Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/109

67 THE PICKWICK CLUB. (17

continuance of negro slavery abroad, and on equal number against any interference with the factory system at home; sixty-eight for permit- ting the sale of benefices in the church, and eighty-six for abohshing Sunday trading in the streets.

Mr. Pickwick stood in the principal street of this illustrious town, and gazed with an air of curiosity not unmixed with interest, on the objects around him. There was an open square for the market-place ; and in the centre of it, a large inn with a sign-post in front, displaying an object very common in art, but rarely met with in nature — to wit, a blue lion with three bow legs in the air, balancing himself on the extreme point of the centre claw of his fourth foot. There were, within sight, an auctioneer's and fire-agency office, a corn-factor's, a linen draper's, a saddler's, a distiller's, a grocer's, and a shoe shop — the last-mentioned warehouse being also appropriated to the diffusion of hats, bonnets, wearing apparel, cotton umbrellas, and useful knowledge. There was a red-brick house with a small paved court-yard in front, which anybody might have known belonged to the attorney : and there was, moreover, another red-brick house with Venetian blinds, and a large brass door-plate, with a very legible announcement that it be- longed to the surgeon. A few boys were making their way to the cricket-field ; and two or three shopkeepers who were standing at their doors, looked as if they should like to be making their way to the same spot, as indeed to all appearance they might have done, without losing any great amount of custom thereby. Mr. Pickwick having paused to make these observations, to be noted down at a more convenient period, hastened to rejoin his friends, who had turned out of the main street, and were already within sight of the field of battle.

The wickets were pitched, and so were a couple of marquees for the rest and refreshment of the contending parties. The game had not yet commenced. Two or three Dingley Dellers, and All-Muggletonians, were amusing themselves with a majestic air by throwing the ball care- lessly from hand to hand; and several other gentlemen dressed like them, in straw hats, flannel jackets, and white trowsers, — a costume in which they looked very much like amateur stone-masons — were sprinkled about the tents, towards one of which Mr. Wardle con- ducted the party.

Several dozen of *' How-are-you's ? " hailed the old gentleman's arrival; and a general raising of the straw hats, and bending forward of the flannel jackets, followed his introduction of his guests as gentle- men from London, who were extremely anxious to witness the pro- ceedings of the day, with which, he had no doubt, they would be greatly delighted.

" You had better step into the marquee I think. Sir," said one very stout gentleman, whose body and legs looked like half a gigantic roll of flannel, elevated on a couple of inflated pillow-cases.

" You'll find it much pleasanter Sir," urged another stout gentle- man, who strongly resembled the other half of the roll of flannel aforesaid.

" You're very good," said Mr. Pickwick.


 * ' This way," said the first speaker; " they notch in here — it's the

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