THE DICKENS DICTIONARY. Sketches by Boz, ILLUSTRATIVE OF EVERY-DAY LIFE AND EVERY-DAY PEOPLE. THESE are a collection of short pieces, comprising Mr. Dickens's first attempts at authorship, and containing the germs of many of the characters which were more fully developed in his later works. They were originally contributed to "The Monthly Magazine” (“ The Old Monthly," as it was called to distinguish it from Colburn's "New Monthly "), "The Morning Chronicle," and "Bell's Life in London." In 1836 they were brought together, and republished, with illustrations by George Cruikshank, in two series, of which the former was contained in two volumes, and the latter in one. The very first of these "Sketches" was that entitled "Mrs. Joseph Porter." It appeared in "The Monthly Magazine" for January, 1834. The first in which Dickens assumed the pseudonym of "Boz" was the second part or chapter of "The Boarding-House," which came out in the same magazine in August, 1834. Of the origin of this name, the author has given the following account: "Boz' was the nickname of a pet child, a younger brother [Augustus Dickens], whom I had dubbed Moses in honor of the Vicar of Wakefield; which, being facetiously pronounced through the nose, became Boses, and, being shortened, became Boz. 'Boz' was a very familiar household word to me ong before I was an author; and so I came to adopt it." It will be seen that Le name was originally pronounced with the long sound of o, as if spelt Boze; but the public, being ignorant of its derivation, naturally enough gave the vowel the short sound, as in Bob. Thus Hood says, in the verses he wrote on the occa tion of Dickens's leaving England for America in 1842, — 'Mr. Dickens's own estimate of "The Sketches "—given in 1850, in the Preface to a new edition of them-was, that they are " often extremely crude and ill-considered, bearing obvious marks of haste and inexperience, particularly in that section of the volume which is comprised under the general head of Tales " Such. however, was their mingled shrewdness, humor, and pathos, so varied and graphic were they, that they speedily became very popular; and for a time, indeed, the de mand was greater than the supply. CHARACTERS INTRODUCED. OUR PARISH. THE BEADLE. Simmons. Parish beadle, and prototype of Mr. Bumble in "Oliver Twist." THE FOUR SISTERS. Lawson, Mr. A surgeon, &c., in attendance on Mrs. Robinson at the time of her confinement. Robinson, Mr. A gentleman in a public office, who marries the youngest Miss Willis, though he has to court her three sisters also, as they are all completely identified one with another. Willises, The four Miss. Four sisters in "our parish," who seem to have no separate existence, and who drive the neighborhood distracted by keeping profoundly secret the name of the fortunate one who is to marry Mr. Robinson. ELECTION FOR BEADLE. Bung, Mr. A man of thirty-five years of age, with five small children; a candidate for the office of beadle, which he obtains by a large majority. (See below.) Purday, Captain. A bluff and unceremonious old naval officer on half-pay (first introduced, though not mentioned by name, in the sketch entitled "The Curate"). He is a determined opponent of the constituted authorities, whoever they may chance to be, and zealously supports Bung for beadle. Bpruggins, Mr. Thomas. Defeated candidate for beadle; a Little thin man, fifty years old, with a pale face expressive of care and fatigue, owing, perhaps, to the fact of his having ten small children (two of them twins) and a wife. Spruggins, Mrs. His wife. She solicits votes for her husband, and increases the general prepossession which at first prevails in his favor by her personal appearance, which indicates the proba bility of a still further addition, at no remote period, to his already large family. THE BROKER'S MAN. Bung, Mr. A broker's assistant, afterwards the parish beadle. (See above.) One of those careless, good-for-nothing, happy fellows who float cork-like on the surface for the world to play at hockey with. Fixem. A broker, who assumes the alias of Smith; Bung's master. John. A servant. THE LADIES' SOCIETIES. Browns, The three Miss. Members of various visitation committees and charitable societies, and admirers of the curate, who is a young man, and unmarried. They are opposed to Parker, Mrs. Johnson. The mother of seven extremely fine girls, all unmarried, and the founder of a Ladies' Bible and Prayer-Book Distribution Society, from which the Miss Browns are excluded. OUR NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR. William. A young man who overtasks himself to earn a support for himself and his widowed mother, and at last dies in her arms. Macklin, Mrs. An inhabitant of No. 4 in one of the little streets in the suburbs of London. Peplow, Mrs. A neighbor of Mrs. Macklin. Peplow, Master. Her son. Smuggins, Mr. A little round-faced man, in the comic line, with a mixed air of self-denial and mental consciousness of his own powers. Walker, Mrs. An inhabitant of No. 5 in the same street with Mrs. Macklin. SEVEN DIALS. Mary. A woman who has taken "three-outs" enough of gin and bitters to make her quarrelsome. Sarah. A vixen who falls out with her, and settles the difficulty by a resort to blows. DOCTORS' COMMONS. Bumple, Michael. Promoter, or complainant, against Mr. Sludberry, in a brawling case. Bludberry, Thomas. A little red-faced, sly-looking, ginger-beer seller, defendant in the case of "Bumple against Sludberry;" sentenced to excommunication for a fortnight and payment of costs. LONDON RECREATIONS. Bill, Uncle. One of a party of Sunday pleasurers at a tea-garden; considered a great wit by his friends. Sally. His niece, joked by Uncle Bill about her marriage, and her first baby, because a certain young man is "keeping company" with her. Dando. A boatman. THE RIVER. ASTLEY'S. Woolford, Miss. A circus-rider. PRIVATE THEATRES. Larkins, Jem. An amateur actor in the genteel comedy line, known to the public as Mr. Horatio St. Julian. Loggins, Mr. A player who takes the part of Macbeth, and is announced on the bills as Mr. Beverley. VAUXHALL GARDENS BY DAY. Green, Mr. An aeronaut. Green, Mr., jun. His son and assistant. THE LAST CAB-DRIVER AND THE FIRST OMNIBUS-CAD. Barker, Mr. William, commonly called BILL BOORKER OF AGGERAWATIN BILL. An omnibus-cad, with a remarkable talen for enticing the youthful and unwary, and shoving the old and help less, into the wrong 'bus. A PARLIAMENTARY SKETCH. Captain, The. A spare, squeaking old man, always damning his own eyes or "somebody else's," and a complete walking-reservoir of spirits and water. Jane. The Hebe of "Bellamy's," or the refreshment-room of the Houses of Parliament. She has a thorough contempt for the great majority of her visitors, and a great love of admiration. Nicholas. The butler of "Bellamy's." He has held the same place, dressed exactly in the same manner, and said precisely the same things, ever since the oldest of its present visitors can remember. Tom, Honest. A metropolitan member of the House of Commons. THE FIRST OF MAY. Bluffen, Mr., of Adam-and-Eve Court. A speaker at the anniversary dinner given to the chimney-sweeps on May-day at White Conduit House. THE PAWNBROKER'S SHOP. Henry, Mr. A pawnbroker, whose shop is near Drury Lane. CHARACTERS. THOUGHTS ABOUT PEOPLE. Smith, Mr. A poor clerk, a mere passive creature of habit and endurance. A CHRISTMAS DINNER. George, Aunt. The hostess at whose house the Christmas familyparty assemble. George, Uncle. Her husband. Jane, Aunt. Another member of the family. Margaret, Aunt. Married to a poor man, and treated coldly by her relations in consequence. Robert, Uncle. Husband to Aunt Jane. |