FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  
ll have the kindness to consider the feasibility of exchanging the field at the back of my property here (marked 404 in the accompanying plan), for the plot of land marked 384 in the said plan. [Illustration: Gad's Hill Place from the rear.] "I believe it will appear to you, on inquiry, that the land I offer in exchange for the meadow is very advantageously situated, and is of greater extent than the meadow, and would be of greater value to the Institution, whose interests you represent. On the other hand, the acquisition of the meadow as a freehold would render my little property more compact and complete. "I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, Your faithful and obedient Servant, CHARLES DICKENS. "To the Governors of Sir Joseph Williamson's Free School, Rochester." The offer fell through at the time; but it was renewed in 1868 in a different form, and eventually the field was sold (by permission of the Charity Commissioners) to Charles Dickens at an "accommodation" price--L2,500--which really exceeded its actual market value. [Illustration: The Grave of Dick] But to resume our inspection. The whole of the back of the house, looking southward, is covered by a Virginia creeper (_Ampelopsis quinquefolia_) of profuse growth, which must be an object of singular beauty in the autumn when the crimson tints appear. As it now stands it is beautifully green, and there is scarcely more than a leaf or two here and there marking autumnal decay. The two famous hawthorn trees were blown down in a gale some years ago. In a quiet corner under a rose-tree (_Gloire de Dijon_), flanked by a _Yucca_ in bloom, the bed underneath consisting of deep blue lobelia, is a touching little memorial to a favourite canary. This consists of a narrow little board, made like a head-stone, and set aslant, on which is painted in neat letters the following epitaph:-- This is the grave of DICK, the best of birds, born AT BROADSTAIRS, _Midsummer_, 1851, died AT GAD'S HILL PLACE, _4th October, 1866_. No one can doubt who was the author of these simple lines. "Dick," it shou
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

meadow

 

greater

 
marked
 
Illustration
 

property

 
flanked
 

corner

 
Gloire
 

autumnal

 

stands


beautifully
 

crimson

 

singular

 

beauty

 

autumn

 

scarcely

 

hawthorn

 

famous

 

marking

 

underneath


BROADSTAIRS
 

Midsummer

 
October
 

simple

 

author

 
canary
 

consists

 

narrow

 

favourite

 

memorial


lobelia

 

touching

 

letters

 

epitaph

 

painted

 
object
 

aslant

 

consisting

 

exceeded

 

acquisition


freehold

 

Institution

 

interests

 

represent

 

render

 
compact
 
Servant
 

CHARLES

 
DICKENS
 

obedient