Pen photographs of Charles Dickens's readings . s. Dickens maynot be able to look like a Pecksniffian hypocrite, but hecertainly can look like a murderer. Dickens is not as successful in the slight character ofMr. Mould, because of Mr. ]Moulds strong resemblanceto IMr. jNIicawber. The little bald undertaker is very highlytinctured with the essence of the incomparable Wilkins,and although the essence is in itself good, nevertheless,when employed as a flavoring extract, it fails to performits earthly mission. Tliere is undoubtedly somethingMicawberisli in tlie vast importance of ]\Ir. Mouldsmann
Pen photographs of Charles Dickens's readings . s. Dickens maynot be able to look like a Pecksniffian hypocrite, but hecertainly can look like a murderer. Dickens is not as successful in the slight character ofMr. Mould, because of Mr. ]Moulds strong resemblanceto IMr. jNIicawber. The little bald undertaker is very highlytinctured with the essence of the incomparable Wilkins,and although the essence is in itself good, nevertheless,when employed as a flavoring extract, it fails to performits earthly mission. Tliere is undoubtedly somethingMicawberisli in tlie vast importance of ]\Ir. Mouldsmanner, but j\Ir. jMould is too excellent a character not tobe originally delineated. Dickenss Mr. jNIould is a veryamusing person, — especially wlien, turning to Mr. Peck-sniff, he says in an aside, Very shrewd woman, , &ir, referring to Mrs. Gamp. Woman whoseintellect is immensely superior to her station in life ; sortof woman one would really almost feel disposed to buryfor nothing, and do it neatly, too, — but Mr. Mould can. SAIREY GAMP AND BETSEY PRIG. MRS. GAMP. 133 never hang in the Dickens Portrait Gallery. Cest magni-fique, 77iais ce tiest pas la guerre. Nor, alas ! can we ever see there the classic features ofBetsey Prig. The outline drawn by Dickens is not the counterfeit presentment, but a hasty limning, executedapparently without any careful study of the is the only theory upon which the absence of aspeaking likeness can be accounted for. Mrs. Prig has agruff voice and a beard, — a mannish voice, if you like, —but is not a man for a that; and as the author of herbeing depicts this interesting lady, she is superlativelya man. It does not for an instant occur to us thatDickens is anybody but Dickens in a demoralized con-dition of mind and countenance. There is no illusion,and notwithstanding that the best of creeturs bothersMrs. Harris, assumes an attitude of defiance, winks hereye, declares there s no sich a person, and snaps herfingers
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbritish, bookyear1871
