Stories from Dickens Read online

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  DAVID COPPERFIELD AND LITTLE EMILY.]

  *Stories From Dickens*

  BY

  *J. WALKER McSPADDEN*

  _Author of "Stories of Robin Hood," "Synopses of Dickens's Novels," etc._

  NEW YORK THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY PUBLISHERS

  COPYRIGHT, 1906 BY THOMAS Y. CROWELL & COMPANY

  *Preface*

  The title of this book rings in the ear with a pleasant sound. "Storiesfrom Dickens"! "Stories" alone usually suggests such delightful ramblesin the land of dreams! And when it is coupled with the name of a kingof story-tellers by divine right, the charm is increased a hundredfold.

  These stories are--as the title indicates--taken directly from Dickens,very largely in his own language, and always faithful to his spirit.They are the stories of his most famous boys and girls, merely separatedfrom the big books and crowded scenes where they first appeared. Instage talk, the "lime-light" has been turned upon them alone. Theirearly joys and sorrows are shown, but always with more of the smilesthan the tears. There is sadness enough in real life withoutemphasizing it in books for young people, and so only two of thenumerous deathbed scenes found in Dickens are given place here.

  The book is not intended as a substitute, however small, for thecomplete texts; but is offered in the reverent hope that it will serveas both introduction and incentive to the bulky volumes which so oftenalarm young people by their very size. The compiler has in mind onechild of the "long ago" who looked with awe upon a stately row of fatbooks kept for show, like mummies in a high glass case, and labelled"Dickens." This child never suspected that the books were intended forreading--at any rate, not by children; so he contented himself for thetime with trashy little books with highly colored pictures "intended forchildren." What a world of delight would have been opened to him ifsome one had placed in his hands the story of Oliver Twist; or the firstpart of Nicholas Nickleby relating to Dotheboy's Hall; or the earlyhistory of David Copperfield (he might have demanded _all_ of _that_story!); or some of the inimitable Christmas tales! Afterwards he wouldhave read on and on for himself.

  To other such children this book comes as a friendly guide toDickens-land.

  It is barely necessary to add that the book is in different vein from anearlier handbook, "Synopses of Dickens's Novels," which is a quick guideand index to all the plots and characters in full.

  J.W.M.

  NEW YORK CITY, May, 1906.

  *Contents*

  *THE STORY OF OLIVER TWIST:*

  I. Oliver Begins Life in a Hard WayII. Oliver Falls from Bad to WorseIII. Oliver Makes his Way into Good SocietyIV. The End of Evil Days

  *THE STORY OF SMIKE AND HIS TEACHER:*

  I. How Nicholas Nickleby Came to Dotheboys HallII. How Smike Went Away from Dotheboys Hall

  *THE STORY OF LITTLE NELL:*

  I. In the Old Curiosity ShopII. Out in the Wide WorldIII. At the End of the Journey

  *THE STORY OF PAUL AND FLORENCE DOMBEY:*

  I. The House of Dombey and SonII. How Florence Came into her Own

  *THE STORY OF PIP AS TOLD BY HIMSELF:*

  I. How Pip Helped the ConvictII. Pip and EstellaIII. How Pip Fell Heir to Great Expectations

  *THE STORY OF LITTLE DORRIT:*

  I. The Child of the MarshalseaII. How the Prison Gates were Opened

  *THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD:*

  I. My Earliest RecollectionsII. I Fall into DisgraceIII. School. Steerforth and TraddlesIV. I Begin Life on my Own Account

  *THE STORY OF OLIVER TWIST*