On Christmas morning, Mr. Wardle invited Mr. Pickwick, Mr. Snodgrass, Mr. Tupman, Mr. Winkle, and his other guests to go down to the pond.
"You skate, of course, Winkle?" said Mr. Wardle.
"Ye-s; oh, yes!" resplied Mr. Winkle. "I-I-am rather out of practice.""Oh, do skate, Mr. Winkle," said Arabella. "I like to see it so much.""Oh, it is so graceful," said another young lady.
A third young lady said it was "elegant," and a fourth expressed her opinion that it was "swanlike.""I should be very happy, I am sure," said Mr. Winkle, reddening; "but I have no skates."This objection was at once overruled. Trundle had a couple of pairs, and the fat boy announced that there were half a dozen more downstairs; whereat Mr. Winkle expressed exquisite delight and looked exquisitely uncomfortable.
Mr. Wardle led the way to a pretty large sheet of ice; and, the fat boy and Mr. Weller having shovelled and swept away the snow which had fallen on it during the night, Mr.
Bob Sawyer adjusted his skates with a dexterity which to Mr. Winkle was perfectly marvellous, and described circles with his left leg, and cut figures of eight, and inscribed upon the ice, without once stopping for breath, a great many other pleasant and astonishing devices, to the excessive satisfaction of Mr. Pickwick, Mr. Tupman, and the ladies, which reached a pitch of positive enthusiasm when Mr. Wardle and Benjamin Allen, assisted by Bob Sawyer, performed some mystic evolutions which they called a reel.
All this time, Mr. Winkle, with his face and hands blue with the cold, had been forcing a gimlet into the soles of his shoes, and putting his skates on, with the points behind, and getting the straps into a very complicated state, with the assistance of Mr. Snodgrass, who knew rather less about skates than a Hindu. At length however, with the assistance of Mr. Weller, the unfortunate skates were firmly screwed and buckled on, and Mr. Winkle was raised to his feet.
" Now then, sir," said Sam, in an encouraging tone, "off vith you, and show "em how to do it.""Stop, Sam, stop!" said Mr. Winkle, trembling violently and clutching hold of Sam"s arms with the grasp of a drowning man. "How slippery, it is, Sam !""Not an uncommon thing upon ice, sir," replied Mr. Weller. "Hold up, sir !"This last observation of Mr. Weller"s bore reference to a demonstration Mr. Winkle made at the instant of a franticdesire to throw his feet in the air, and dash the back of his head on the ice.
"These-these-are very awkward skates; aren"t they, Sam?" inquired Mr. Winkle, staggering.
"I"m afeerd there"s an orkard gen"l"m"n in "em, sir," replied Sam.
"Now, Winkle," cried Mr. Pickwick, quite unconscious that there was anything the matter, "come; the ladies are all anxiety.""Yes, yes," replied Mr. Winkle, with a ghastly smile. "I"m coining.""Just a-goin" to begin," said Sam, endeavouring to disengage himself. "Now, sir, start off!""Stop an instant, Sam," gasped Mr. Winkle, clinging most affectionately to Mr. Weller. "I find I have a couple of coats at home that I don"t want, Sam. You may have them, Sam.""Thank "ee, sir," replied Mr. Weller.
"Never mind touching your hat, Sam," said Mr. Winkle, hastily. "You needn"t take your hand away to do that. I meant to have given you five shillings this morning for a Christmas- box, Sam. I"ll give it to you this afternoon, Sam.""You"re very good, sir," replied Mr. Weller.
"Just hold me at first, Sam, will you?"said Mr. Winkle. "There-that"s right. I shall soon get into the way of it, Sam. Not too fast, Sam; not too fast !"Mr. Winkle, stooping forward, with his body half doubledup, was being assisted over the ice by Mr. Weller in a very singular and unswanlike manner, when Mr. Pickwick most innocently shouted from the bank : " Sam !""Sir?""Here. I want you."
"Let go, sir!" said Sam. "Don"t you hear the governor a-callin"? Let go, sir !"With a violent effort, Mr. Weller disengaged himself from the grasp of the agonized Pickwickian, and in so doing administered a considerable impetus to the unhappy Mr. Winkle. With an accuracy which no degree of dexterity or practice could have ensured, that unfortunate gentleman bore swiftly down into the centre of the reel, at the very moment when Mr. Bob Sawyer was performing a flourish of unparalleled beauty. Mr. Winkle struck wildly against him, and with a loud crash they both fell heavily. Mr. Pickwick ran to the spot. Bob Sawyer had risen to his feet, but Mr. Winkle was far too wise to do anything of the kind on skates. He was seated on the ice, making spasmodic efforts to smile; but anguish was depicted on every lineament of his face.
"Are you hurt?" inquired Mr. Benjamin Allen, with great anxiety.
"Not much," said Mr. Winkle, rubbing his back very hard. Mr. Pickwick was excited and indignant. He beckoned toMr. Weller, and said in a stern voice: "Take his skates off." "No, but really, I had scarcely begun," remonstrated Mr.
Winkle.
"Take his skates off," repeated Mr. Pickwick, firmly.
The command was not to be resisted. Mr. Winkle allowed Sam to obey it in silence.
"Lift him up," said Mr. Pickwick. Sam assisted him to rise. Mr. Pickwick retired a few paces apart from the by- standers; and, beckoning his friend to approach, fixed a searching look upon him, and uttered in a low but distinct and emphatic tone these remarkable words: "You"re a humbug,sir.""A what?" said Mr. Winkle, starting.
"A humbug, sir. I shall speak plainer, if you wish it. An impostor, sir." With those words, Mr. Pickwick turned slowly on his heel, and rejoined his friends.
Charles Dicxens, in Pickwick Papers.
Author.-Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was one of the most famous of English novelists. He was poor as a boy, and was self-educated. As a youth, he became a lawyer"s clerk, then a journalist. His keen observation and wide sympathy make him popular as a novelist. Among his works are David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, The Pickwick Papers, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, The Old Curiosity Shop, Great Expectations, Martin Chuzzlewit, Our Mutual Friend, The Mystery Edwin Drood (unfinished).
Charles Dickons.
General Notes.-Nathaniel Winkle, in The Pickwick Papers, was a young Cockney sportsman, believed by his companions to be a dead shot, a mighty hunter, a skilful skater, etc., but these accomplishments were imaginary. What does the story reveal of his character? What traits distinguish each of the other persons in the story? You will need to read the whole book to answer this question fully. In this part of the story, Mr. Pickwick and his three companions are guests at a Christmas party at Mr. Wardle"s home in the country. Sam Weller is Mr. Pickwick"s servant.