THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP

Evening Star, Issue 11682, 14 February 1902, Page 1

THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP

"The OW Curiosity Shop," says the 'Temple Magasdne,' has indeed become a Mecca of Dkkensites, for throughout the summer months, when American tourists are swarming in London, waggonettes laden with visitors are constantly arriving to see the curious little house fiat dates back to the days of Charles 11., for the place was put up, along with Portsmouth street and many buildings in Lincoln's Inn Fields, by the "Duchess of Portsmouth (Louise De Keroualle), one of the Merry Monarch's favorites. She kept her cows in the fields, and the little building, afterwards to become famous as " The Old Curiosity Shop," was her private dairy. It is a little-known fact, which may be easily verified, that manv of the older buildings in Lincoln's Inn still bear upon their facades the rose of England and the French flear-de-lys alternating, indicating the countries of tie Duchess's birth and adoption. To return : Having entered the shop, one can pass into the "back parlor" and easily follow Dickens in the opening chapter of his novel, where he says the old man led him through the place he had already seen from without into a small sitting room behind. All authorities are agreed that this is really the shop the novelist had in his mind, and it is a matter for satisfaction that, contearv to what has been stated, tie new " improvements " are-not to enteil the destruction of "The OH Curiosity Shop' ai any rate for the present.

A peculiar and painful accident has happened to a Ettk girl named SraTran. at Sterfimerton (Vie). She and her fittle brother, children of Mrr James Sullivan, farmer, of tie place named, were playing with some nails and a hammer, when by some means the kd drove a 2in wire spike through his aster's finger. The limb was phmed to the board so firmly that it became necessary to file through the nail m order to release the little girl Tie work was done as expedffioosly and with as much care as possible by tie child's mother, and before the embedded portion of the nail could be extracted a journey of fonrteei" miles mto Nmtturkab. had to be made.