KET CLUBPLAYED ALL-MUGGLETON, AND HOW ALL-MUGGLETON DINED AT THE DINGLEY DELLEXPENSE; WITH OTHER INTERESTING ANDINSTRUCTIVE MATTERShe f
d and dreamless sleep, from which he was onlyawakened by the morning sun darting his bright beamsreproachfull
like this? Who could continue to exist where there are nocows but the cows on the chimney-pots; nothing redolent of Panbut pan-tiles; no crop but stone crop? Who could bear to drag outa life in such
he air around; the deep-green meadows shone in themorning dew that glistened on every leaf as it trembled in thegentle air; and the b
s the sound t
ced the prospect; he stared into the sky, but hewasn't wanted there; and then he di
g,ain't it? Glad to see you up so early. Make haste down, and comeout. I'll wait for you here.' Mr. Pickwick needed no secondinvit
hat his companionwas armed with a gun, and that an
st, 'are going out rook-shooting before br
al one,' replied Mr. Pickwick,'but
e host, 'I wish h
the morningdid not appear to be more than three p
m he'll find me andMr. Pickwick in the rooker
and the host,carrying both guns like a secon
lking, in an avenue of trees. The information wasunnecessary; for the incess
id one gun on the grou
r. Winkle appeared in thedistance. The fat boy, not being quite certain which gentleman hewas direct
uted the old gentle
ought to have been up long a go,
tenance which ametaphysical rook, impressed with a foreboding of hisapproaching death by violen
e lads for?' inquired Mr. Pickwick abruptly. He was ratheralarmed; for he was not quite certain but that the distress of theagricultural interest, about which he had often heard a great de
Mr. Wardle
' inquired
English, to fri
is th
are sat
Qui
ell. Shal
said Mr. Winkle,
ide, then.
rooks in violent conversation, flew out to ask whatthe matter was. The old
Joe,' said the
upon the youth's f
through his imagination. Helaughed as he
id the host, reloading
scape damage from theheavy fall of rooks, which they felt quite certain would beoccasioned by the d
said the ol
o?' inquired
Winkle, who was very pale―
e gun. 'Never knew oneof them miss fire be
id Mr. Winkle, 'I dec
was rectified. Mr. P
upman looked out from behind a tree. Theboy shouted; four birds flew out. Mr. Wink
rable unoffending birds byreceiving a
ld be impossible. Totell how Mr. Pickwick i
ostrate on the ground;and how Mr. Winkle
them both―all this would be as difficult to describein detail, as it would be to depict the gradual recovering of theunfortunate individual
eir breakfast. The spinster auntappeared; she smiled, and beckoned them to walk quicker. 'Twase
pproache
e spinster aunt heeded not the remark; shethought it applied to Mr. Pickwick. In h
is daughters. The little party had crowded so completely roundMr. Tupm
rightened,' s
matter?' screa
et with a little ac
cream, burst into anhysteric laugh, and
water over her,' sa
rgeon! Is he wounded?―Is he dead?―Is he―Ha, ha,ha!' Here the spinster aunt
ost to tears bythis expression of sympathy with
ter aunt; and strongsymptoms of fit numb
self, I entreat you, d
. 'I am very little
jaculated the hysterical lad
r. Wardle, rather moreroughly than was con
the use of his say
butyours. Let me lean on your arm.' He added, in a whisper, 'Oh,
r. Mr. Tracy Tupman gentlypressed her h
?' inquired the
is nothing. I shall be better
nt. (His organs of visionhad been close
upm
p―'Oh, say those word
rely you did not hear t
Tupman; 'repeat them. If you wou
y Tupman resumedhis former position; and Mr. Wa
us satisfied, they proceeded to satisfy their appetites withcountenances to which an expression of cheerfulness was againres
he proceedings ofthe morning. 'Are you a cri
plied in theaffirmative. He felt the delicacy
ir?' inquired
host; 'but I have given it upnow. I subs
played to-day, I belie
host. 'Of course you
ul people do not endanger human life.' Mr. Pickwickpaused, and looked steadily on Mr. Winkle, who quailed beneathhis leader's searching glance
me in better hands
ssible,' said
rrounded, Mr. Pickwick was almost inclined to regret theexpedition they had used, when he found himself in the mainstreet of the town of Muggleton. Everybody whose genius has atopographical bent knows perfectly well that Muggleton is acorporate town, with a mayor, burgesses, and freemen; andanybody who has consulted the addresses of the mayor to thefreemen, or the freemen to the mayor, or both to the corporation,or all three to Parliament, will learn from thence what they oughtto have known before, that Muggleton is an an
agency office, a corn-factor's, a linen-draper's, a saddler's, adistiller's, a grocer's, and a shoe-shop―the last-mentionedwarehouse being also appropriated to the diffusion of hats,bonnets, wearing apparel, cotton umbrellas, and usefulknowledge. There was a red brick house with a small pavedcourtyard in front, which anybody might have known belonged tothe attorney; and there was, moreover, another red brick housewith Venetian blinds, and a large brass door-plate with a verylegible announcement that it belonged to
d All-Muggletonians, were amusing themselves with a majestic air bythrowing the ball carelessly from hand to hand; and several othergentlemen dressed like them, in straw hats, fla
bendingforward of the flannel jackets, followed his introduction of hisguests as gentlemen from London, who were e
ery stout gentleman, whose body and legs looked like half agigant
another stoutgentleman, who strongly resembled
y good,' said
here―it's thebest place in the whole field;' and the
st object that met his eyes was his green-coated friend ofthe Rochester coach, holding forth, to the no small delight andedification
Pickwick by the hand, dragged him to aseat with his usual impetuosity, talking all the
ks; mustard―cart-loads; glorious day―down with you―make yourself at home―glad
rections of their mysteriousfriend. M
riend of mine,' s
e you?―Friend of myfriend's―give me you
en stepped back a pace or two as if to take a fullsurvey of his face and figu
d with surprise. 'Come,' replied thestranger―'stopping at Crown―Crown at Muggleton―met aparty
ontracted anacquaintance with the All-Muggletons, which he had converted, bya process peculiar to himself, into that extent of good-fellowshipon which a general in
as pitched to bowl against theredoubtable Dumkins, and Mr. Struggles was selected to do thesame kind office for the hitherto unconquered Podder. Severalplayers were stationed, to 'look out,' in different parts of the field,and each fixed himself into the proper attit
ickets; the scorerswere prepared to notch
cket of the passivePodder, and applied the
d its coming with his eyes f
tre stump of the wicket. Thewary Dumkins was on the alert: it fell upon the tip of the bat, andbou
till their arms ached; but Dumkins and Podderremained unconquered. Did an elderly gentleman essay to stopthe progress of the ball, it rolled between his legs or slippedbetween his fingers. Did a slim gentleman try to catch it, it struckhim on the nose, and bounded pleasantly off with redoubledviolence, while the slim gentleman's eyes filled with water, and hisform writhed with anguish. Was it thrown straight up to thewicket, Dumkins had reached it before the ball. In short, whenDumkins
o have been highlygratifying to the party concerned; while at every bad attempt at acatch, and every failure to stop the ball, he launched his personaldispleasure at the head of the devoted individual in suchdenunciations as―'Ah, a
rable,' said thestranger, as both sides crowd
much amused by his loquacity. 'Played it! Think I have―thousan
rm pursuit in such a clim
ent in; kept in―heatintense―natives all fainted―taken away―fresh half-dozenordered―fainted also―Blazo bowling―supported by twonatives―couldn't bowl me out―fainted too―cleared away thecolonel―wouldn't give in―faithful att
hat's-his-name, sir?' i
Bla
other ge
anko
es,
motion or imbibe its contents, we cannot distinctly affirm. Weonly know that he paused suddenly, drew a long and deep breath,and looked anxiously on, as two of the principal
mong our friends we includeMr.―;'
versatile gentleman, t
Jingle, Esq., of
y, I am sure,' said Mr.
pered confidentiallyin the ear of the former gentleman:―'Devilish good dinner―cold, but capital―peeped into t
e knots of twos and threes; andwithin a quarter of an hour were all seated in the great room o
ry of which item of confusion, the facetiousMr. Jingle lent the aid of half-a-dozen ordinary men at least. Wheneverybody had eaten as much as possible, the cloth was removed,bottles, glasses, and dessert were placed
remained very quiet;occasionally looking round him when the conversation slackened,as if he contemplated putting in something very weighty; and nowand then bursting
profound stillness as theindiv
o you, sir, if you will entreat th
emainder of the company; and the glasseshaving been filled, the vice-president
u and not to our worthy chairman, because our worthychairman is in some measure―
suggested
irly lay claim―they are toonumerous and too well known to require aid or recapitulationfrom me. But, sir, while we remember that Muggleton has givenbirth to a Dumkins and a Podder, let us never forget that DingleyDell can boast a Luffey and a Struggles. (Vociferous cheering.) Letme not be considered as wishing to detract from the merits of theformer gentlemen. Sir, I envy them the luxury of their ownfeelings on this occasion. (Cheers.) Every gentleman who hearsme, is probabl
taught to associate
or aninstant, to misgiving and despair? And when you have been thusdepressed, has not the name of Dumkins laid afresh within you
round with a rich halo ofenthusiastic cheer
thumping of tables, which lasted with littleintermission during the remainder of th
ject of unqualified eulogium;and each in
addresses before our ardentreaders. Mr. Snodgrass, as usual, took a great mass of notes, whichwould no doubt have afforded most useful and valuableinformation, had not the burning eloquence of the words or thefeverish influence of the wine made that gentleman's hand soextremely unstea
ly repeated at short intervals. We fancy, too,that we can discern at the very end of th
ecessarily rest upon mere conjecture, we are not disposed toi
tion of worthies of Dingley Dell and Muggleton were heardto sing, with great feeling and emphasis, the beautiful and patheticnat