lmost
seems as though one required to be "brought up" in Pickwick, so to speak,
thoroughly to understand him. No true Pickwickian would ever have called
Tuckle the Bath Footman, "Blazer," or Jingle, "Jungle." It were better,
too, not to adopt a carping tone in dealing with so joyous and
irresponsible a work. "Dickens," we are told, "knew nothing of cricket."
Yet in his prime the present writer has seen him "marking" all day long,
or acting as umpire, with extraordinary knowledge and enthusiasm. In
Pickwickian days the game was not what it is now; it was always more or
less irregular and disorderly. As proof of "Boz's" ignorance, Mr. Lang
says it is a mystery why Podder "missed the bad balls, blocked the
doubtful ones, took the good ones, and sent them flying, etc." Surely
nothing could be plainer. He "missed"--that is, did not strike--the
balls of which nothing could be made, blocked the dangerous ones, and hit
the good ones all over the field. What more or what better could Dr.
Grace do?

* * * * *

The original agreement for "Pickwick" I have not seen, though it is
probably in existence, but there is now being shown at the Earl's Court
Victorian Era Exhibition a very interesting Pickwickian curio. When the
last number had appeared, a deed was created between the two publishers,
Edward Chapman and William Hall, giving them increased control over the
book. It is dated November 18th, 1837, and sets out that the property
consisted of three shares held by the two publishers and author. It was
contracted that the former should purchase for a period of five years the
author's third share. And it was further stipulated that at the end of
that term, they, and no one else, should have the benefit of any new
arrangement. There was also an arrangement about purchasing the "stock,"
etc., at the end of the term. No mention, however, is made of the terms
or "consideration," for which reference is made to another deed. The
whole is commendably short and intelligible.

Footnotes:

{24} As I write it is mentioned in some "society case" that the valet
received 63 pounds a year, and 30s. a month "beer money."

{30} Not long since, we noticed the general merriment at the Victoria
Station on the apparition of one of these curios carried by a rural
looking man.

{34} _Vide_ "History of Pickwick."

{47} NOTE--We have even in London the regular Pickwickian publisher,
whose work is stimulated by a generous a