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Charles Dickens

Madeline House and Graham Storey (eds), The British Academy/The Pilgrim Edition of the Letters of Charles Dickens, Vol. 1: 1820–1839

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To HENRY AUSTIN, [20 DECEMBER 1834]*

MS Morgan Library. Date: Mrs John Dickens's birthday was on 21 Dec; during CD's period at Furnival's Inn this was a Sunday only in 1834.

Furnivals Inn | Saturday Morning

Dear Henry.

I am obliged to give you the very ridiculous notice that if you come and see me tomorrow we must go out and get our dinner. I think the best way will be to walk somewhere; the fact is that I have had an explosion with nineteen out of the twenty Laundresses4 in the Inn already, and can't get "done for". Some Methodistical ruffian has been among 'em, and they have all got the cant about "profaning the Sabbath"—and wiolating that commandment which embraces within its scope not only the stranger within the gates, but cattle of every description, including Laundresses.

Tomorrow is my Mother's birth day, so I have promised on behalf of yourself and Beard that we will go from here, and spend the Evening there. If you will be down here as early as you can tomorrow morning—shall we say to breakfast; for I dont take that meal until half past ten?—we can walk to Norwood, or some pretty place where we can get a chop, and return here to our grog.

  • Believe me
  •      Very Sincerely Yours
  •            Charles Dickens5

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Notes

Editor’s Note
4 Women servants in the Inns of Court.
Editor’s Note
5 Written along margin of 2nd side of a folded sheet, at right-angles to text of letter, is "20", and beneath it "left alone with tolerable composure" (cancelled),—a phrase from "Passage in the Life of Mr. Watkins Tottle, Chapter the First" (Monthly Magazine, Jan 35). Clearly CD was using up a discarded sheet of paper.
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