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On His First Visit to the West
COME as artist, come as guest, | |
| Welcome to the expectant West, | |
| Hero of the charmèd pen, | |
| Loved of children, loved of men. | |
| We have felt thy spell for years; | 5 |
| Oft with laughter, oft with tears, | |
| Thou hast touched the tenderest part | |
| Of our inmost, hidden heart. | |
| We have fixed our eager gaze | |
| On thy pages nights and days, | 10 |
| Wishing, as we turned them o’er, | |
| Like poor Oliver, for “more.” | |
| And the creatures of thy brain | |
| In our memory remain, | |
| Till through them we seem to be | 15 |
| Old acquaintances of thee. | |
| Much we hold it thee to greet, | |
| Gladly sit we at thy feet; | |
| On thy features we would look, | |
| As upon a living book, | 20 |
| And thy voice would grateful hear, | |
| Glad to feel that Boz were near, | |
| That his veritable soul | |
| Held us by direct control: | |
| Therefore, author loved the best, | 25 |
| Welcome, welcome to the West. | |
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| In immortal Weller’s name, | |
| By Micawber’s deathless fame, | |
| By the flogging wreaked on Squeers, | |
| By Job Trotter’s fluent tears, | 30 |
| By the beadle Bumble’s fate | |
| At the hands of vixen mate, | |
| By the famous Pickwick Club, | |
| By the dream of Gabriel Grubb, | |
| In the name of Snodgrass’ muse, | 35 |
| Tupman’s amorous interviews, | |
| Winkle’s ludicrous mishaps, | |
| And the fat boy’s countless naps; | |
| By Ben Allen and Bob Sawyer, | |
| By Miss Sally Brass, the lawyer, | 40 |
| In the name of Newman Noggs, | |
| River Thames, and London fogs, | |
| Richard Swiveller’s excess, | |
| Feasting with the Marchioness, | |
| By Jack Bunsby’s oracles, | 45 |
| By the chime of Christmas bells, | |
| By the cricket on the hearth, | |
| Scrooge’s frown and Crotchit’s mirth, | |
| By spread tables and good cheer, | |
| Wayside inns and pots of beer, | 50 |
| Hostess plump and jolly host, | |
| Coaches for the turnpike post, | |
| Chambermaids in love with Boots, | |
| Toodles, Traddles, Tapley, Toots, | |
| Jarley, Varden, Mister Dick, | 55 |
| Susan Nipper, Mistress Chick, | |
| Snevellicci, Lilyvick, | |
| Mantalini’s predilections, | |
| To transfer his “dem” affections, | |
| Podsnap, Pecksniff, Chuzzlewit, | 60 |
| Quilp and Simon Tappertit, | |
| Weg and Boffin, Smike and Paul, | |
| Nell and Jenny Wren and all,— | |
| Be not Sairy Gamp forgot,— | |
| No, nor Peggotty and Trot,— | 65 |
| By poor Barnaby and Grip, | |
| Flora, Dora, Di, and Gip, | |
| Peerybingle, Pinch, and Pip,— | |
| Welcome, long-expected guest, | |
| Welcome, Dickens, to the West. | 70 |
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| In the name of gentle Nell, | |
| Child of light, belovèd well,— | |
| Weeping, did we not behold | |
| Roses on her bosom cold? | |
| Better we for every tear | 75 |
| Shed beside her snowy bier,— | |
| By the mournful group that played | |
| Round the grave where Smike was laid, | |
| By the life of Tiny Tim, | |
| And the lesson taught by him, | 80 |
| Asking in his plaintive tone | |
| God to “bless us every one,” | |
| By the sounding waves that bore | |
| Little Paul to Heaven’s shore, | |
| By thy yearning for the human | 85 |
| Good in every man and woman, | |
| By each noble deed and word | |
| That thy story-books record, | |
| And each noble sentiment | |
| Dickens to the world hath lent, | 90 |
| By the effort thou hast made | |
| Truth and true reform to aid, | |
| By thy hope of man’s relief | |
| Finally from want and grief, | |
| By thy never-failing trust | 95 |
| That the God of love is just,— | |
| We would meet and welcome thee, | |
| Preacher of humanity: | |
| Welcome fills the throbbing breast | |
| Of the sympathetic West. | 100 |
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