansofrewardingthebravevanquished,aswellasthebravevictorsintheBaratarianarmy,andthatachampionwhohadfoughtagoodfightwouldhavebeenaknightofKingDonSancho\'sorders,whatevertheupshotofthecombathadbeen。SupposeWellingtonoverwhelmedontheplateauofMontSt。John;supposeWashingtonattackedandbeatenatValleyForge——andeithersuppositionisquiteeasy——andwhatbecomesoftheheroes?Theywouldhavebeenasbrave,honest,heroic,wise;buttheirglory,wherewouldithavebeen?Shouldwehavehadtheirportraitshanginginourchambers?havebeenfamiliarwiththeirhistories?

  haveponderedovertheirletters,commonlives,anddailysayings?

  Thereisnotonlymerit,butluckwhichgoestomakingaherooutofagentleman。Mind,pleaseyou,Iamnotsayingthattheheroisafterallnotsoveryheroic;andhavenottheleastdesiretogrudgehimhismeritbecauseofhisgoodfortune。

  HaveyouanyideawhitherthisRoundaboutEssayonsomelategreatvictoriesistending?DoyousupposethatbythosewordsImeanTrenton,Brandywine,Salamanca,Vittoria,andsoforth?ByagreatvictoryIcan\'tmeanthataffairatFarnham,foritwasadrawnfight。Where,then,arethevictories,pray,andwhenarewecomingtothem?

  Mygoodsir,youwillperceivethatinthisNicaeandiscourseIhaveonlyasyetadvancedasfarasthis——thatahero,whetherhewinsorloses,isahero;andthatifafellowwillbutbehonestandcourageous,anddohisbest,weareforpayingallhonortohim。

  Furthermore,ithasbeenassertedthatFortunehasagooddealtodowiththemakingofheroes;andthushintedfortheconsolationofthosewhodon\'thappentobeengagedinanystupendousvictories,that,hadopportunitysoserved,theymighthavebeenheroestoo。

  Ifyouarenot,friend,itisnotyourfault,whilstIdon\'twishtodetractfromanygentleman\'sreputationwhois。There。Myworstenemycan\'ttakeobjectiontothat。Thepointmighthavebeenputmorebrieflyperhaps;but,ifyouplease,wewillnotarguethatquestion。

  Well,then。ThevictorieswhichIwishespeciallytocommemorateinthispaper,arethesixgreat,complete,prodigious,andundeniablevictories,achievedbythecorpswhichtheeditoroftheCornhillMagazinehasthehonortocommand。WhenIseemedtospeakdisparaginglybutnowofgenerals,itwasthatchiefIhadinmyI

  ifyouwillpermitmetheexpression。Iwishedhimnottobeelatedbytoomuchprosperity;Iwarnedhimagainstassumingheroicimperatorialairs,andcockinghislaurelstoojauntilyoverhisear。Iwashisconscience,andstoodonthesplash-boardofhistriumph-car,whispering,“Hominemmementote。”Aswerolledalongtheway,andpassedtheweathercocksonthetemples,IsalutedthesymbolofthegoddessFortunewithareverentawe。“Wehavedoneourlittleendeavor,“Isaid,bowingmyhead,“andmortalscandonomore。Butwemighthavefoughtbravelyandnotwon。Wemighthavecastthecoin,calling,\'Head,\'andlo!Tailmighthavecomeuppermost。”OthouRulerofVictories!——thouAwarderofFame!——thouGiverofCrownsandshillings——ifthouhastsmileduponus,shallwenotbethankful?ThereisaSaturninephilosopher,standingatthedoorofhisbook-shop,who,Ifancy,hasapooh-poohexpressionasthetriumphpasses。Ican\'tseequiteclearlyforthelaurels,whichhavefallendownovermynose。Onehandisreininginthetwowhiteelephantsthatdrawthecar;Iraisetheotherhandupto——

  tothelaurels,andpasson,wavinghimagracefulrecognition。UptheHillofLudgate——aroundthePaulineSquare——bythesideofChepe——untilitreachesourownHillofCorn——theprocessionpasses。

  TheImperatorisbowingtothepeople;thecaptainsofthelegionsareridingroundthecar,theirgallantmindsstruckbythethought,“Havewenotfoughtaswellasyonderfellow,swaggeringinthechariot,andarewenotasgoodashe?“Granted,withallmyheart,mydearlads。Whenyourconsulshiparrives,mayyoubeasfortunate。Whenthesehands,nowgrowingold,shalllaydownswordandtruncheon,mayyoumountthecar,andridetothetempleofJupiter。Beyoursthelaurelthen。Nequememyrtusdedecet,lookingcosilydownfromthearborwhereIsitunderthearchedvine。

  IfancytheImperatorstandingonthestepsofthetempleerectedbyTitusontheMonsFrumentarius,andaddressingthecitizens:

  “Quirites!“hesays,“inourcampaignofsixmonths,wehavebeenengagedsixtimes,andineachactionhavetakennearuponaHUNDRED

  THOUSANDPRISONERS。Goto!Whatareothermagazinescomparedtoourmagazine?Sound,trumpeter!WhatbanneristherelikethatofCornhill?You,philosopheryonder!“heshirksunderhismantle。“Doyouknowwhatitistohaveahundredandtenthousandreaders?Ahundredthousandreaders?ahundredthousandBUYERS!“

  Criesof“No!“——“Pooh!““Yes,uponmyhonor!““Oh,come!“andmurmursofapplauseandderision——“Isaymorethanahundredthousandpurchasers——andIbelieveASMUCHASAMILLIONreaders!“

  Immensesensation。“Tothesehavewesaidanunkindword?Wehaveenemies;havewehitthemanunkindblow?Havewesoughttopursuepartyaims,toforwardprivatejobs,toadvanceselfishschemes?Theonlypersonstowhomwittinglywehavegivenpainaresomewhohavevolunteeredforourcorps——andofthesevolunteerswehavehadTHOUSANDS。”Murmursandgrumbles。“Whatcommander,citizens,couldplaceallthesemen!——couldmakeofficersofallthesemen?“criesof“No——no!“andlaughter——“couldsay,\'Iacceptthisrecruit,thoughheistooshortforourstandard,becauseheispoor,andhasamotherathomewhowantsbread?\'couldenrollthisother,whoistooweaktobeararms,becausehesays,\'Look,sir,I

  shallbestrongeranon。\'Theleaderofsuchanarmyasoursmustselecthismen,notbecausetheyaregoodandvirtuous,butbecausetheyarestrongandcapable。Totheseourranksareeveropen,andinadditiontothewarriorswhosurroundme“——thegeneralslookproudlyconscious——“Itellyou,citizens,thatIamintreatywithotherandmosttremendouschampions,whowillmarchbythesideofourveteranstotheachievementoffreshvictories。Now,blow,trumpets!Bang,yegongs!anddrummers,drubthethunderingskins!

  Generalsandchiefs,wegotosacrificetothegods。”

  Crownedwithflowers,thecaptainsenterthetemple,theotherMagazineswalkingmodestlybehindthem。Thepeoplehuzza;and,insomeinstances,kneelandkissthefringesoftherobesofthewarriors。ThePhilosopherputsuphisshutters,andretiresintohisshop,deeplymoved。Inancienttimes,PlinyapudSmith

  relatesitwasthecustomoftheImperator“topainthiswholebodyabrightred;“and,also,onascendingtheHill,tohavesomeofthehostilechiefsledaside“totheadjoiningprison,andputtodeath。”Weproposetodispensewithboththeseceremonies。

  THORNSINTHECUSHION。

  IntheEssaywithwhichthisvolumecommences,theCornhillMagazinewaslikenedtoashipsailingforthonhervoyage,andthecaptainutteredaverysincereprayerforherprosperity。Thedangersofstormandrock,thevastoutlayuponshipandcargo,andthecertainriskoftheventure,gavethechiefofficerafeelingofnosmallanxiety;forwhocouldsayfromwhatquarterdangermightarise,andhowhisowner\'spropertymightbeimperilled?Afterasixmonths\'

  voyage,wewithverythankfulheartscouldacknowledgeourgoodfortune:and,takinguptheapologueintheRoundaboutmanner,wecomposedatriumphalprocessioninhonoroftheMagazine,andimaginedtheImperatorthereofridinginasublimecartoreturnthanksintheTempleofVictory。Cornhillisaccustomedtograndeurandgreatness,andhaswitnessed,everyninthofNovember,forI

  don\'tknowhowmanycenturies,aprodigiousannualpageant,chariot,progress,andflourishoftrumpetry;andbeingsoveryneartheMansionHouse,Iamsurethereaderwillunderstandhowtheideaofpageantandprocessioncamenaturallytomymind。Theimaginationeasilysuppliedagoldcoach,eightcream-coloredhorsesofyourtruePegasusbreed,huzzaingmultitudes,runningfootmen,andclankingknightsinarmor,achaplainandasword-bearerwithamuffonhishead,scowlingoutofthecoach-window,andaLordMayorallcrimson,fur,goldchain,andwhiteribbons,solemnlyoccupyingtheplaceofstate。Aplayfulfancycouldhavecarriedthematterfarther,couldhavedepictedthefeastintheEgyptianHall,theMinisters,ChiefJustices,andrightreverendprelatestakingtheirseatsroundabouthislordship,theturtleandotherdeliciousviands,andMr。Toolebehindthecentralthrone,bawlingouttotheassembledguestsanddignitaries:“MyLordSo-and-so,myLordWhat-

  d\'ye-call-\'im,myLordEtcaetera,theLordMayorpledgesyouallinaloving-cup。”Thenthenobleproceedingscometoanend;LordSimperproposestheladies;thecompanyrisesfromtable,andadjournstocoffeeandmuffins。ThecarriagesofthenobilityandguestsrollbacktotheWest。TheEgyptianHall,sobrightjustnow,appearsinatwilightglimmer,inwhichwaitersareseenransackingthedessert,andrescuingthespoons。HislordshipandtheLadyMayoressgointotheirprivateapartments。Therobesaredoffed,thecollarandwhiteribbonsareremoved。TheMayorbecomesaman,andisprettysurelyinaflusteraboutthespeecheswhichhehasjustuttered;rememberingtoowellnow,wretchedcreature,theprincipalpointswhichheDIDN\'Tmakewhenherosetospeak。Hegoestobedtoheadache,tocare,torepentance,and,Idaresay,toadoseofsomethingwhichhisbody-physicianhasprescribedforhim。

  Andthereareeversomanymeninthecitywhofancythatmanhappy!

  Now,supposethatallthroughthat9thofNovemberhislordshiphashadarackingrheumatism,oratoothache,letussay,duringalldinner-time——throughwhichhehasbeenobligedtogrinandmumblehispooroldspeeches。Isheenviable?Wouldyouliketochangewithhislordship?Supposethatbumperwhichhisgoldenfootmanbringshim,insteadi\'fackinsofypocrasorcanary,containssomeabominationofsenna?Away!Removethegoldengoblet,insidiouscupbearer!YounowbegintoperceivethegloomymoralwhichIamabouttodraw。

  Lastmonthwesangthesongofglorification,androdeinthechariotoftriumph。Itwasallverywell。Itwasrighttohuzza,andbethankful,andcry,Bravo,ourside!andbesides,youknow,therewastheenjoymentofthinkinghowpleasedBrown,andJones,andRobinsonourdearfriendswouldbeatthisannouncementofsuccess。Butnowthattheperformanceisover,mygoodsir,juststepintomyprivateroom,andseethatitisnotallpleasure——thiswinningofsuccesses。Castyoureyeoverthosenewspapers,overthoseletters。Seewhatthecriticssayofyourharmlessjokes,neatlittletrimsentences,andpetwaggeries!Why,youarenobetterthananidiot;youaredrivelling;yourpowershaveleftyou;

  thisalwaysoverratedwriterisrapidlysinkingto,&c。

  Thisisnotpleasant;butneitheristhisthepoint。Itmaybethecriticisright,andtheauthorwrong。Itmaybethatthearchbishop\'ssermonisnotsofineassomeofthosediscoursestwentyyearsagowhichusedtodelightthefaithfulinGranada。Oritmaybepleasingthought!thatthecriticisadullard,anddoesnotunderstandwhatheiswritingabout。Everybodywhohasbeentoanexhibitionhasheardvisitorsdiscoursingaboutthepicturesbeforetheirfaces。Onesays,“Thisisverywell;“anothersays,“Thisisstuffandrubbish;“anothercries,“Bravo!thisisamasterpiece:“andeachhasarighttohisopinion。Forexample,oneofthepicturesIadmiredmostattheRoyalAcademyisbyagentlemanonwhomInever,tomyknowledge,seteyes。ThispictureisNo。346,“Moses,“byMr。S。Solomon。Ithoughtithadagreatintention,Ithoughtitfinelydrawnandcomposed。Itnoblyrepresented,tomymind,thedarkchildrenoftheEgyptianbondage,andsuggestedthetouchingstory。Mynewspapersays:“Twoludicrouslyuglywomen,lookingatadingybaby,donotformapleasingobject;“andsogood-by,Mr。Solomon。Arenotmostofourbabiesservedsoinlife?anddoesn\'tMr。RobinsonconsiderMr。

  Brown\'scherubanugly,squallinglittlebrat?Socheerup,Mr。S。

  S。Itmaybethecriticwhodiscoursedonyourbabyisabadjudgeofbabies。WhenPharaoh\'skinddaughterfoundthechild,andcherishedandlovedit,andtookithome,andfoundanurseforit,too,Idaresaythereweregrim,brick-dustcoloredchamberlains,orsomeofthetough,old,meagre,yellowprincessesatcourt,whoneverhadchildrenthemselves,whocriedout,“Faugh!thehorridlittlesquallingwretch!“andknewhewouldnevercometogood;andsaid,“Didn\'tItellyouso?“whenheassaultedtheEgyptian。

  Nevermindthen,Mr。S。Solomon,Isay,becauseacriticpooh-poohsyourworkofart——yourMoses——yourchild——yourfoundling。Why,didnotawiseacreinBlackwood\'sMagazinelatelyfallfoulof“TomJones?“Ohypercritic!So,tobesure,didgoodoldMr。Richardson,whocouldwritenovelshimself——butyou,andI,andMr。Gibbon,mydearsir,agreeingivingourrespect,andwonder,andadmiration,tothebraveoldmaster。

  IntheselastwordsIamsupposingtherespectedreadertobeendowedwithasenseofhumor,whichhemayormaynotpossess;

  indeed,don\'tweknowmanyanhonestmanwhocannomorecomprehendajokethanhecanturnatune。ButItakeforgranted,mydearsir,thatyouarebrimmingoverwithfun——youmayn\'tmakejokes,butyoucouldifyouwould——youknowyoucould:andinyourquietwayyouenjoythemextremely。Nowmanypeopleneithermakethem,norunderstandthemwhenmade,norlikethemwhenunderstood,andaresuspicious,testy,andangrywithjokers。Haveyoueverwatchedanelderlymaleorfemale——anelderly“party,“sotospeak,whobeginstofindoutthatsomeyoungwagofthecompanyis“chaffing“him?

  HaveyouevertriedthesarcasticorSocraticmethodwithachild?

  Littlesimpleheorshe,intheinnocenceofthesimpleheart,playssomesillyfreak,ormakessomeabsurdremark,whichyouturntoridicule。Thelittlecreaturedimlyperceivesthatyouaremakingfunofhim,writhes,blushes,growsuneasy,burstsintotears,——uponmyworditisnotfairtotrytheweaponofridiculeuponthatinnocentyoungvictim。Theawfulobjurgatorypracticeheisaccustomedto。Pointouthisfault,andlaybarethedireconsequencesthereof:exposeitroundly,andgivehimaproper,solemn,moralwhipping——butdonotattempttocastigareridendo。Donotlaughathimwrithing,andcausealltheotherboysintheschooltolaugh。Rememberyourownyoungdaysatschool,myfriend——

  thetinglingcheeks,burningears,burstingheart,andpassionofdesperatetears,withwhichyoulookedup,afterhavingperformedsomeblunder,whilstthedoctorheldyoutopublicscornbeforetheclass,andcrackedhisgreatclumsyjokesuponyou——helpless,andaprisoner!Bettertheblockitself,andthelictors,withtheirfascesofbirch-twigs,thanthemaddeningtortureofthosejokes!

  Nowwithrespecttojokes——andthepresentcompanyofcourseexcepted——manypeople,perhapsmostpeople,areasinfants。Theyhavelittlesenseofhumor。Theydon\'tlikejokes。Railleryinwritingannoysandoffendsthem。Thecoarsenessapart,IthinkI

  havemetvery,veryfewwomenwholikedthebanterofSwiftandFielding。Theirsimple,tendernaturesrevoltatlaughter。Isthesatyralwaysawickedbruteatheart,andaretheyrightlyshockedathisgrin,hisleer,hishorns,hoofs,andears?Fidonc,levilainmonstre,withhisshrieks,andhiscaperingcrookedlegs!

  Lethimgoandgetapairofwell-waddedblacksilkstockings,andpullthemoverthosehorridshanks;putalargegownandbandsoverbeardandhide;andpouradozenoflavender-waterintohislawnhandkerchief,andcry,andnevermakeajokeagain。Itshallallbehighly-distilledpoesy,andperfumedsentiment,andgushingeloquence;andthefootSHAN\'Tpeepout,andaplaguetakeit。

  Coveritupwiththesurplice。Outwithyourcambric,dearladies,andletusallwhimpertogether。

  Now,then,handonheart,wedeclarethatitisnotthefireofadversecriticswhichafflictsorfrightenstheeditorialbosom。

  Theymayberight;theymayberogueswhohaveapersonalspite;

  theymaybedullardswhokickandbrayastheirnatureistodo,andpreferthistlestopineapples;theymaybeconscientious,acute,deeplylearned,delightfuljudges,whoseeyourjokeinamoment,andtheprofoundwisdomlyingunderneath。Wiseordull,laudatoryorotherwise,weputtheiropinionsaside。Iftheyapplaud,wearepleased:iftheyshaketheirquickpens,andflyoffwithahiss,weresigntheirfavorsandputonallthefortitudewecanmuster。I

  wouldratherhavethelowestman\'sgoodwordthanhisbadone,tobesure;butasforcoaxingacompliment,orwheedlinghimintogood-

  humor,orstoppinghisangrymouthwithagooddinner,oracceptinghiscontributionsforacertainMagazine,forfearofhisbarkingorsnappingelsewhere——allonsdonc!Theseshallnotbeouracts。Bow-

  wow,Cerberus!Hereshallbenosopforthee,unless——unlessCerberusisanuncommonlygooddog,whenweshallbearnomalicebecauseheflewatusfromourneighbor\'sgate。

  What,then,isthemaingriefyouspokeofasannoyingyou——thetoothacheintheLordMayor\'sjaw,thethorninthecushionoftheeditorialchair?Itisthere。Ah!itstingsmenowasIwrite。Itcomeswithalmosteverymorning\'spost。AtnightIcomehomeandtakemylettersuptobednotdaringtoopenthem,andinthemorningIfindone,two,threethornsonmypillow。ThreeI

  extractedyesterday;twoIfoundthismorning。Theydon\'tstingquitesosharplyastheydid;butaskinisaskin,andtheybite,afterall,mostwickedly。ItisallveryfinetoadvertiseontheMagazine,“ContributionsareonlytobesenttoMessrs。Smith,ElderandCo。,andnottotheEditor\'sprivateresidence。”Mydearsir,howlittleyouknowman-orwoman-kind,ifyoufancytheywilltakethatsortofwarning!HowamItoknow,though,tobesure,I

  begintoknownow,asItakethelettersoffthetray,whichofthoseenvelopescontainsarealbonafideletter,andwhichathorn?

  OneofthebestinvitationsthisyearImistookforathorn-letter,andkeptitwithoutopening。ThisiswhatIcallathorn-letter:——

  “CAMBERWELL,June4。

  “SIR——MayIhope,mayIentreat,thatyouwillfavormebyperusingtheenclosedlines,andthattheymaybefoundworthyofinsertionintheCornhillMagazine。Wehaveknownbetterdays,sir。Ihaveasickandwidowedmothertomaintain,andlittlebrothersandsisterswholooktome。Idomyutmostasagovernesstosupportthem。I

  toilatnightwhentheyareatrest,andmyownhandandbrainarealiketired。IfIcouldaddbutaLITTLEtoourmeansbymypen,manyofmypoorinvalid\'swantsmightbesupplied,andIcouldprocureforhercomfortstowhichsheisnowastranger。HeavenknowsitisnotforwantofWILLorforwantofENERGYonmypart,thatsheisnowinill-health,andourlittlehouseholdalmostwithoutbread。Do——docastakindglanceovermypoem,andifyoucanhelpus,thewidow,theorphanswillblessyou!Iremain,sir,inanxiousexpectancy,“Yourfaithfulservant,“S。S。S。”

  Andenclosedisalittlepoemortwo,andanenvelopewithitspennystamp——heavenhelpus!——andthewriter\'snameandaddress。

  NowyouseewhatImeanbyathorn。Hereisthecaseputwithtruefemalelogic。“Iampoor;Iamgood;Iamill;Iworkhard;Ihaveasickmotherandhungrybrothersandsistersdependentonme。Youcanhelpusifyouwill。”AndthenIlookatthepaper,withthethousandthpartofafainthopethatitmaybesuitable,andIfinditwon\'tdo:andIknewitwouldn\'tdo:andwhyisthispoorladytoappealtomypityandbringherpoorlittleoneskneelingtomybedside,andcallingforbreadwhichIcangivethemifIchoose?

  Nodaypassesbutthatargumentadmisericordiamisused。Dayandnightthatsadvoiceiscryingoutforhelp。Thriceitappealedtomeyesterday。Twicethismorningitcriedtome:andIhavenodoubtwhenIgotogetmyhat,Ishallfinditwithitspiteousfaceanditspalefamilyaboutit,waitingformeinthehall。Oneoftheimmenseadvantageswhichwomenhaveoveroursexis,thattheyactuallyliketoreadtheseletters。Likeletters?Omercyonus!

  BeforeIwasaneditorIdidnotlikethepostmanmuch:——butnow!

  Averycommonwaywiththesepetitionersistobeginwithafineflummeryaboutthemeritsandeminentgeniusofthepersonwhomtheyareaddressing。Butthisartifice,Istatepublicly,isofnoavail。WhenIseeTHATkindofherb,Iknowthesnakewithinit,andflingitawaybeforeithastimetosting。Away,reptile,tothewaste-paperbasket,andthencetotheflames!

  Butofthesedisappointedpeople,sometaketheirdisappointmentandmeeklybearit。Somehateandholdyoutheirenemybecauseyoucouldnotbetheirfriend。Some,furiousandenvious,say:“WhoisthismanwhorefuseswhatIoffer,andhowdareshe,theconceitedcoxcomb,todenymymerit?“

  Sometimesmyletterscontainnotmerethorns,butbludgeons。HowaretwochoiceslipsfromthatnobleIrishoak,whichhasmorethanoncesuppliedalpeensforthismeekandunoffendingskull:——

  “THEATREROYAL,DONNYBROOK。】】

  “SIR,——IhavejustfinishedreadingthefirstportionofyourTale,LoveltheWidower,andammuchsurprisedattheunwarrantablestricturesyoupassthereinonthecorpsdeballet。

  “Ihavebeenformorethantenyearsconnectedwiththetheatricalprofession,andIbegtoassureyouthatthemajorityofthecorpsdeballetarevirtuous,well-conductedgirls,and,consequently,thatsnugcottagesarenottakenforthemintheRegent\'sPark。

  “IalsohavetoinformyouthattheatricalmanagersareinthehabitofspeakinggoodEnglish,possiblybetterEnglishthanauthors。

  “Youeitherknownothingofthesubjectinquestion,oryouassertawilfulfalsehood。

  “Iamhappytosaythatthecharactersofthecorpsdeballet,asalsothoseofactorsandactresses,aresuperiortothesnarlingsofdyspepticlibellers,orthespitefulattacksandbrutumfulmenofephemeralauthors。

  “Iam,sir,yourobedientservant,“A。B。C。”

  TheEditoroftheCornhillMagazine。

  “THEATREROYAL,DONNYBROOK。】】

  “SIR,——IhavejustreadintheCornhillMagazineforJanuary,thefirstportionofaTalewrittenbyyou,andentitledLoveltheWidower。

  “Intheproductioninquestionyouemployallyourmaliciousspiteandyouhavegreatcapabilitiesthatwayintryingtodegradethecharacterofthecorpsdeballet。Whenyouimplythatthemajorityofballet-girlshavevillastakenforthemintheRegent\'sPark,I

  SAYYOUTELLADELIBERATEFALSEHOOD。

  “Haveingbeenbroughtuptothestagefrominfancy,andthoughnowanactress,haveingbeensevenyearsprincipaldancerattheopera,I

  amcompetenttospeakonthesubject。IamonlysurprisedthatsovilealibellerasyourselfshouldbeallowedtopresideattheDramaticFunddinneronthe22ndinstant。Ithinkitwouldbemuchbetterifyouweretoreformyourownlife,insteadoftellingliesofthosewhoareimmeasurablyyoursuperiors。

  “Yoursinsupremedisgust,“A。D。”

  Thesignaturesoftherespectedwritersarealtered,andforthesiteoftheirTheatreRoyalanadjacentplaceisnamed,whichasI

  mayhavebeenfalselyinformedusedtobefamousforquarrels,thumps,andbrokenheads。But,Isay,isthisaneasychairtositon,whenyouareliabletohaveapairofsuchshillelaghsflungatit?And,prithee,whatwasallthequarrelabout?Inthelittlehistoryof“LoveltheWidower“Idescribed,andbroughttocondignpunishment,acertainwretchofaballet-dancer,wholivedsplendidlyforawhileonill-gottengains,hadanaccident,andlostherbeauty,anddiedpoor,deserted,ugly,andeverywayodious。Inthesamepage,otherlittleballet-dancersaredescribed,wearinghomelyclothing,doingtheirduty,andcarryingtheirhumblesavingstothefamilyathome。Butnothingwillcontentmydearcorrespondentsbuttohavemedeclarethatthemajorityofballet-dancershavevillasintheRegent\'sPark,andtoconvictmeof“deliberatefalsehood。”Suppose,forinstance,Ihadchosentointroduceared-hairedwasherwomanintoastory?Imightgetanexpostulatorylettersaying,“Sir,instatingthatthemajorityofwasherwomenarered-haired,youarealiar!andyouhadbestnotspeakofladieswhoareimmeasurablyyoursuperiors。”OrsupposeIhadventuredtodescribeanilliteratehaberdasher?Oneofthecraftmightwritetome,“Sir,indescribinghaberdashersasilliterate,youutterawilfulfalsehood。HaberdashersusemuchbetterEnglishthanauthors。”Itisamistake,tobesure。IhaveneversaidwhatmycorrespondentssayIsay。Thereisthetextundertheirnoses,butwhatiftheychoosetoreadittheirownway?

  “Hurroo,lads!here\'sforafight。There\'sabaldheadpeepingoutofthehut。There\'sabaldhead!ItmustbeTimMalone\'s。”Andwhack!comedownboththebludgeonsatonce。

  Ahme!wewoundwhereweneverintendedtostrike;wecreateangerwherewenevermeantharm;andthesethoughtsarethethornsinourCushion。Outofmeremalignity,Isuppose,thereisnomanwhowouldliketomakeenemies。Buthere,inthiseditorialbusiness,youcan\'tdootherwise:andaqueer,sad,strange,bitterthoughtitis,thatmustcrossthemindofmanyapublicman:“DowhatIwill,beinnocentorspiteful,begenerousorcruel,thereareAandB,andCandD,whowillhatemetotheendofthechapter——tothechapter\'send——totheFinisofthepage——whenhate,andenvy,andfortune,anddisappointmentshallbeover。”

  ONSCREENSINDINING-ROOMS。

  AgrandsonofthelateRev。Dr。PrimroseofWakefield,vicarwrotemealittlenotefromhiscountrylivingthismorning,andthekindfellowhadtheprecautiontowrite“Nothorn“upontheenvelope,sothat,ereIbroketheseal,mymindmightberelievedofanyanxietylestthelettershouldcontainoneofthoselurkingstabswhicharesopainfultothepresentgentlewriter。Yourepigraph,mydearP。,showsyourkindandartlessnature;butdon\'tyouseeitisofnouse?Peoplewhoarebentuponassassinatingyouinthemannermentionedwillwrite“Nothorn“upontheirenvelopestoo;andyouopenthecase,andpresentlyoutfliesapoisonedstiletto,whichspringsintoaman\'sbosom,andmakesthewretchhowlwithanguish。

  Whenthebailiffsareafteraman,theyadoptallsortsofdisguises,popoutonhimfromallconceivablecorners,andtaphismiserableshoulders。Hiswifeistakenill;hissweetheart,whoremarkedhisbrilliant,toobrilliantappearanceattheHydeParkreview,willmeethimatCremorne,orwhereyouwill。Theoldfriendwhohasowedhimthatmoneythesefiveyearswillmeethimatso-and-soandpay。Byonebaitorotherthevictimishooked,netted,landed,anddowngoesthebasket-lid。Itisnotyourwife,yoursweetheart,yourfriendwhoisgoingtopayyou。ItisMr。Nabthebailiff。

  YOUknow——youarecaught。YouareoffinacabtoChanceryLane。

  Youknow,Isay?WHYshouldyouknow?Imakenomannerofdoubtyouneverweretakenbyabailiffinyourlife。Ineverwas。I

  havebeenintwoorthreedebtors\'prisons,butnotonmyownaccount。Goodnessbepraised!Imeanyoucan\'tescapeyourlot;

  andNabonlystandsheremetaphoricallyasthewatchful,certain,anduntiringofficerofMr。SheriffFate。Why,mydearPrimrose,thismorningalongwithyourlettercomesanother,bearingthewell-

  knownsuperscriptionofanotheroldfriend,whichIopenwithouttheleastsuspicion,andwhatdoIfind?AfewlinesfrommyfriendJohnson,itistrue,buttheyarewrittenonapagecoveredwithfemininehandwriting。“DearMr。Johnson,“saysthewriter,“IhavejustbeenperusingwithdelightamostcharmingtalebytheArchbishopofCambray。Itiscalled\'Telemachus;\'andIthinkitwouldbeadmirablysuitedtotheCornhillMagazine。AsyouknowtheEditor,willyouhavethegreatkindness,dearMr。Johnson,tocommunicatewithhimPERSONALLYasthatismuchbetterthanwritinginaroundaboutwaytothePublishers,andwaitinggoodnessknowshowlongforananswer,andstatemyreadinesstotranslatethisexcellentandinstructivestory。IdonotwishtobreatheAWORD

  against\'LovelParsonage,\'\'FramleytheWidower,\'oranyofthenovelswhichhaveappearedintheCornhillMagazine,butIAMSURE

  \'Telemachus\'isasgoodasnewtoEnglishreaders,andinpointofinterestandmoralityfar,“&c。&c。&c。

  Thereitis。IamstabbedthroughJohnson。Hehaslenthimselftothisattackonme。Heisweakaboutwomen。Otherstrongmenare。

  Hesubmitstothecommonlot,poorfellow。InmyreplyIdonotuseawordofunkindness。Iwritehimbackgently,thatIfear“Telemachus“won\'tsuitus。Hecansendtheletterontohisfaircorrespondent。Buthoweversofttheanswer,Iquestionwhetherthewrathwillbeturnedaway。Willtherenotbeacoolnessbetweenhimandthelady?andisitnotpossiblethathenceforthherfineeyeswilllookwithdarklingglancesupontheprettyorangecoverofourMagazine?

  Certainwriters,theysay,haveabadopinionofwomen。NowamI

  verywhimsicalinsupposingthatthisdisappointedcandidatewillbehurtatherrejection,andangryorcastdownaccordingtohernature?“Angry,indeed!“saysJuno,gatheringupherpurplerobesandroyalraiment。“Sorry,indeed!“criesMinerva,lacingonhercorseletagain,andscowlingunderherhelmet。Iimaginethewell-

  knownApplecasehasjustbeenarguedanddecided。“Hurt,forsooth!DoyousupposeWEcarefortheopinionofthathobnailedloutofaParis?DoyousupposethatI,theGoddessofWisdom,can\'tmakeallowancesformortalignorance,andamsobaseastobearmaliceagainstapoorcreaturewhoknowsnobetter?Youlittleknowthegoddessnaturewhenyoudaretoinsinuatethatourdivinemindsareactuatedbymotivessobase。AloveofjusticeinfluencesUS。Weareabovemeanrevenge。Wearetoomagnanimoustobeangryattheawardofsuchajudgeinfavorofsuchacreature。”Andrustlingouttheirskirts,theladieswalkawaytogether。Thisisallverywell。Youareboundtobelievethem。Theyareactuatedbynohostility:notthey。Theybearnomalice——ofcoursenot。ButwhentheTrojanwaroccurspresently,whichsidewilltheytake?

  ManybravesoulswillbesenttoHades。Hectorwillperish。PooroldPriam\'sbaldnumskullwillbecracked,andTroytownwillburn,becauseParisprefersgolden-hairedVenustoox-eyedJunoandgray-

  eyedMinerva。

  ThelastEssayofthisRoundaboutSeries,describingthegriefsandmiseriesoftheeditorialchair,waswritten,asthekindreaderwillacknowledge,inamildandgentle,notinawarlikeorsatiricalspirit。Ishowedhowcudgelswereapplied;butsurely,themeekobjectofpersecutionhitnoblowsinreturn。Thebeatingdidnothurtmuch,andthepersonassaultedcouldaffordtokeephisgood-humor;indeed,Iadmiredthatbravethoughillogicallittleactress,oftheT。R。D-bl-n,forherfieryvindicationofherprofession\'shonor。IassureherIhadnointentiontotelll——s——

  well,letussaymonosyllables——aboutmysuperiors:andIwishhernothingbutwell,andwhenMacmahonorshallitbeMulligan?Roid\'Irlandeascendshisthrone,IhopeshemaybeappointedprofessorofEnglishtotheprincessesoftheroyalhouse。Nuper——informerdays——Itoohavemilitated;sometimes,asInowthink,unjustly;butalways,Ivow,withoutpersonalrancor。Whichofushasnotidlewordstorecall,flippantjokestoregret?Haveyounevercommittedanimprudence?Haveyouneverhadadispute,andfoundoutthatyouwerewrong?Somuchtheworseforyou。Woebetothemanquicroittoujoursavoirraison。Hisangerisnotabriefmadness,butapermanentmania。Hisrageisnotafever-fit,butablackpoisoninflaminghim,distortinghisjudgment,disturbinghisrest,embitteringhiscup,gnawingathispleasures,causinghimmorecruelsufferingthaneverhecaninflictonhisenemy。Olabellemorale!AsIwriteit,Ithinkaboutoneortwolittleaffairsofmyown。ThereisoldDr。Squaretosohecertainlywasveryrudetome,andthat\'sthefact;thereisMadamePomposaandcertainlyherladyship\'sbehaviorwasaboutascoolascoolcouldbe。Nevermind,oldSquaretoso:nevermind,MadamePomposa!Hereisahand。

  Letusbefriendsasweoncewere,andhavenomoreofthisrancor。

  IhadhardlysentthatlastRoundaboutPapertotheprinterwhich,Isubmit,waswritteninapacableandnotunchristianframeofmind,whenSaturdaycame,andwithit,ofcourse,mySaturdayReview。IrememberatNewYorkcomingdowntobreakfastatthehotelonemorning,afteracriticismhadappearedintheNewYorkHerald,inwhichanIrishwriterhadgivenmeadressingforacertainlectureonSwift。AhmydearlittleenemyoftheT。R,D。,whatwerethecudgelsinYOURlittlebillet-douxcomparedtothosenobleNewYorkshillelaghs?AllthroughtheUnion,theliterarysonsofErinhavemarchedalpeen-stockinhand,andineverycityoftheStatestheycalleachotherandeverybodyelsethefinestnames。

  Havingcometobreakfast,then,inthepublicroom,Isitdown,andsee——thattheninepeopleoppositehaveallgotNewYorkHeraldsintheirhands。Onedearlittlelady,whomIknew,andwhosatopposite,gaveaprettyblush,andpoppedherpaperunderthetablecloth。ItoldherIhadhadmywhippingalreadyinmyownprivateroom,andbeggedhertocontinueherreading。Imayhaveundergoneagonies,yousee,buteverymanwhohasbeenbredatanEnglishpublicschoolcomesawayfromaprivateinterviewwithDr。

  Birchwithacalm,evenasmilingface。Andthisisnotimpossible,whenyouareprepared。Youscrewyourcourageup——yougothroughthebusiness。Youcomebackandtakeyourseatontheform,showingnottheleastsymptomofuneasinessorofpreviousunpleasantries。

  Buttobecaughtsuddenlyup,andwhippedinthebosomofyourfamily——tositdowntobreakfast,andcastyourinnocenteyeonapaper,andfind,beforeyouareaware,thattheSaturdayMonitororBlackMondayInstructorhashoistedyouandislayingon——thatisindeedatrial。Orperhapsthefamilyhaslookedatthedreadfulpaperbeforehand,andweaklytriestohideit。“WhereistheInstructor,ortheMonitor?“sayyou。“Whereisthatpaper?“saysmammatooneoftheyoungladies。Lucyhasn\'tit。Fannyhasn\'tseenit。Emilythinksthatthegovernesshasit。Atlast,outitisbrought,thatawfulpaper!PapaisamazinglytickledwiththearticleonThomson;thinksthatshowupofJohnsonisverylively;

  andnow——heavenbegoodtous!——hehascometothecritiqueonhimself:——“OfalltherubbishwhichwehavehadfromMr。Tomkins,wedoprotestandvowthatthislastcartloadis“&c。Ah,poorTomkins!——butmostofall,ah!poorMrs。Tomkins,andpoorEmily,andFanny,andLucy,whohavetositbyandseepaterfamiliasputtothetorture!

  Now,onthiseventfulSaturday,Ididnotcry,becauseitwasnotsomuchtheEditorasthePublisheroftheCornhillMagazinewhowasbroughtoutforadressing;anditiswonderfulhowgallantlyonebearsthemisfortunesofone\'sfriends。Thatawritershouldbetakentotaskabouthisbooks,isfair,andhemustabidethepraiseorthecensure。Butthatapublishershouldbecriticisedforhisdinners,andfortheconversationwhichdidNOTtakeplacethere,——

  isthistolerablepresspractice,legitimatejoking,orhonorablewarfare?Ihavenotthehonortoknowmynext-doorneighbor,butI

  makenodoubtthathereceiveshisfriendsatdinner;Iseehiswifeandchildrenpassconstantly;Ievenknowthecarriagesofsomeofthepeoplewhocalluponhim,andcouldtelltheirnames。Now,supposehisservantsweretotellminewhatthedoingsarenextdoor,whocomestodinner,whatiseatenandsaid,andIweretopublishanaccountofthesetransactionsinanewspaper,Icouldassuredlygetmoneyforthereport;butoughtItowriteit,andwhatwouldyouthinkofmefordoingso?

  Andsuppose,Mr。SaturdayReviewer——youcensormorum,youwhopiqueyourselfandjustlyandhonorablyinthemainuponyourcharacterofgentleman,aswellasofwriter,suppose,notthatyouyourselfinventandinditeabsurdtwaddleaboutgentlemen\'sprivatemeetingsandtransactions,butpickthiswretchedgarbageoutofaNewYorkstreet,andholditupforyourreaders\'amusement——don\'tyouthink,myfriend,thatyoumighthavebeenbetteremployed?Here,inmySaturdayReview,andinanAmericanpapersubsequentlysenttome,I

  light,astonished,onanaccountofthedinnersofmyfriendandpublisher,whicharedescribedas“tremendouslyheavy,“oftheconversationwhichdoesnottakeplace,andoftheguestsassembledatthetable。IaminformedthattheproprietoroftheCornhill,andthehostontheseoccasions,is“averygoodman,buttotallyunread;“andthatonmyaskinghimwhetherDr。Johnsonwasdiningbehindthescreen,hesaid,“Godblessmysoul,mydearsir,there\'snopersonbythenameofJohnsonhere,noranyonebehindthescreen,“andthataroaroflaughtercuthimshort。IaminformedbythesameNewYorkcorrespondentthatIhavetouchedupacontributor\'sarticle;thatIoncesaidtoaliterarygentleman,whowasproudlypointingtoananonymousarticleashiswriting,“Ah!I

  thoughtIrecognizedYOURHOOFinit。”IamtoldbythesameauthoritythattheCornhillMagazine“showssymptomsofbeingonthewane,“andhavingsoldnearlyahundredthousandcopies,hethecorrespondent“shouldthinkfortythousandwasnowaboutthemark。”

  Thenthegracefulwriterpassesontothedinners,atwhichitappearstheEditoroftheMagazine“isthegreatgun,andcomesoutwithallthegenialityinhispower。”

  Nowsupposethischarmingintelligenceisuntrue?SupposethepublishertorecallthewordsofmyfriendtheDublinactoroflastmonthisagentlemantothefullaswellinformedasthosewhomheinvitestohistable?Supposehenevermadetheremark,beginning——

  “Godblessmysoul,mydearsir,noranythingresemblingit?

  Supposenobodyroaredwithlaughing?SupposetheEditoroftheCornhillMagazinenever“touchedup“onesinglelineofthecontributionwhichbears“marksofhishand?“Supposeheneversaidtoanyliterarygentleman,“IrecognizedYOURHOOF“inanyperiodicalwhatever?Supposethe40,000subscribers,whichthewritertoNewYork“consideredtobeaboutthemark,“shouldbebetween90,000and100,000andashewillhavefigures,theretheyare?Supposethisback-doorgossipshouldbeutterlyblunderinganduntrue,wouldanyonewonder?Ah!ifwehadonlyenjoyedthehappinesstonumberthiswriteramongthecontributorstoourMagazine,whatacheerfulnessandeasyconfidencehispresencewouldimparttoourmeetings!Hewouldfindthat“poorMr。Smith“hadheardthatreconditeanecdoteofDr。Johnsonbehindthescreen;andasfor“thegreatgunofthosebanquets,“withwhatgenialityshouldnotI“comeout“ifIhadanamiablecompanionclosebyme,dottingdownmyconversationfortheNewYorkTimes!

  Attackourbooks,Mr。Correspondent,andwelcome。Theyarefairsubjectsforjustcensureorpraise。Butwoebetoyou,ifyouallowprivaterancorsoranimositiestoinfluenceyouinthedischargeofyourpublicduty。Inthelittlecourtwhereyouarepaidtositasjudge,ascritic,youoweittoyouremployers,toyourconscience,tothehonorofyourcalling,todeliverjustsentences;andyoushallhavetoanswertoheavenforyourdealings,assurelyasmyLordChiefJusticeontheBench。Thedignityofletters,thehonoroftheliterarycalling,theslightsputbyhaughtyandunthinkingpeopleuponliterarymen,——don\'twehearoutcriesuponthesesubjectsraiseddaily?AsdearSamJohnsonsitsbehindthescreen,tooproudtoshowhisthreadbarecoatandpatchesamongthemoreprosperousbrethrenofhistrade,thereisnowantofdignityinHIM,inthathomelyimageoflaborill-rewarded,geniusasyetunrecognized,independencesturdyanduncomplaining。ButMr。

  Nameless,behindthepublisher\'sscreenuninvited,peeringatthecompanyandthemeal,catchingupscrapsofthejokes,andnotingdowntheguests\'behaviorandconversation,——whatafigurehisis!

  Allons,Mr。Nameless!Putupyournote-book;walkoutofthehall;

  andleavegentlemenalonewhowouldbeprivate,andwishyounoharm。

  TUNBRIDGETOYS。

  Iwonderwhetherthoselittlesilverpencil-caseswithamovablealmanacatthebutt-endarestillfavoriteimplementswithboys,andwhetherpedlersstillhawkthemaboutthecountry?Aretherepedlersandhawkersstill,orarerusticsandchildrengrowntoosharptodealwiththem?Thosepencil-cases,asfarasmymemoryservesme,werenotofmuchuse。Thescrew,uponwhichthemovablealmanacturned,wasconstantlygettingloose。The1ofthetablewouldworkfromitsmoorings,underTuesdayorWednesday,asthecasemightbe,andyouwouldfind,onexamination,thatTh。orW。

  wasthe231/2ofthemonthwhichwasabsurdonthefaceofthething,andinawordyourcherishedpencil-caseanutterlyunreliabletime-keeper。Norwasthisamatterofwonder。Considerthepositionofapencil-caseinaboy\'spocket。Youhadhard-bakeinit;marbles,keptinyourpursewhenthemoneywasallgone;yourmother\'spurse,knittedsofondlyandsuppliedwithalittlebitofgold,longsince——prodigallittleson!——scatteredamongsttheswine——

  Imeanamongstbrandy-balls,opentarts,three-corneredpuffs,andsimilarabominations。Youhadatopandstring;aknife;apieceofcobbler\'swax;twoorthreebullets;aLittleWarbler;andI,formypart,remember,foraconsiderableperiod,abrass-barrelledpocket-

  pistolwhichwouldfirebeautifully,forwithitIshotoffabuttonfromButtMajor\'sjacket;——withallthesethings,andeversomanymore,clinkingandrattlinginyourpockets,andyourhands,ofcourse,keepingtheminperpetualmovement,howcouldyouexpectyourmovablealmanacnottobetwistedoutofitsplacenowandagain——yourpencil-casetobebent——yourliquoricewaternottoleakoutofyourbottleoverthecobbler\'swax,yourbull\'s-eyesnottoramupthelockandbarrelofyourpistol,andsoforth。

  InthemonthofJune,thirty-sevenyearsago,Iboughtoneofthosepencil-casesfromaboywhomIshallcallHawker,andwhowasinmyform。Ishedead?Isheamillionnaire?Isheabankruptnow?Hewasanimmensescrewatschool,andIbelievetothisdaythatthevalueofthethingforwhichIowedandeventuallypaidthree-and-

  sixpence,wasinrealitynotone-and-nine。

  Icertainlyenjoyedthecaseatfirstagooddeal,andamusedmyselfwithtwiddlingroundthemovablecalendar。Butthispleasureworeoff。Thejewel,asIsaid,wasnotpaidfor,andHawker,alargeandviolentboy,wasexceedinglyunpleasantasacreditor。Hisconstantremarkwas,“Whenareyougoingtopaymethatthree-and-

  sixpence?Whatsneaksyourrelationsmustbe?Theycometoseeyou。YougoouttothemonSaturdaysandSundays,andtheynevergiveyouanything!Don\'ttellME,youlittlehumbug!“andsoforth。

  Thetruthisthatmyrelationswererespectable;butmyparentsweremakingatourinScotland;andmyfriendsinLondon,whomIusedtogoandsee,weremostkindtome,certainly,butsomehownevertippedme。Thatterm,ofMaytoAugust,1823,passedinagoniesthen,inconsequenceofmydebttoHawker。Whatwasthepleasureofacalendarpencil-caseincomparisonwiththedoubtandtortureofmindoccasionedbythesenseofthedebt,andtheconstantreproachofthatfellow\'sscowlingeyesandgloomy,coarsereminders?HowwasItopayoffsuchadebtoutofsixpenceaweek?ludicrous!Whydidnotsomeonecometoseeme,andtipme?Ah!mydearsir,ifyouhaveanylittlefriendsatschool,goandseethem,anddothenaturalthingbythem。Youwon\'tmissthesovereign。Youdon\'tknowwhatablessingitwillbetothem。Don\'tfancytheyaretooold——try\'em。Andtheywillrememberyou,andblessyouinfuturedays;andtheirgratitudeshallaccompanyyourdrearyafterlife;

  andtheyshallmeetyoukindlywhenthanksforkindnessarescant。

  Omercy!shallIeverforgetthatsovereignyougaveme,CaptainBob?ortheagoniesofbeingindebttoHawker?Inthatveryterm,arelationofminewasgoingtoIndia。Iactuallywasfetchedfromschoolinordertotakeleaveofhim。IamafraidItoldHawkerofthiscircumstance。IownIspeculateduponmyfriend\'sgivingmeapound。Apound?Pooh!ArelationgoingtoIndia,anddeeplyaffectedatpartingfromhisdarlingkinsman,mightgivefivepoundstothedearfellow!……TherewasHawkerwhenIcameback——ofcoursetherehewas。Ashelookedinmyscaredface,histurnedlividwithrage。Hemutteredcurses,terriblefromthelipsofsoyoungaboy。Myrelation,abouttocrosstheoceantofillalucrativeappointment,askedmewithmuchinterestaboutmyprogressatschool,heardmeconstrueapassageofEutropius,thepleasingLatinworkonwhichIwasthenengaged;gavemeaGodblessyou,andsentmebacktoschool;uponmywordofhonor,withoutsomuchasahalf-crown!Itisallverywell,mydearsir,tosaythatboyscontracthabitsofexpectingtipsfromtheirparents\'friends,thattheybecomeavaricious,andsoforth。Avaricious!fudge!Boyscontracthabitsoftartandtoffeeeating,whichtheydonotcarryintoafterlife。Onthecontrary,IwishIDIDlike\'em。Whatrapturesofpleasureonecouldhavenowforfiveshillings,ifonecouldbutpickitoffthepastry-cook\'stray!No。Ifyouhaveanylittlefriendsatschool,outwithyourhalf-crowns,myfriend,andimparttothoselittleonesthelittlefleetingjoysoftheirage。

  Well,then。AtthebeginningofAugust,1823,Bartlemy-tideholidayscame,andIwastogotomyparents,whowereatTunbridgeWells。Myplaceinthecoachwastakenbymytutor\'sservants——

  “Bolt-in-Tun,“FleetStreet,seveno\'clockinthemorning,wastheword。MyTutor,theRev。EdwardP——,towhomIherebypresentmybestcompliments,hadapartinginterviewwithme:gavememylittleaccountformygovernor:theremainingpartofthecoach-hire;fiveshillingsformyownexpenses;andsomefive-and-twentyshillingsonanoldaccountwhichhadbeenoverpaid,andwastoberestoredtomyfamily。

  AwayIranandpaidHawkerhisthree-and-six。Ouf!whataweightitwasoffmymind!HewasaNorfolkboy,andusedtogohomefromMrs。Nelson\'s“BellInn,“Aldgate——butthatisnottothepoint。

  Thenextmorning,ofcourse,wewereanhourbeforethetime。Iandanotherboysharedahackney-coach;two-and-six:porterforputtingluggageoncoach,threepence。Ihadnomoremoneyofmyownleft。

  Rasherwell,mycompanion,wentintothe“Bolt-in-Tun“coffee-room,andhadagoodbreakfast。Icouldn\'t;because,thoughIhadfive-

  and-twentyshillingsofmyparents\'money,Ihadnoneofmyown,yousee。

  Icertainlyintendedtogowithoutbreakfast,andstillrememberhowstronglyIhadthatresolutioninmymind。Buttherewasthathourtowait。AbeautifulAugustmorning——Iamveryhungry。ThereisRasherwell“tucking“awayinthecoffee-room。Ipacethestreet,assadlyalmostasifIhadbeencomingtoschool,notgoingthence。I

  turnintoacourtbymerechance——Ivowitwasbymerechance——andthereIseeacoffee-shopwithaplacardinthewindow,Coffee,Twopence。Roundofbutteredtoast,Twopence。AndhereamI,hungry,penniless,withfive-and-twentyshillingsofmyparents\'

  moneyinmypocket。

  Whatwouldyouhavedone?YouseeIhadhadmymoney,andspentitinthatpencil-caseaffair。Thefive-and-twentyshillingswereatrust——bymetobehandedover。

  Butthenwouldmyparentswishtheironlychildtobeactuallywithoutbreakfast?Havingthismoney,andbeingsohungry,soVERY

  hungry,mightn\'tItakeeversolittle?Mightn\'tIathomeeatasmuchasIchose?

  Well,Iwentintothecoffee-shop,andspentfourpence。Irememberthetasteofthecoffeeandtoasttothisday——apeculiar,muddy,not-sweet-enough,mostfragrantcoffee——arich,rancid,yetnot-

  buttered-enoughdelicioustoast。Thewaiterhadnothing。Atanyrate,fourpenceIknowwasthesumIspent。Andthehungerappeased,Igotonthecoachaguiltybeing。

  Atthelaststage,——whatisitsname?Ihaveforgotteninseven-

  and-thirtyyears,——thereisaninnwithalittlegreenandtreesbeforeit;andbythetreesthereisanopencarriage。Itisourcarriage。Yes,therearePrinceandBlucher,thehorses;andmyparentsinthecarriage。Oh!howIhadbeencountingthedaysuntilthisonecame!Oh!howhappyhadIbeentoseethemyesterday!Buttherewasthatfourpence。Allthejourneydownthetoasthadchokedme,andthecoffeepoisonedme。

  Iwasinsuchastateofremorseaboutthefourpence,thatIforgotthematernaljoyandcaresses,thetenderpaternalvoice。Ipulloutthetwenty-fourshillingsandeightpencewithatremblinghand。

  “Here\'syourmoney,“Igaspout,“whichMr。P——owesyou,allbutfourpence。Iowedthree-and-sixpencetoHawkeroutofmymoneyforapencil-case,andIhadnoneleft,andItookfourpenceofyours,andhadsomecoffeeatashop。”

  IsupposeImusthavebeenchokingwhilstutteringthisconfession。

  “Mydearboy,“saysthegovernor,“whydidn\'tyougoandbreakfastatthehotel?“

  “Hemustbestarved,“saysmymother。

  Ihadconfessed;Ihadbeenaprodigal;Ihadbeentakenbacktomyparents\'armsagain。Itwasnotaverygreatcrimeasyet,oraverylongcareerofprodigality;butdon\'tweknowthataboywhotakesapinwhichisnothisown,willtakeathousandpoundswhenoccasionserves,bringhisparents\'grayheadswithsorrowtothegrave,andcarryhisowntothegallows?WitnessthecareerofDickIdle,uponwhomourfriendMr。Salahasbeendiscoursing。Dickonlybeganbyplayingpitch-and-tossonatombstone:playingfair,forwhatweknow:andevenforthatsinhewaspromptlycanedbythebeadle。Thebamboowasineffectualtocanethatreprobate\'sbadcoursesoutofhim。Frompitch-and-tossheproceededtomanslaughterifnecessary:tohighwayrobbery;toTyburnandtheropethere。Ah!

  heavenbethanked,myparents\'headsarestillabovethegrass,andminestilloutofthenoose。

  AsIlookupfrommydesk,IseeTunbridgeWellsCommonandtherocks,thestrangefamiliarplacewhichIrememberfortyyearsago。

  Boyssaunteroverthegreenwithstumpsandcricket-bats。Otherboysgallopbyontheriding-master\'shacks。IprotestitisCramp,Ridingmaster,asitusedtobeinthereignofGeorgeIV。,andthatCentaurCrampmustbeatleastahundredyearsold。Yondercomesafootmanwithabundleofnovelsfromthelibrary。AretheyasgoodasOURnovels?Oh!howdelightfultheywere!ShadesofValancour,awfulghostofManfroni,howIshudderatyourappearance!SweetimageofThaddeusofWarsaw,howoftenhasthisalmostinfantilehandtriedtodepictyouinaPolishcapandrichlyembroideredtights!AndasforCorinthianTominlightbluepantaloonsandHessians,andJerryHawthornfromthecountry,canallthefashion,canallthesplendorofreallifewhichtheseeyeshavesubsequentlybeheld,canallthewitIhaveheardorreadinlatertimes,comparewithyourfashion,withyourbrilliancy,withyourdelightfulgrace,andsparklingvivaciousrattle?

  Whoknows?TheyMAYhavekeptthoseverybooksatthelibrarystill——atthewell-rememberedlibraryonthePantiles,wheretheysellthatdelightful,usefulTunbridgeware。Iwillgoandsee。I

  wentmywaytothePantiles,thequeerlittleold-worldPantiles,where,ahundredyearssince,somuchgoodcompanycametotakeitspleasure。Isitpossible,thatinthepastcentury,gentlefolksofthefirstrankasIreadlatelyinalectureonGeorgeII。intheCornhillMagazineassembledhereandentertainedeachotherwithgaming,dancing,fiddling,andtea?Therearefiddlers,harpers,andtrumpetersperformingatthismomentinaweaklittleoldbalcony,butwhereisthefinecompany?Wherearetheearls,duchesses,bishops,andmagnificentembroideredgamesters?Ahalf-

  dozenofchildrenandtheirnursesarelisteningtothemusicians;

  anoldladyortwoinapokebonnetpasses,andfortherest,Iseebutanuninterestingpopulationofnativetradesmen。Asforthelibrary,itswindowisfullofpicturesofburlytheologians,andtheirworks,sermons,apologues,andsoforth。CanIgoinandasktheyoungladiesatthecountersfor“Manfroni,ortheOne-HandedMonk,“and“LifeinLondon,ortheAdventuresofCorinthianTom,JeremiahHawthorn,Esq。,andtheirfriendBobLogic?“——absurd。I

  turnawayabashedfromthecasement——fromthePantiles——nolongerPantiles,butParade。IstrollovertheCommonandsurveythebeautifulpurplehillsaround,twinklingwithathousandbrightvillas,whichhavesprungupoverthischarminggroundsincefirstI

  sawit。Whatanadmirablesceneofpeaceandplenty!Whatadeliciousairbreathesovertheheath,blowsthecloudshadowsacrossit,andmurmursthroughthefull-cladtrees!Cantheworldshowalandfairer,richer,morecheerful?IseeaportionofitwhenIlookupfromthewindowatwhichIwrite。Butfairscene,greenwoods,brightterracesgleaminginsunshine,andpurplecloudsswollenwithsummerrain——nay,theverypagesoverwhichmyheadbends——disappearfrombeforemyeyes。Theyarelookingbackwards,backintofortyyearsoff,intoadarkroom,intoalittlehousehardbyontheCommonhere,intheBartlemy-tideholidays。Theparentshavegonetotownfortwodays:thehouseisallhisown,hisownandagrimoldmaid-servant\'s,andalittleboyisseatedatnightinthelonelydrawing-room,poringover“Manfroni,ortheOne-

  HandedMonk,“sofrightenedthathescarcelydarestoturnround。

  DEJUVENTUTE。

  OurlastpaperofthisveraciousandroundaboutseriesrelatedtoaperiodwhichcanonlybehistoricaltoagreatnumberofreadersofthisMagazine。FourIsawatthestationto-daywithorange-coveredbooksintheirhands,whocanbuthaveknownGeorgeIV。bybooks,andstatues,andpictures。Elderlygentlemenwereintheirprime,oldmenintheirmiddleage,whenhereignedoverus。Hisimageremainsoncoins;onapictureortwohanginghereandthereinaCluborold-fashioneddining-room;onhorseback,asatTrafalgarSquare,forexample,whereIdefyanymonarchtolookmoreuncomfortable。Heturnsupinsundrymemoirsandhistorieswhichhavebeenpublishedoflatedays;inMr。Massey\'s“History;“inthe“BuckinghamandGrenvilleCorrespondence;“andgentlemenwhohaveaccusedacertainwriterofdisloyaltyarereferredtothosevolumestoseewhetherthepicturedrawnofGeorgeisovercharged。Charonhaspaddledhimoff;hehasmingledwiththecrowdedrepublicofthedead。Hiseffigysmilesfromacanvasortwo。BreechlesshebestrideshissteedinTrafalgarSquare。IbelievehestillwearshisrobesatMadameTussaud\'sMadameherselfhavingquittedBakerStreetandlife,andfoundhimshemodelledt\'othersidetheStygianstream。Ontheheadofafive-shillingpiecewestilloccasionallycomeuponhim,withSt。George,thedragon-slayer,ontheothersideofthecoin。Ahme!didthisGeorgeslaymanydragons?Washeabrave,heroicchampion,andrescuerofvirgins?Well!well!haveyouandIovercomeallthedragonsthatassailUS?comealiveandvictoriousoutofallthecavernswhichwehaveenteredinlife,andsuccored,atriskoflifeandlimb,allpoordistressedpersonsinwhosenakedlimbsthedragonPovertyisabouttofastenhisfangs,whomthedragonCrimeispoisoningwithhishorriblebreath,andabouttocrunchupanddevour?Omyroyalliege!Omygraciousprinceandwarrior!YOUachampiontofightthatmonster?Yourfeeblespeareverpiercethatslimypaunchorplatedback?Seehowtheflamescomegurglingoutofhisred-hotbrazenthroat!Whataroar!Nearerandnearerhetrails,witheyesflaminglikethelampsofarailroadengine。Howhesqueals,rushingoutthroughthedarknessofhistunnel!Nowheisnear。NowheisHERE。Andnow——

  what?——lance,shield,knight,feathers,horseandall?Ohorror,horror!Nextday,roundthemonster\'scave,therelieafewbonesmore。You,whowishtokeepyoursinyourskins,bethankfulthatyouarenotcalledupontogooutandfightdragons。Begratefulthattheydon\'tsallyoutandswallowyou。Keepawisedistancefromtheircaves,lestyoupaytoodearlyforapproachingthem。

  Rememberthatyearspassed,andwholedistrictswereravaged,beforethewarriorcamewhowasabletocopewiththedevouringmonster。

  WhenthatknightDOESmakehisappearance,withallmyheartletusgooutandwelcomehimwithourbestsongs,huzzas,andlaurelwreaths,andeagerlyrecognizehisvalorandvictory。Buthecomesonlyseldom。CountlessknightswereslainbeforeSt。Georgewonthebattle。Inthebattleoflifeareweallgoingtotryforthehonorsofchampionship?Ifwecandoourduty,ifwecankeepourplaceprettyhonorablythroughthecombat,letussay,LausDeo!attheendofit,asthefiringceases,andthenightfallsoverthefield。

  Theoldweremiddle-aged,theelderlywereintheirprime,then,thirtyyearssince,whenyonroyalGeorgewasstillfightingthedragon。Asforyou,myprettylass,withyoursaucyhatandgoldentressestumbledinyournet,andyou,myspruceyounggentlemaninyourmandarin\'scaptheyoungfolksatthecountry-placewhereIamstayingaresoattired,yourparentswereunknowntoeachother,andworeshortfrocksandshortjackets,atthedateofthisfive-

  shillingpiece。Onlyto-dayImetadog-cartcrammedwithchildren——

  childrenwithmoustachesandmandarincaps——childrenwithsaucyhatsandhair-nets——childreninshortfrocksandknickerbockerssurelytheprettiestboy\'sdressthathasappearedthesehundredyears——childrenfromtwentyyearsofagetosix;andfather,withmotherbyhisside,drivinginfront——andonfather\'scountenanceI

  sawthatverylaughwhichIrememberperfectlyinthetimewhenthiscrown-piecewascoined——inHIStime,inKingGeorge\'stime,whenwewereschool-boysseatedonthesameform。Thesmilewasjustasbroad,asbright,asjolly,asIrememberitinthepast——

  unforgotten,thoughnotseenorthoughtof,forhowmanydecadesofyears,andquiteandinstantlyfamiliar,thoughsolongoutofsight。

  Anycontemporaryofthatcoinwhotakesitupandreadstheinscriptionroundthelaurelledhead,“GeorgiusIV。BritanniarumRex。Fid。Def。1823,“ifhewillbutlooksteadilyenoughattheround,anduttertheproperincantation,Idaresaymayconjurebackhislifethere。Lookwell,myelderlyfriend,andtellmewhatyousee?First,IseeaSultan,withhair,beautifulhair,andacrownoflaurelsroundhishead,andhisnameisGeorgiusRex。Fid。Def。,andsoon。NowtheSultanhasdisappeared;andwhatisthatIsee?

  Aboy,——aboyinajacket。Heisatadesk;hehasgreatbooksbeforehim,LatinandGreekbooksanddictionaries。Yes,butbehindthegreatbooks,whichhepretendstoread,isalittleone,withpictures,whichheisreallyreading。Itis——yes,Icanreadnow——

  itisthe“HeartofMidLothian,“bytheauthorof“Waverley“——or,no,itis“LifeinLondon,ortheAdventuresofCorinthianTom,JeremiahHawthorn,andtheirfriendBobLogic,“byPierceEgan;andithaspictures——oh!suchfunnypictures!Ashereads,therecomesbehindtheboy,aman,adervish,inablackgown,likeawoman,andablacksquarecap,andhehasabookineachhand,andheseizestheboywhoisreadingthepicture-book,andlayshisheadupononeofhisbooks,andsmacksitwiththeother。Theboymakesfaces,andsothatpicturedisappears。

  Nowtheboyhasgrownbigger。HEhasgotonablackgownandcap,somethinglikethedervish。Heisatatable,witheversomanybottlesonit,andfruit,andtobacco;andotheryoungdervishescomein。Theyseemasiftheyweresinging。Tothementersanoldmoollah,hetakesdowntheirnames,andordersthemalltogotobed。Whatisthis?acarriage,withfourbeautifulhorsesallgalloping——amaninredisblowingatrumpet。Manyyoungmenareonthecarriage——oneofthemisdrivingthehorses。Surelytheywon\'tdriveintothat?——ah!theyhavealldisappeared。AndnowIseeoneoftheyoungmenalone。Heiswalkinginastreet——adarkstreet——

  presentlyalightcomestoawindow。Thereistheshadowofaladywhopasses。Hestandstheretillthelightgoesout。Nowheisinaroomscribblingonapieceofpaper,andkissingaminiatureeverynowandthen。Theyseemtobelineseachprettymuchofalength。

  Icanreadheart,smart,dart;Mary,fairy;Cupid,stupid;true,you;andnevermindwhatmore。Bah!itisbosh。Nowsee,hehasgotagownonagain,andawigofwhitehaironhishead,andheissittingwithotherdervishesinagreatroomfullofthem,andonathroneinthemiddleisanoldSultaninscarlet,sittingbeforeadesk,andhewearsawigtoo——andtheyoungmangetsupandspeakstohim。Andnowwhatishere?Heisinaroomwitheversomanychildren,andtheminiaturehangingup。Canitbealikenessofthatwomanwhoissittingbeforethatcopperurn,withasilvervaseinherhand,fromwhichsheispouringhotliquorintocups?WasSHEeverafairy?Sheisasfatasahippopotamusnow。Heissittingonadivanbythefire。Hehasapaperonhisknees。Readthenameofthepaper。ItistheSuperfineReview。ItinclinestothinkthatMr。Dickensisnotatruegentleman,thatMr。Thackerayisnotatruegentleman,andthatwhentheoneispertandtheotherisarch,we,thegentlemenoftheSuperfineReview,think,andthinkrightly,thatwehavesomecausetobeindignant。Thegreatcausewhymodernhumorandmodernsentimentalismrepelus,isthattheyareunwarrantablyfamiliar。Now,Mr。Sterne,theSuperfineReviewerthinks,“wasatruesentimentalist,becausehewasABOVEALLTHINGS

  atruegentleman。”Theflatteringinferenceisobvious:letusbethankfulforhavinganelegantmoralistwatchingoverus,andlearn,ifnottooold,toimitatehishigh-bredpolitenessandcatchhisunobtrusivegrace。Ifweareunwarrantablyfamiliar,weknowwhoisnot。Ifwerepelbypertness,weknowwhoneverdoes。Ifourlanguageoffends,weknowwhoseisalwaysmodest。Opity!Thevisionhasdisappearedoffthesilver,theimagesofyouthandthepastarevanishingaway!Wewhohavelivedbeforerailwaysweremade,belongtoanotherworld。InhowmanyhourscouldthePrinceofWalesdrivefromBrightontoLondon,withalightcarriagebuiltexpressly,andrelaysofhorseslongingtogallopthenextstage?

  DoyourememberSirSomebody,thecoachmanoftheAge,whotookourhalf-crownsoaffably?Itwasonlyyesterday;butwhatagulfbetweennowandthen!THENwastheoldworld。Stage-coaches,moreorlessswift,riding-horses,pack-horses,highwaymen,knightsinarmor,Normaninvaders,Romanlegions,Druids,AncientBritonspaintedblue,andsoforth——allthesebelongtotheoldperiod。I

  willconcedeahaltinthemidstofit,andallowthatgunpowderandprintingtendedtomodernizetheworld。Butyourrailroadstartsthenewera,andweofacertainagebelongtothenewtimeandtheoldone。WeareofthetimeofchivalryaswellastheBlackPrinceorSirWalterManny。Weareoftheageofsteam。Wehavesteppedoutoftheoldworldonto“Brunel\'s“vastdeck,andacrossthewatersingenspatettellus。Towardswhatnewcontinentarewewending?towhatnewlaws,newmanners,newpolitics,vastnewexpansesoflibertiesunknownasyet,oronlysurmised?Iusedtoknowamanwhohadinventedaflying-machine。“Sir,“hewouldsay,“givemebutfivehundredpounds,andIwillmakeit。ItissosimpleofconstructionthatItrembledailylestsomeotherpersonshouldlightuponandpatentmydiscovery。”Perhapsfaithwaswanting;perhapsthefivehundredpounds。Heisdead,andsomebodyelsemustmaketheflying-machine。Butthatwillonlybeastepforwardonthejourneyalreadybegunsincewequittedtheoldworld。

  Thereitliesontheothersideofyonderembankments。Youyoungfolkshaveneverseenit;andWaterlooistoyounomorethanAgincourt,andGeorgeIV。thanSardanapalus。Weelderlypeoplehavelivedinthatpraerailroadworld,whichhaspassedintolimboandvanishedfromunderus。Itellyouitwasfirmunderourfeetonce,andnotlongago。Theyhaveraisedthoserailroadembankmentsup,andshutofftheoldworldthatwasbehindthem。Climbupthatbankonwhichtheironsarelaid,andlooktotheotherside——itisgone。

  ThereISnootherside。Tryandcatchyesterday。Whereisit?

  HereisaTimesnewspaper,datedMonday26th,andthisisTuesday27th。Supposeyoudenytherewassuchadayasyesterday?

  Wewholivedbeforerailways,andsurviveoutoftheancientworld,arelikeFatherNoahandhisfamilyoutoftheArk。Thechildrenwillgatherroundandsaytouspatriarchs,“Tellus,grandpapa,abouttheoldworld。”Andweshallmumbleouroldstories;andweshalldropoffonebyone;andtherewillbefewerandfewerofus,andtheseveryoldandfeeble。Therewillbebuttenpraerailroaditesleft:thenthreethentwo——thenone——then0!IfthehippopotamushadtheleastsensibilityofwhichIcannottraceanysignseitherinhishideorhisface,Ithinkhewouldgodowntothebottomofhistank,andnevercomeupagain。Doeshenotseethathebelongstobygoneages,andthathisgreathulkingbarrelofabodyisoutofplaceinthesetimes?Whathasheincommonwiththebriskyounglifesurroundinghim?Inthewatchesofthenight,whenthekeepersareasleep,whenthebirdsareononeleg,wheneventhelittlearmadilloisquiet,andthemonkeyshaveceasedtheirchatter,——he,Imeanthehippopotamus,andtheelephant,andthelong-neckedgiraffe,perhapsmaylaytheirheadstogetherandhaveacolloquyaboutthegreatsilentantediluvianworldwhichtheyremember,wheremightymonstersflounderedthroughtheooze,crocodilesbaskedonthebanks,anddragonsdartedoutofthecavesandwatersbeforemenweremadetoslaythem。Wewholivedbeforerailwaysareantediluvians——wemustpassaway。Wearegrowingscarcereveryday;

  andold——old——veryoldrelictsofthetimeswhenGeorgewasstillfightingtheDragon。

  Notlongsince,acompanyofhorse-riderspaidavisittoourwatering-place。Wewenttoseethem,andIbethoughtmethatyoungWalterJuvenis,whowasintheplace,mightlikealsotowitnesstheperformance。Apantomimeisnotalwaysamusingtopersonswhohaveattainedacertainage;butaboyatapantomimeisalwaysamusedandamusing,andtoseehispleasureisgoodformosthypochondriacs。

  WesenttoWalter\'smother,requestingthathemightjoinus,andthekindladyrepliedthattheboyhadalreadybeenatthemorningperformanceoftheequestrians,butwasmosteagertogointheeveninglikewise。Andgohedid;andlaughedatallMr。Merryman\'sremarks,thoughherememberedthemwithremarkableaccuracy,andinsisteduponwaitingtotheveryendofthefun,andwasonlyinducedtoretirejustbeforeitsconclusionbyrepresentationsthattheladiesofthepartywouldbeincommodediftheyweretowaitandundergotherushandtrampleofthecrowdroundabout。Whenthisfactwaspointedouttohim,heyieldedatonce,thoughwithaheavyheart,hiseyeslookinglonginglytowardstheringasweretreatedoutofthebooth。Wewerescarcelyclearoftheplace,whenweheard“GodsavetheQueen,“playedbytheequestrianband,thesignalthatallwasover。Ourcompanionentertaineduswithscrapsofthedialogueonourwayhome——preciouscrumbsofwitwhichhehadbroughtawayfromthatfeast。Helaughedoverthemagainaswewalkedunderthestars。Hehasthemnow,andtakesthemoutofthepocketofhismemory,andcrunchesabit,andrelishesitwithasentimentaltenderness,too,forheis,nodoubt,backatschoolbythistime;theholidaysareover;andDoctorBirch\'syoungfriendshavereassembled。

  Queerjokes,whichcausedathousandsimplemouthstogrin!AsthejadedMerrymanutteredthemtotheoldgentlemanwiththewhip,someoftheoldfolksintheaudience,Idaresay,indulgedinreflectionsoftheirown。Therewasonejoke——Iutterlyforgetit——

  butitbeganwithMerrymansayingwhathehadfordinner。Hehadmuttonfordinner,atoneo\'clock,afterwhich“hehadtoCOMETO

  BUSINESS。”Andthencamethepoint。WalterJuvenis,Esq。,Rev。

  DoctorBirch\'s,MarketRodborough,ifyoureadthis,willyoupleasesendmealine,andletmeknowwhatwasthejokeMr。Merrymanmadeabouthavinghisdinner?YOUrememberwellenough。ButdoIwanttoknow?Supposeaboytakesafavorite,long-cherishedlumpofcakeoutofhispocket,andoffersyouabite?Merci!Thefactis,IDON\'TcaremuchaboutknowingthatjokeofMr。Merryman\'s。

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