The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club

by Charles Dickens

T

he stable yard exhibited unequivocal symptoms of the glory and strength of the Eatanswill Blues. There was a regular army of the blue flags, some with one handle, and some with two, exhibiting appropriate devices, in golden characters four feet high, and stout in proportion. There was a grand band of trumpets, bassoons and drums, marshalled four abreast, and earning their money, if ever men did, especially the drum beaters, who were very muscular. There were bodies of constables with blue staves, twenty committee men with blue scarfs, and a mob of voters with blue cockades. There were electors on horseback, and electors afoot. There was an open car­riage and four, for the honourable Samuel Slumkey; and there were four carriages and pair, for his friends and supporters and the flags were rustling, and the band was playing, and the consta­bles were swearing, and the twenty committee men were squabbling, and the mob were shouting, and the horses were backing, and the post-boys perspiring; and everybody, and everything, then and there assembled, was for the special use, behoof, honour, and renown, of the honourable Samuel Slumkey, of Slumkey Hall, one of the candidates for the representation of the borough of Eatanswill in the Commons House of Parliament of the United Kingdom.

                Loud and long were the cheers, and mighty was the rustling of one of the blue flags, with “Liberty of the Press” inscribed thereon, when the sandy head of Mr. Pott was discerned in one of the windows, by the mob beneath; and tremendous was the enthusiasm when the honourable Samuel Slumkey himself, in top boots, and a blue neckerchief, advanced and seized the hand of the said Pott, and melodramatically testified by gestures to the crowd, his ineffaceable obligations to the Eatanswill Gazette.

                “Is everything ready?” said the honourable Samuel Slumkey to Mr. Perker.

                “Everything, my dear Sir,” was the little man’s reply.

                “Nothing has been omitted, I hope?” said the honourable Samuel Slumkey.

                “Nothing has been left undone, my dear Sir—nothing whatever. There are twenty washed men at the street door for you to shake hands with; and six children in arms that you’re to pat on the head, and inquire the age of; be particular about the children, my dear Sir,—it has always a great effect, that sort of thing.”

                “I’ll take care,” said the honourable Samuel Slumkey.

                “And perhaps, my dear Sir—” said the cautious little man, “perhaps if you could—I don’t mean to say it’s indispensable—but if you could manage to kiss one of them, it would produce a very great impression on the crowd.”

Notes and exercises:

1.     Pronounce correctly and memorize the spelling of the following words:

exhibit	exhilarate	exhortation	exhilarating	exhilarative
exhaust	exhilarant	exhaustive	exhilaration	exhumation
exhort	exhaustion	exhibition	exhortative	exhibitionism

2.     The adjective “muscular” is pronounced [´mÙskjul¶(r)] but the noun “muscle” has a silent “c” [mÙsl]. Other words with a silent “c” are the following: victuals, indict, indictment, Connecticut, blancmange, char-à-banc.

3.     Silent “h” occurs in the following words:

ghastly	shepherd	exhort	rhythm	heir	honourable
vehicle	hour	ghost	rhyme	rhinoceros	exhilarate
exhibit	vehement	honour	silhouette	rhetorical	forehead
exhaust	rhapsody	honest	khaki	aghast	posthumous

4.     Memorize the following words having a common root. Pay attention to the different prefixes: inscribe, describe, prescribe, conscribe, proscribe, ascribe, transcribe.

5.     Fill in the blanks supplying the prefixes “en–” or “in–”:

...trench	...shroud	...roll	...rapture
...tomb	...born	...carnate	...cite
...list	...danger	...courage	...circle
...dorse	...quire	...sure	...clude
...chain	...come	...corporate	...able
...criminate	...ability	...culcate	...cur
...cursion	...debted	...dulge	...flame
...tangible	...unrbane	...justice	...vite

6.            Word study:

staves                            (here) sticks used as signs of office (archaic pl. of staff)

cockade                        a ribbon worn in a hat as badge of office, party, etc.

unequivocal clear; having only one possible meaning

squabble                      engage in a petty or noisy quarrel: Tom was squabbling with his sister about who should use the bicycle.

7.     Translate the following expressions and use them in sentences of your own:

the foot of the stocking, the foot of the mountain, the foot of a statue, the foot of a wine glass, at the foot of the class, the foothills of a mountain, footnotes, to be on one’s feet (to be standing in good health after an illness) (to be financially independent), to set somebody on his feet, to put one’s foot down (to object, to protest), to put one’s foot into it (to say or do something unsuitable or wrong, to blunder, to make a stupid remark), to keep one’s feet (not fall, e.g. when walking on ice), to lose one’s footing, to fall on one’s feet, to have one foot in the grave, with one’s feet foremost (used about a dead person), underfoot (on the ground), it’s wet underfoot, crow’s feet, to get one’s feet in (to have a finger in the pie), to catch someone on his wrong foot (to surprise), to get off on the wrong foot (US), to get up with the wrong foot foremost (to get up on the wrong side of one’s bed), to give somebody a foot, to serve someone hand and foot, to struggle to one’s feet, to set foot