The Chimes / A Goblin Story of Some Bells That Rang an Old Year out and a New Year In

s observation neither to young people nor to little people, but extend it to all conditions of people: little and big, young and old: yet growing up, or already growing down again-there are

t, and I will undertake to maintain it successfully on any gusty winter's night appointed for the purpose, with any one opponent chosen from the rest, who wil

round and round the pillars, and tempting the deep organ, soars up to the roof, and strives to rend the rafters: then flings itself despairingly upon the stones below, and passes, muttering, into the vaults. Anon, it comes up stealthily, and creeps along the walls, seeming to read, in whispers, the Inscriptions sacred to the Dead. At some of these, it breaks out shrilly, as with laughter; and at others, moa

and sheets of lead and copper, shrivelled by the changing weather, crackle and heave beneath the unaccustomed tread; and birds stuff shabby nests into corners of old oaken joists and beams; and dust grows old and grey; and speckled spiders, indolent and fat with long security, swing idly to and fro in the vibration of the bells, and never loose their hold upon their thread-s

d no one knew their names. They had had their Godfathers and Godmothers, these Bells (for my own part, by the way, I would rather incur the responsibility of being Godfather to a Bell than a Boy)

hey would pour their cheerful notes into a listening ear right royally; and bent on being heard on stormy nights, by some poor mother watching a sick child, or some lone wife whose husband was at sea, they had been sometimes known to beat a blustering Nor' Wester; aye, 'all to fits,' as Toby Veck said;-for

one. And whatever Toby Veck said, I say. And I take my stand by Toby Veck, although he did stand all day long (and w

ing Toby, it would suddenly wheel round again, as if it cried 'Why, here he is!' Incontinently his little white apron would be caught up over his head like a naughty boy's garments, and his feeble little cane would be seen to wrestle and struggle unavailingly in his hand, and his legs would undergo tremendous agitation, and Toby himself all aslant, and facing now in this direction, now in that, would be so banged

having to fight with that boisterous element took off his attention, and quite freshened him up, when he was getting hungry and low-spirited. A hard frost too, or a fall of snow, was an Event; and it s

as they knocked against each other on the crowded footway, throwing off a little whirlpool of uncomfortable sprinklings; when gutters brawled and waterspouts were full and noisy; when the wet from the projecting stones and ledges of the church fell drip, drip, drip, on Toby, making the wisp of straw on which he stood mere mud in no time; those were the days that tried him. Then, indeed, you might see Toby loo

one reason for his clinging to it so tenaciously. A weak, small, spare old man, he was a very Hercules, this Toby, in his good intentions. He loved to earn his money. He delighted to believe-Toby was very poor, and couldn't well afford to part with a delight-that he was worth his salt. With a shilling or an eighteenpenny message or small pa

s and rubbing them against each other, poorly defended from the searching cold by threadbare mufflers of grey worsted, with a private apartment only for the thumb, and a common room or tap for

weathers, with the wind and rain driving in upon them; facing only the outsides of all those houses; never getting any nearer to the blazing fires that gleamed and shone upon the windows, or came puffing out of the chimney tops; and incapable of participation in any of the good things that were constantly being handed through the street doors and the area railings, to prod

or held any formal review or great field-day in his thoughts. But what I mean to say, and do say is, that as the functions of Toby's body, his digestive organs for example, did of their own cunning, and by a great many operations of which he was altogether ignorant, and

hem with a species of awe; and sometimes when he looked up at the dark arched windows in the tower, he half expected to be beckoned to by something which was not a Bell, and yet was what he had heard so often sounding in the Chimes. For all this, Toby scouted with indignation a certain flying rumour that the Chimes were haunted, as implying the po

wsy sound of Twelve o'clock, just struck, was humming like a melodious mo

oby, trotting up and down

much, and his shoulders were very near his ears, and his legs were very st

t-hand muffler like an infantine boxing-glove, a

rot, after that, f

trot, and with a face of great interest and some alarm, felt his nose carefully all t

ce of it in the bitter weather, and precious little to look forward to; for I don't take snuff myself. It's a good deal tried, poor creetur, at the best of t

of that other reflection,

coming round than dinner. That's the great difference between 'em. It's took me a long time to find it out. I wond

r he gravely shook his h

s length; 'full of obserwations! Full of obserwations! I like to know the news as well as any man,' said Toby, slowly; folding it a little smaller, and putting it in his pocket again: 'but it almost

er!' said a pleasa

to trot backwards and forwards: musi

uding. I get so puzzled sometimes that I am not even able to make up my mind whether there is any good at all in us, or whether we are born bad. We seem to be dreadful things; we seem to give a deal of trouble; we are always being complained of and guarded against. One way or other, we fi

her!' said the pl

rected a long way off as seeking the enlightenment in the very heart of the approachin

with a clear, calm, honest, patient radiance, claiming kindred with that light which Heaven called into being. Eyes that were beautiful and true, and beaming with Hope. With Hope so young and fresh; with H

g to the eyes, and squeezed the

'What's to do? I didn't

he girl, nodding her head and smiling as she sp

ty, looking curiously at a covered basket

dear,' said Meg.

over at once, in a great hurry, w

he lit-tle ti-ny cor-ner, you know,' said Meg, suiting the action to the word with the utmost gentleness, and speak

e sniff at the edge of the bas

it's

ried Meg. 'Ha, ha, ha

oby, with a sort of ki

must guess what it is. I can't think of taking it out, till you guess what it is. D

e basket towards him; curling up her pretty shoulders; stopping her ear with her hand, as if by

basket, and took a long inspiration at the lid; the grin upon his withe

aid Toby. 'It an't-I su

Meg, delighted. 'Not

llower than Polonies. It's very nice. It improves e

not have gone wider of the mar

swer to liver. Pettitoes? No. It an't faint enough for pettitoes. It wants the stringiness

Meg, in a burst of de

g a position as near the perpendicular as it was possible for

tested he should say, in half a minute

ave brought the tripe in a basin, and tied the basin up in a pocket-handkerchief; and if I like to be proud

id Toby. 'But they're always a-br

er; what the Judge said, you know; we poor people are supposed to know th

that did know 'em all. He'd grow fat upon the work he'd get, that man,

ke haste, for there's a hot potato besides, and half a pint of fresh-drawn beer in a bottle. Where will

st in wet. There's a greater conveniency in the steps at all times

ter a moment's bustle; 'here it is, all ready

is thoughts and eyes, to the exclusion even of tripe, he neither saw nor thought about her as she was at that moment, but had before him some imaginary rough sketch or drama of her future li

lling off his hat and l

Bells, father

taking his seat. 'They'd say a good one, I am sure,

eg, as she set the basin, and a k

or not? Why bless you, my dear,' said Toby, pointing at the tower with his fork, and becoming more animated under the influence of dinner, 'how ofte

never!' c

d over again. For it wa

almost at the worst; then it's "Toby Veck, Toby Veck, job coming s

,' said Meg, with a touch of

the unconscious T

to hot potato, and from hot potato back again to tripe, with an unctuous and unflagging relish. But happening now to look all round the street-in case anybody should be beckoning from any

ping his knife and fork. 'My dove! Meg! w

the

and stuffing, and gorging myself; and you before me there, neve

terposed his daughter, laughing, '

You might as well tell me that two New Year's Days will come togethe

to him. 'And if you'll go on with yours, I'll tell you how and where;

s shoulder, motioned him to go on while the meat was hot. So Trotty took up his knife and fork again, and went

h-with Richard. His dinner-time was early; and as he brought his din

d smacked his lips. Then he s

father-' Meg resu

chard say, Me

, father-' An

ng time saying

year to year, when it is so unlikely we shall ever be better off than we are now? He says we are poor now, father, and we shall be poor then, but we are young now, and years will mak

eds have drawn upon his boldness larg

ach other working, changing, growing old and grey. Even if I got the better of it, and forgot him (which I never could), oh father dear, how hard to have a heart so full as min

id more gaily: that is to say, with here a laugh,

h it. It's a short notice, father-isn't it?-but I haven't my fortune to be settled, or my wedding dresses to be made, like the great ladies, father, have I? And he said so much, and said it in his way; so strong and earnest, and all the time so kind and gentle; that I said I'd come and talk to you, father. And as they paid

it cooling on the ste

ing as the iron on which his stout sledge-hammer daily rung. A handsome, well-made, powerful youngster he was; with eyes that sparkled like the red-hot droppi

the step!' said Richard. 'Meg d

rd, and was going to address him in great hurry, when the house-door opened

on our steps, must you! You can't go and give a turn to none of the

question was irrelevant, a

se between a walk and a jog-trot-with which a gentleman upon the smooth down-hill of life, wearing creaking boots, a watch-chain, and clean linen, may come out of his h

u are,' said the footman with great emphasis to Trotty Veck, 'to let

. 'Halloa there! Porter!' beckoning with his head t

otty, leaving it be

gentleman. 'Bring it here, bring it

h, at the piece of tripe he had reserved for a last delicious tit-bit;

sers, very large and dog's-eared from that custom; and was not particularly well brushed or washed. The other, a full-sized, sleek, well-conditioned gentleman, in a blue coat with bright buttons, and a white cravat.

gether. Mr. Filer being exceedingly short-sighted, was obliged to go so close to the remnant of Toby's dinner

king little punches in it with a pencil-case, 'commonly known to

Oh, and a sly fellow too! A knowing fellow. Up to everything. Not to be impo

ghts of a fifth more than the loss upon a pound of any other animal substance whatever. Tripe is more expensive, properly understood, than the hothouse pine-apple. Taking into account the number of animals slaughtered yearly within the bills of mortality alone; and forming a low estimate

der him. He seemed to have starved a garri

aid Mr. Filer, warm

de a mise

ell you something. You snatch your tripe, my f

d Trotty, faintly. 'I'

timated number of existing widows and orphans, and the result will be one pennyweig

cern to see the Alderman finish the tripe hims

ely, of the red-faced gentleman in the blue coat

as these? Look at him. What an object! The good old times, the grand old times, the great old times! Those were the times for a bold peasantry, and all that sort of t

he say whether he objected to the present times, from a disinterested cons

of no use talking about any other times, or discussing what the people are in these times. You don't call these, times

ocking to his foot; and there was scarcely a vegetable in all England fo

ill went turning round and round in one set form of words concerning them; as a poor squirrel turns and turns in its revolving cage; touching th

wever, was plain to him, in the midst of his distress; to wit, that however these gentlemen might differ in details, his misgivings of that morning, and

s decree; and he could not bear that Meg, in the blush of her brief joy, should have her fortune

that he only became conscious of this desire, simultaneously with Alderman Cute. Now, the Alderman had not yet had his say, but he was

in dealing with this sort of people if you only understand 'em, and can talk to 'em in their own manner. Now, you Porter! Don't you ever tell me, or anybody else, my friend, that you haven't always enough to eat, and of the best; because I know better. I have tasted your tripe

an Cute! Never out of temper with them!

ha! ha!-and I intend to Put it Down. There's a certain amount of cant in vogue about Starvation, and I mean to Put it Down. That's all! Lord bless y

t through his arm. He didn't seem

the Alderman, chucking her

lasses, Alderman Cute! Knew what

her?' asked that

r got up linen; and was calle

re, I suppose,' remarked

her old pursuits. But query: If Mrs. Alderman Cute had gone to Heaven, woul

to her, are you?' said

was nettled by the question. 'And we are

!' cried Filer sh

said Richard. 'We're rather in a hurry, yo

Married!! The ignorance of the first principles of political economy on the part of these people;

arriage seemed as reasonable and fair a

s, facts on figures, facts on figures, mountains high and dry; and he can no more hope to persuade 'em that they have no right or business to be married, than he

he side of his nose, as much as to say to both his friends, 'Observe me

y girl!' said

et her come. But, setting a constraint upon himself, he came forward with a stride as Meg approached, and stood bes

aid the Alderman, in his nice easy way. 'It's my place to give advice

te was a Justice! Oh dear, so active a Justice always!

I'll convict 'em summarily, every one, for I am determined to Put boys without shoes and stockings, Down. Perhaps your husband will die young (most likely) and leave you with a baby. Then you'll be turned out of doors, and wander up and down the streets. Now, don't wander near me, my dear, for I am resolved, to Put all wandering mothers Down. All young mothers, of all sorts and kinds, it's my determination to Put Down. Don't think to plead illness as an excuse with me; or babies as an excuse with me; for all sick persons and young children (I

glad, to see that Meg had turned a dea

nt to be married for, you silly fellow? If I was a fine, young, strapping chap like you, I should be ashamed of being milksop enough to pin myself to a woman's apron-strings! Why, she'

anter the common pe

to get married on New Year's Day. You'll think very differently of it, long before next New Year's

n tears; he, gloomy and down-looking. Were these the hearts that had so lately made old Toby'

man to Toby, 'you shall carry a letter for

uite stupidly, made shift to murmur out

you?' inquire

ixty, sir,'

ried Mr. Filer breaking in as if his patience would bear some

said Toby. 'I-I misdoubted

too; but Mr. Filer clearly showing that in that case he would rob a certain given number of persons

nd walked off in high feather; but, he immediately came

said the

' sai

ughter of yours. She'

ooking at the sixpence in his hand, and thinking of the tripe. 'She's been and robb

hances are, that she'll come to no good, I clearly see. Observe

y!' said Trotty, clasping his ha

said the words. Full, loud, and sounding-

ot a word of all that fancy in it. Why should there be? I have no b

'em down! Good old Times, Good old Times! Facts and Figures, Facts and Figures! Put 'em

A well-timed action, as it happened; for finding the letter in one of them, and being by th