nd I hope it may bring them
together. The event comes off in a carpenter's shop, as the biggest
place that can be got." In 1857, at Paxton's request, he read his
_Carol_ at Coventry for the Institute.

[177] My name it is Tom Thumb,
Small my size,
Small my size,
My name it is Tom Thumb,
Small my size.
Yet though I am so small,
I have killed the giants tall;
And now I'm paid for all,
Small my size,
Small my size,
And now I'm paid for all,
Small my size.

[178] This finds mention, I observe, in a pleasant description of "Mr.
Dickens's Amateur Theatricals," which appeared in _Macmillan's Magazine_
two years ago, by one who had been a member of the Juvenile Company. I
quote a passage, recommending the whole paper as very agreeably written,
with some shrewd criticism. "Mr. Planche had in one portion of the
extravaganza put into the mouth of one of the characters for the moment
a few lines of burlesque upon Macbeth, and we remember Mr. Dickens's
unsuccessful attempts to teach the performer how to imitate Macready,
whom he (the performer) had never seen! And after the performance, when
we were restored to our evening-party costumes, and the school-room was
cleared for dancing, still a stray 'property' or two had escaped the
vigilant eye of the property-man, for Douglas Jerrold had picked up the
horse's head (Fortunio's faithful steed _Comrade_), and was holding it
up before the greatest living animal painter, who had been one of the
audience, with 'Looks as if it knew _you_, Edwin!'"

[179] He went with the rest to Boulogne in the summer, and an anecdote
transmitted in one of his father's letters will show that he maintained
the reputation as a comedian which his early debut had awakened.
"ORIGINAL ANECDOTE OF THE PLORNISHGHENTER. This distinguished wit, being
at Boulogne with his family, made a close acquaintance with his
landlord, whose name was M. Beaucourt--the only French word with which
he was at that time acquainted. It happened that one day he was left
unusually long in a bathing-machine when the tide was making,
accompanied by his two young brothers and little English nurse, without
being drawn to land. The little nurse, being frightened, cried 'M'soo!
M'soo!' The two young brothers being frightened, cried 'Ici! Ici!'. Our
wit, at once perceiving that his English was of no use to him under the
for