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THE DRINKS OF DICKENS
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than his fair share of the wines. Mr. Wickfield
—silly old dotard to be deceived by such a
shallow, transparent rufhan as Uriah Heep
drank assorted wines to drown his cares ; whilst
one of the servants engaged by Dora, during
her brief experience of matrimonial joys, used
to chalk up an account, in her mistress' name,
at the public house, the items appearing as
" half-quartern gin and cloves (Mrs. C.);" " glass
rum and peppermint (Mrs. C.)"—the parenthesis
always referring to Dora, who was supposed to
have consumed the whole of these refreshments.
There is a fair amount of assorted drinking in
Martin Chuzzlewit. Revelry at Pecksniff Hall
took, we learn, the form of red and white currant.
wine, of acid characteristics, the remains of the
two bottles being subsequently blended, for the
special malefit of Tom Pinch and young Martin.
But the artful Pecksniff himself did not stir
without the brandy bottle when going on a
journey, and the family seem to have done them
selves particularly well at "Todgers's." When
ever I feel more than ordinarily depressed in
spirits, I overhaul my Martin Chuzzlewit and
read, once again, the report of the dinner at
Todgers's, which led to Mr. Pecksniffs fall into
the fireplace. John Westlock—about the most
admirable young man in all Dickens s novels
did not forget to do his friends well at Salisbury.
" As to wines," we are told, " the man who can
dream such iced champagne, such claret, port, or
sherry, had better go to bed and stop there.
The blackmailing of the captain of the Screw
by the proprietor ofthe New York Rowdy Journal
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