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"That's the happiness of you young people," she con-
tinued. "You don't know what it is to be low in your
feelings. You always have your appetites too, and what a
comfort that is."

Nell thought that she could sometimes dispense with her
own appetite very conveniently; and thought, moreover,
that there was nothing either in the lady's personal appear-
ance or in her manner of taking tea, to lead to the conclu-
sion that her natural relish for meat and drink had at all
failed her. She silently assented, however, as in duty
bound, to what the lady had said, and waited until she
should speak again.

Instead of speaking, however, she sat looking at the
child for a long time in silence, and then getting up, brought
out from a corner a large roll of canvas about a yard in
width, which she laid upon the floor and spread open with
her foot until it nearly reached from one end of the caravan
to the other.

"There, child," she said, "read that."

Nell walked down it, and read aloud, in enormous black
letters, the inscription, "JARLEY'S WAX-WORK."

"Read it again," said the lady, complacently.

" Jarley's Wax-Work," repeated Nell.

"That's me," said the lady. "I am Mrs. Jarley."

Giving the child an encouraging look, intended to reassure
her and let her know, that, although she stood in the
presence of the original Jarley, she must not allow herself
to be utterly overwhelmed and borne down, the lady of the
caravan unfolded another scroll, whereon was the inscrip-
tion, "One hundred figures the full size of life," and then
another scroll, on which was written, "The only stupendous
collection of real wax-work in the world," and then several
smaller scrolls with such inscriptions as "Now exhibiting
within"--"The genuine and only Jarley"--"Jarley's un-
rivalled collection"--"Jarley is the delight of the Nobility
and Gentry"--"The Royal Family are the Patrons of
Jarley." When she had exhibited these leviathans of public
announcement to the astonished child, she brought forth
specimens of the lesser fry in the shape of hand-bills, some
of which were crouched in the form of parodies on popular
melodies, as "Believe me if all Jarley's wax-work so rare"
--"I saw thy show in youthful prime"--"Over the water
to Jarley;" while, to consult all tastes, others were com-
posed with a view to the lighter and more facetious spirits,

-196-

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com

Publication Information: Book Title: The Old Curiosity Shop. Contributors: Charles Dickens - author. Publisher: J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd.. Place of Publication: London. Publication Year: 1907. Page Number: 196.
    
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