A Week's Tramp in Dickens-Land: Together with Personal Reminiscences of the 'Inimitable Boz' Therein CollectedHughes, William R. (William Richard)
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A Week's Tramp in Dickens-Land: Together with Personal Reminiscences of the 'Inimitable Boz' Therein Collected
Hughes, William R. (William Richard)
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870; England -- Description and travel
A "Cheap Jack," a veritable Doctor Marigold, had taken up his quarters
at Higham, and we loiter among the bystanders to hear his patter. We
feel quite sure that had Dickens been present he would have listened and
been as amused with him as ourselves. We heard a few days previously the
public crier going round in his cart, announcing the arrival of this
worthy by ringing his bell and proclaiming in a stentorian voice
something to this effect:--
"The public is respectfully informed that the Cheap Jack has arrived,
bringing with him a large assortment of London, Birmingham, and
Sheffield goods, together with a choice collection of glass and
earthenware, which he will sell every evening at the most reasonable
prices."
On our arrival here we find him on his rostrum surrounded by some
flaring naphtha lamps, and thus disposing of some penny books of songs:
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, what shall we have the pleasure of saying
for this handsome book, containing over a hundred songs sung by all the
great singers of the day--Macdermott, Madam Langtry, Sims Reeves, and
other eminent vocalists--besides numerous toasts and readings. Well, I
won't ask sixpence, and I won't take fivepence, fourpence, threepence,
twopence--no, I only ask a penny. Sold again, and got the money. Take
care of the ha'pence" (to his assistant), "for we gives them to the
blind when they can see to pick 'em up." We of course bought a copy of
the famous collection as a "Dickens-item."
Before returning to Rochester we are anxious to identify the
blacksmith's shop where the _feu de joie_ was fired from "two smuggled
cannons," in honour of the marriage of Miss Kate Dickens to Mr. Charles
Collins. Alterations have taken place which render identification
impossible; but a local blacksmith, who has established himself here,
gives us some interesting particulars of the games in which he took
part. He mentions also a circumstance relating to Dickens's favourite
horse, Toby. It appears that it was an express wish of the novelist that
when he died this horse should be shot; and according to our informant
the horse was shod on the Tuesday before the 9th of June (the day of
Dickens's death), and shot on the following Monday. The gun was loaded
with small shot, and poor Toby died immediately it was fired. The
blacksmith thoroughly confirms the opinion of the old labourers as to
the kindness of Charles Dickens to his poorer neighbours. A curious
episode occurs in our conference with this man: he seems under the
impression, which no amount of assertion on our part can overcome, that
my friend and fellow tramp, Mr. Kitton, is Mr. Henry Fielding Dickens.
Whether there was any facial resemblance or likeness of manner did not
transpire, but again and again he kept saying, "Now ain't you Harry
Dickens?" Among the names at Higham we notice that of a well-remembered
Dickens character--Mr. Stiggins!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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