trasting
prettily with the green-sward, we come upon the picturesque village of
Cobham, where Mr. Tupman sought consolation after his little affair with
the amatory spinster aunt. Of course the principal object of interest is
the Leather Bottle, or "Dickens's old Pickwick Leather Bottle," as the
sign of the present landlord now calls it, wherein Dickens slept a night
in 1841, and visited it many times subsequently. There is a coloured
portrait of the President of the Pickwick Club on the sign, as he
appeared addressing the members. A fire occurred at the Leather Bottle a
few years ago, but it was confined to a back portion of the building;
unfortunately its restoration and so-called "improvements" have
destroyed many of the picturesque features which characterized this
quiet old inn when Dickens wrote the famous Papers. Here is his
description of it after Mr. Pickwick, Mr. Snodgrass, and Mr. Winkle had
walked through Cobham Park to seek their lost friend:--

[Illustration: The "Leather Bottle" Cobham]

"'If this,' said Mr. Pickwick, looking about him;
'if this were the place to which all who are
troubled with our friend's complaint came, I fancy
their old attachment to this world would very soon
return.'

"'I think so too,' said Mr. Winkle.

"'And really,' added Mr. Pickwick, after half an
hour's walking had brought them to the village,
'really for a misanthrope's choice, this is one of
the prettiest and most desirable places of
residence I ever met with.'

"In this opinion also, both Mr. Winkle and Mr.
Snodgrass expressed their concurrence; and having
been directed to the Leather Bottle, a clean and
commodious village ale-house, the three
travellers entered, and at once inquired for a
gentleman of the name of Tupman.

"'Show the gentlemen into the parlour, Tom,' said
the landlady.

"A stout country lad opened a door at the end of
the passage, and the three friends entered a long,
low-roofed room, furnished with a large number of
high-backed leather-cushioned chairs, of fantastic
shapes, and embellished with a great variety of
old portraits, and roughly-coloured prints of some
antiquity. At the upper end of the room was a
table, with a white c