第8章

Iamsometimesinclinedtowonderwhether，inverytruth，thosePolchesterChristmasesofnearlythirtyyearsagoweresomarvellousasnowinretrospecttheyseem。Icangivedetailsofthosesplendours，factsandfigures，thattotheonlookerarelessthannothingatall——asugarelephantinastocking，aboxofpencilsonaChristmastree，“Hark，theHeraldAngels……“atthreeinthemorningbelowone’swindow，alightedplum-pudding，apostmanfourhourslate，hisbackbentwithburstingparcels。Anditissomethingfurther——behindthesugarcherriesandthepapercapsandthelightedtree——thatremainstogivemagictothosedays；asenseofexpectancy，asenseofrichness，asenseofworship，avisitfromtheThreeKingswhohavesoseldomcometovisitonesince。

ThatChristmasofJeremy’sninthyearwasoneofthebestthatheeverhad；itwasperhapsthelastoftheMAGICALChristmases。Afterthishewastoknowtoomuch，wastoseeFatherChristmasvanishbeforeasuminarithmetic，andastockingchangeintosomethingthat“boyswhogotoschoolneverhave“——thelastoftheChristmasesofdivinemagic，whenthesnowfellandthewaitssangandthestockingswerefilledandtheturkeyfattenedandthecandlesblazedandthehollycrackledbythewillofGodratherthanthepowerofman。Itwouldbemanyyearsbeforehewouldrealisethat，afterall，inthoseearlydayshehadbeenright……

AveryfatbookcouldbewrittenaboutallthathadhappenedduringthatwonderfulChristmas，howHamlettheDogcaughtarattohisownimmensesurprise；howtheColes’Christmasdinnerwasfollowedbyaplayactedwithcompletesuccessbythejuniormembersofthefamily，anditwasonlyMr。Jellybrandthecuratewhodisapproved；

howAuntAmyhadanewdressinwhich，bygeneralconsent，shelookedridiculous；howMary，owingtothefoolishkindnessofMrs。

Bartholomew，thePrecentor’swife，wasintroducedtotheworksofCharlotteMaryYongeandbecamequiteimpossibleinconsequence；howMissMaplehadachildren’spartyatwhichtherewasnothingtoeat，sothatallthechildrencriedwithdisappointment，andonesmallboy(theyoungestsonofthePrecentor)actuallybitMissMaple；howfortwowholedaysitreallyseemedthattherewouldbeskatingonThePool，andeveryoneboughtskates，andthen，ofcourse，theicebroke，andsoon，andsoon……thereisnoendtothedramaticincidentsofthatgreatsensationaltime。

ThethemethatIsing，however，isJeremy’sProgress，andalthoughevenHamlet’scatchingofaratinfluencedhisdevelopment，therewasoneincidentofthisChristmasthatstandsoutandawayfromalltheothers，anaffairthathewillneverallhisdaysforget，andthatevennow，atthisdistanceoftimeandexperience，causeshishearttobeatroughlywiththerememberedexcitementandpleasure。

SeveralweeksbeforeChristmasthereappeareduponthetownwallsandhoardingsthepicturedannouncementsoftheapproachingvisittoPolchesterofDenny’sGreatChristmasPantomime“DickWhittington。“

BoxingNightwastoseethefirstperformanceatourAssemblyRooms，andduringeveryafternoonandeveningofthenextthreeweeksthisperformancewastoberepeated。

Apantomimehad，Ibelieve，nevervisitedourtownbefore；therehad，ofcourse，formanyyearsbeentheGreatChristmasPantomimeattheTheatreRoyal，Drymouth，butinthosedaystrainswerenoteasy，andifyouwishedtoattendanafternoonperformanceattheDrymouthTheatreyoumustriseveryearlyinthemorningbythecandle-lightandreturnlateintheevening，withthecabforgettingtomeetyouatthestationascommanded，andthelongwalkupOrangeStreet，andaheadacheandabadtempernextday。

IthappenednaturallythenthatthemajorityofthePolchesterchildrenhadneversettheirinquisitivenoseswithinthedoorsofatheatre，andalthoughthetwoeldestdaughtersoftheDean，agedtenandeleven，hadbeenoncetoLondonandtoDruryLaneTheatre，theirsenseofgloryanddistinctionsocloudedtheirpowersofaccuracyandclaritythatwewerenonearer，bytheirhelpandauthority，totheunderstandingofwhatapantomimemightreallybe。

Icanmyselfrecallthegloryofthose“DickWhittington“pictures。

JustaboveMartin’sthepastry-cook’s(wheretheysoldlemonbiscuits)，neartheCathedral，therewasabigwoodenhoarding，andontothiswaspastedamarvellousrepresentationofDickandhisCatdiningwiththeKingoftheZanzibarIslands。TheKing，aMulatto，satwithhiscourtinahallwithgoldenpillars，andtheratsweretobeseenflyinginaconfusedfloodtowardsthegoldengates，whilstDick，inredplushanddiamondbuckles，stoodindignifiedmajesty，theCatathisside。TherewasanotherwonderfulpictureofDickasleepattheCrossRoads，fairieswatchingoverhim，andLondonTowninalightedpurpledistance——andanotherofthestreetsofOldLondonwithacomicfatservingman，diamond-

panedwindows，cobblestonesandhighpointingeavestothehouses。

Jeremysawthesepicturesforthefirsttimeduringoneofhisafternoonwalks，andreturnedhomeinsuchastateofchokingexcitementthathecouldnotdrinkhistea。Aswaseverhiswayhewassilentandcontrolledaboutthematter，askedveryfewquestions，andalthoughhetalkedtohimselfalittledidnotdisturbthegeneralpeaceofthenursery。OnMaryandHelentheeffectofthepostershadbeenless。MarywasfollowingtheadventuresoftheMayfamilyin“TheDaisyChain，“andHelenwasmakingnecklacesforherselfoutofaboxofbeadsthathadbeengivenher。

WhenJeremysaidonce，“Whowasthemanintheredtrouserswithgoldonthem？“noonepaidanyattentionsaveHamlet，whowaggedhistail，lookedwiseandgrowledalittle。

WhoindeedcouldtellhowheachedandlongedanddesiredHehadaveryvagueideaastothenatureofaplay；theyhadoftendressedupathomeandpretendedtobedifferentthingsandpeople，and，ofcourse，heknewbyheartthewholehistoryofDickWhittington，butthisknowledgeandexperiencedidnotintheleastforcehimtorealisethatthisperformanceofMr。Denny’swassimplyalarger，moredeveloped“dressingup“andpretending。InsomemysteriousbutneverthelessdirectfashionDickWhittingtonwascomingtoPolchester。ItwasjustashehadheardforalongtimeoftheexistenceofAuntEmilywholivedinManchester——andthenonedaysheappearedinablackbonnetandashawl，andgavethemwetkissesandsixpenceapiece。

DickWhittingtonwascoming，havingperhapsheardthatPolchesterwasaveryjollyplace。SomightcomeanydayJackoftheBeanstalk，Cinderella，QueenVictoria，andGod。

Therewerequestionsmeanwhilethathewouldliketoask，buthewasalreadyavictimtothatproperlyEnglishfearofmakingafoolofhimself，soheaskednothing。HedraggedouthistoyvillageandtriedtomakeitabridgeinhisimaginationbetweenthenurseryandWhittington’sworld。Asthevillageopenedadoorfromthenursery，somightWhittingtonopenadoorfromthevillage。

HeconsideredHamletandwonderedwhetherheknewanythingaboutit。

Hamlet，inspiteofhismongrelappearance，wasaverycleverdog。

Hehadhisespecialcornersinthegarden，thekitchenandthenursery。Henevermisbehaved，wasneverintheway，andwasabletoamusehimselfforhourstogether。AlthoughheattachedhimselfquitedeliberatelytoJeremy，hedidthisinnosentimentalfashion，andinhisanimositiestowardstheJampot，AuntAmyandtheboywhohelpedwiththebootsandtheknives，hewasalwaysrestrainedandcourteous。HedidindeedgrowlatAuntAmy，butalwayswithsuchasenseofhumourthateveryone(exceptAuntAmy)wascharmed，andheneveractuallysupportedthechildrenintheirrebellionsagainsttheJampot，althoughyoucouldseethathelikedandapprovedofsuchthings。TheJampothatedhimwithapassionthatcausedthenurserytoquiverwithemotion。Washenotthecauseofherapproachingdeparture，hisfirstappearancehavingledherintoatempestofpassionthathadcausedhertooffera“notice“thatshehadneverforaninstantimaginedwouldbeaccepted？Washenotadevilishdogwho，with，hisquietmovementsandslyexpressions，wasmorethanhuman？“Markmywords，“shesaidinthekitchen，“there’sadevilinthatthereanimal，andsothey’llfindbeforethey’remanyyearsolder——’Amletindeed——a’eathenishnameanda’eathenishbeast。“

Herenemyhaddiscoveredthatinonecornerofthenurserythereweresignsandsymbolsthatwitnessedtosomethinginthenatureofamouseorarat。Thatnurserycornerbecamethecentreofallhismoreadventurousinstincts。IthappenedtobejustthecornerwheretheJampotkepthersewingmachine，andyouwouldthink，ifyoucametothenurseryasastranger，andsawhimsitting，hiseyesfixedbeaminglyuponthemachine，histailerect，andhisbodyhereandtherequiveringalittle，thatfromdutiesofmanlydevotionhewasprotectingtheJampot’sproperty。Sheknewbetter；sheregarded，insomeundefinedway，thiscontinuedcontemplationbyhimofherpossessionsasanironicalinsult。Shedideverythingpossibletodrivehimfromthecorner；heinevitablyreturned，andashealwaysdelicatelysteppedasidewhensheapproached，itcouldnotbesaidthathewasinherway。Onceshestruckhim；helookedatherinsuchafashionthat“herfleshcrept。“……Sheneverstruckhimagain。

ForJeremyhebecamemoreandmoreofadelight。Heunderstoodsomuch。Hesympathised，hecongratulated，hesported，alwaysattherightmoment。HewouldsitgravelyatJeremy’sfeet，hisbodypressedagainstJeremy’sleg，onelegstuckoutsquare，hiseyesfixedinquisitivelyuponthenurseryscene。Hewouldbemotionless；

thensuddenlysomethoughtwouldelectrifyhim——hisearswouldcock，hiseyesshine，hisnosequiver，histailtumble。Thecrisiswouldpass；hewouldbecomposedoncemore。Hewouldslidedowntothefloor，hiswholebodycollapsing；hisheadwouldrestuponJeremy’sfoot；hewoulddreamofcats，ofrats，ofbirds，oftheJampot，ofbeefandgravy，ofsugar，ofbeingwashed，ofthedogs’Valhalla，offireandwarmth，ofJeremy，ofwalkswheneverypieceofflyingpaperwasachallenge，ofdogs，dogsthathehadknownofwhenhewasapuppy，ofdoingthingsheshouldn’t，ofpunishmentandwisdom，prideandanger，oflove-affairsofhisyouth，ofbattle，ofsettling-down，oflove-affairsinthefuture，againofcatsandbeef，andsmells——smells——smells，againofJeremy，whomheloved。

AndJeremy，watchinghimnow，thussleeping，andthinkingofDickWhittington，wonderedwhyitwasthatadogwouldunderstandsoeasily，withoutexplanations，thethoughtsanddesireshehad，andthatallgrown-uppeoplewouldnotunderstand，andwoulddemandsomanyexplanations，andwouldlaughatone，andpityone，anddespiseone。Whywasit？heaskedhimself。

“Iknow，“hesuddenlycried，turninguponHelen；“itcanbeyourbirthdaytreat！“

“Whatcan？“sheasked。

“Why，goingtoDickWhittington——allofus。“

Helenhad，mostunfortunatelyforherself，abirthdayonlyaweekafterChristmas，theresultbeingthat，inherownopinionatanyrate，sheneverreceived“properpresents“oneitherofthosetwogreatpresent-givingoccasions。Shewasalwaysallowed，however，a“treat“；herrequestsweregenerallyinthenatureoffood；onceofarideinthetrain；onceevenavisittothePolchesterMuseum