t recalled: "The Old White
Hart" in the Borough High Street; "The George and Vulture," Mr. Pickwick's
own favourite; "The Golden Cross," reminiscent of Dickens' own
personality as well; "The White Horse Cellars," the starting-place of the
Ipswich Coach; "Osborne's Hotel" in the Adelphi, still occupied as a
rather shabby sort of hostelry, though the name has gone; "Jack Straw's
Castle," where "Boz" and his friend Forster so often enjoyed that
"shoemaker's holiday;" and lastly, "The Spaniards" at Hampstead. A
description of one, as it is to-day, must suffice here.

"The Golden Cross," which stands opposite Charing Cross Railway Station,
with its floriated gilt crosses usually brightly burnished, and the entire
edifice resplendent in new paint.

There is still, however, something of the air of the conservatism of a
former day, if only in the manner of building, which in the present case
furthers the suggestion that the ways of the modern architect--striving
for new and wonderful constructive methods--were unknown when the walls of
this old hostelry were put up.

Its courtyard has disappeared, or rather has been incorporated into a sort
of warehouse or stable for a parcels delivery company, and the
neighbourhood round about has somewhat changed since the days of
"Copperfield" and "Pickwick." The Charing Cross Railway Station has come
upon the scene, replacing old Hungerford Market, and palatial hotels have
been built where the gardens of Northumberland House once were.
St.-Martin's-in-the-Fields is still in its wonted place, but with a change
for the worse, in that the platform with its ascending steps has been
curtailed during a recent alleged improvement in the roadway in St.
Martin's Lane.

The National Gallery remains as of yore, except that it has recently been
isolated by pulling down some adjoining structures to the northwest, as a
precautionary measure against fire.

The Nelson Monument in Trafalgar Square, then newly arrived, is as it was
in the days of Dickens' early life. But there is little suggestion in the
hotel or its surroundings of its ever having been a "mouldy sort of an
establishment in a close neighbourhood," and it is hard to believe that
Copperfield's bedroom "smelt like a hackney-coach and was shut up like a
family vault."

DICKENS' LITERARY LIFE

A brief account is here given of Dickens' literary career, which presents
chronologically a review of his productions as they appeared.