The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (hosted by Petra)

[Petra]

Redlaw by Joseph Clayton Clarke

[Petra]

The Boy by Joseph Clayton Clarke

[Petra]

Greg wrote: "It makes me think of way back in the first chapter with the "sun-dial" which has gotten lost in "a little bricked-up corner, where no sun had straggled for a hundred years". The sun-dial has completely lost its purpose. And I guess it might be like that for Mr. Redlaw; he allowed himself to be preyed upon by that ghost double of his own mind until he finally found himself in a place where there is no sun and he can find no way any longer to perform anything he was meant for...."

Greg, I'm glad you've caught up and are enjoying this story so much.

I like your comparison of Redlaw to the Sun Dial. Both are in shadow and left out of any warmth.

[Petra]

Sam wrote: "Let us not read too much doom and gloom into this second chapter. There is a humorous element to the family and devil baby,"

Oh, I hope not. This section is full of humor and laughs.

After the dark, gloomy chapter on Redlaw and the dark place we left him in, this is a delightful scene.
I love the happy chaos, the calm parenting, the situation of poor Johnny always with the baby (I wonder how that came to be....poor chap.....although he's not complaining).

I love that this family, while no rich by any means, appear happy and content with their lives and glad to be each other's family.

[Petra]

Bionic Jean wrote: "Also, like Redlaw, Charles Dickens had been rejected by his true love (Maria Beadnell) in his youth..."

Jean, thank you for this reminder. I'd totally forgotten about Dickens' early heartbreak. Huh......he certainly never forgot anything and could find ways of adding his Life's lessons into his writing. It's an amazing talent to have....and he had it.

[Petra]

Peter wrote: "In message 188 we see that Green presents a large family but when we look closely at the father we see that his back is turned away from the children. The children Ignorance and Want revealed in ACC are now seen inside a house where a father does indeed ignore what his children want...."

Peter, I hadn't seen the picture in that light. That's a different perspective than I took away from Mr. Tetterby.

To me, he seems like a slightly overwhelmed father of many children, who's taking a personal moment of solitude with his newspaper, while being surrounded by energetic chaos and fun. He's mentally resting for a moment to catch his parental breath.

[Petra]

Jean, I recall that Jawbreakers were 10 for a Canadian penny in my day. They were a deal even then because they lasted so long. Ten jawbreakers was a good amount of time with candy. LOL.
In the day when one didn't get a penny for candy very often, it was a big decision on how to spend that penny.

But one had to like licorise to enjoy this deal. I did and these rated high when I had a penny.

[Kelly]

Hello all! I am catching up both on reading and on comments. Thanks so much to all for the discussion about why Dickens chose to write ghost stories for Christmas. The article you shared, Jean, pointed out a lot of things that made sense to me as an American, such as our Halloween celebrations and traditions. I myself have always read spooky books in October!

I haven't dove into Chapter 2 yet but did want to comment on the description Dickens made of the child in tattered clothing. One of the things I love most about his writing are his long, beautiful descriptions of places, people, and things. Sometimes I don't want the descriptions to end!

Also, a few other tidbits from Chapter 1:

-I, too, was confused about the dynamics between Redlaw, his sister, his lost love, and his friend. The discussion about that helped! Needless to say, no matter what the exact drama was, Redlaw was heartbroken over it all.

-I was angry at the ghost for not disclosing the whole "agreement" to Redlaw. Redlaw didn't know the whole deal before agreeing to it!

-As far as Redlaw not having any memories, both good and bad, it broke my heart to read that he was trying to grasp on to a feeling when he saw the poor child, but couldn't quite do it. Our memories carry with them emotions, lessons, and both joy and sadness (we couldn't have one without the other, I believe) that we experience our present with. Without those, Redlaw will be an empty shell!?

[Sara]

Like Sam, I found more to laugh at in this intro to the Tetterbys. As I always try to figure out what Dickens was thinking when he bestowed a name, I couldn't help thinking Tetter was much like tether and Mr. Tetterby is certainly tethered to all these children.

I could relate to little Johnny having the baby on his hip all the day long. I was 11 when my oldest niece was born and my sister fled her abusive husband and came back to live with us. I was the appointed baby sitter and you never saw me without a baby on my hip or rocking her to sleep in the rocking chair where my feet would not even touch the floor.

[Petra]

Kelly wrote: "Hello all! I am catching up both on reading and on comments. Thanks so much to all for the discussion about why Dickens chose to write ghost stories for Christmas. The article you shared, Jean, poi..."

Kelly, glad you're catching up.
Your comments are spot on. I have to wonder why Dickens made that section about Redlaw's Sorrows so difficult to follow. But we figured it out (probably....mostly....).

[Petra]

Sara wrote: "I could relate to little Johnny having the baby on his hip all the day long. I was 11 when my oldest niece was born and my sister fled her abusive husband and came back to live with us. I was the appointed baby sitter and you never saw me without a baby on my hip or rocking her to sleep in the rocking chair where my feet would not even touch the floor...."

I love this memory. If only Redlaw could see how important and wonderful memories are.

I laughed at your interpretation of Tetterby's name. I think that's brilliant!

[Petra]

Summary 2 - The Gift Diffused

Mr. Tetterby, not able to read his paper, set it aside. He wheeled himself around the room, snatching at a few of the moving children, then suddenly boxed Johhny’s ears, accusing him of not doing anything to control the chaos of the household. Johnny laments that he’s busy caring for Sally, the baby.

Mr. Tetterby wishes his wife would return home, as he’s not able to deal with the children. He has seven sons and one daughter. He praises Mrs. Tetterby for going through so much to provide them with a sister but their antics are a headache to him.

He hugs Johnny tenderly, then hurries away to catch one of the others and after some chasing, catches him and puts him to bed. The boot-thrower instantly then fell asleep. The two brothers who were building the oyster shell wall went to bed also. Mr. Tetterby suddenly found himself in a peaceful room.

He sits down by the fire and picks up his newspaper. He threatens the boys if they get out of bed again. He tells Johnny to take care of Sally, which Johnny does with devotion. He sits beside his father, with the baby on his lap.

The elder brother, ‘Dolphus, is late in coming home, as is Mrs. Tetterby. Then their footsteps are heard approaching.

Mrs, Tetterby enters the room with her shopping basket. She’s a large woman, compared to the smallness of her husband and sons. Only her daughter resembled her. She tiredly sits down and asks Johnny to bring her the baby for a kiss. Johnny hardly returned to his stool when the request was repeated by Adolphus, then a third time by Mr. Tetterby, then he returned to his stool for the fourth time, panting.

Ten-year old Adolphus is wet from the elements. He hawks newspapers at the train station every day.

[Petra]

Johnny and Moloch by John Leech, 1848

[Petra]

Mrs. Tetterby, Johnny and the Baby by Charles Green, 1895 & 1912

[Petra]

Adolphus Tetterby by Charles Green, 1912

[Petra]

The Tetterbys by John Leech, 1848

[Petra]

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

I have a family situation that just came up and will be away until Sunday.

I will try to post the Summaries each day but only have internet access through my phone and I've never posted through the phone. I'm not sure what to expect.

If I can't manage it, Jean has the updates and will post them for me.

I have posted the "From" and "To" sentences in Post 5 for Friday to Sunday. I'll add the links to the Summaries for Saturday and Sunday when I return. Friday's link to Post 212 is posted.

Please continue with the discussion. I'll comment and catch up on Sunday evening (my time).

Sorry about this. Thank you for understanding and continuing with this read. I'll be following as much as I can through the phone.

See you on Sunday.

[Greg]

I hope things go well Petra - will be thinking of you and your family and hoping for the best!

Sara and Sam, I hadn't personally found any humor in the earlier parts of this book, but in today's section, I was able to see it. I enjoyed the lighter tone.

Poor Johnny has a lot of responsibility for a young boy, and I was relieved to see his father soften towards him in this section and give him a hug! He deserves a hug! And the family foibles and frenetic goings on following that hug were a pleasant spot of comic relief. I like the little ways the various family members have to show concern and care for each other, despite the chaos of so many boys in one house. The parents and the eldest Adolphus each want their separate moment with this miracle of a girl in their lap.

[Kathleen]

Petra, I too hope all goes well. We'll be thinking of you, and do take care and don't worry about us.

Going back to the last section for a minute, I want to say I love what Greg said: “Forgetting is just a cheap trick; it's a way around around the side, but it can never get at the heart of anything.” This is so true. I think of this often when people are afraid of facing grief and sadness. It really has so much to teach us! And that together with what Jean and Petra said about Dickens' experiences, this is exactly what he does: uses his pain and struggles to not only gain empathy himself, but inspire it. No wonder this is a focus of his story.

I too enjoyed the humor in this section. Especially that huge baby girl! Too funny, and I love the illustrations of the little monster. I was wishing for the mother to come home along with her husband! But just loved Adolphus, the details of how wet he got on his job, and his scheme of dividing the day using vowels.

[Sam]

Sorry to hear of family issues. Take care and do not worry about us. We are good and we'll be here when you can get back.

[Sara]

Good wishes from me as well, Petra. Don't give us a thought! And, thank you so much for all these marvelous illustrations!

Greg...I read your post twice. You have captured the heart of the matter!

[Peter]

Take care, Petra.

[Connie]

I hope things go well with your family, Petra. Don't worry about missing a few days since we all have plenty of other books on our shelves if you are unable to post.

[Kelly]

Best wishes, Petra! You will be in my prayers for whatever the situation is you're going through. We've got your back here in the group.

[Shirley (stampartiste)]

Petra, I also want to wish you and your family well. We have all experienced unplanned events, so please don't feel stressed to post the Summaries on your phone. We can catch up on that when you return. Best wishes!

[Shirley (stampartiste)]

I have not had time to post, but I have read and enjoyed your summaries, Petra, and everyone's posts. Greg, I particularly enjoyed your deep discussion on the link between memory and forgiveness. Like Sara, I read your comments more than once!

Kelly, I loved your comment on how Redlaw reacted to the poor child and how "he was trying to grasp on to a feeling when he saw the poor child, but couldn't quite do it". He wanted to feel pity, but couldn't?

Regarding the child "Moloch", I understand what Dickens was implying but I have to say it shocked me a little. Several years ago, I came across this verse in the Bible (Jeremiah 32:35), where God tells Jeremiah: "They built high places for Baal... to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing." That verse was so heart-wrenching to me, that I have never forgotten it. So, this was quite a bit of hyperbole on Dickens' part.

But I am enjoying this lighthearted glimpse into the Tetterby world!

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Hi all,

Just to say I'll post Petra's summary now. It may be a little earlier (half past 12 here) but hopefully even if Petra can come on today, it will be helpful to have the basics done. And thank you so much Petra, for this extraordinary level of commitment! She wanted the read to proceed as planned, and said that the illustrations were so much more dramatic when we come across them at the right time 😊 There aren't any today, but two tomorrow.

I'm pretty sure Petra would not want you to worry about her - but something seems sadly amiss in the Tetterby household today ...

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Summary 3 - The Gift Diffused

Mrs. Tetterby, who was twisting her wedding ring on her finger and looking at it, stands up and goes to prepare supper. She has something on her mind but won’t say what it is. The plates and cutlery are slammed on the table. She unwrapped her basket, taking from it a hot pease pudding and sauce, whose aroma was so delicious that six pairs of eyes, from the beds, looked upon the feast.

Suddenly, Mrs. Tetterby throws her arms around Mr. Tetterby’s neck and weeps. This causes the little Tetterbys in bed to quickly close their eyes and the two sneaking to the table to hop back into bed.

Mrs. Tetterby sobs about not having “no more idea than a child unborn”, which disturbs Mr. Tetterby and he stopes Mrs. Tetterby’s story by serving dinner to Adolphus and Johnny. The little Tetterbys snuck out of bed quietly, asking their brothers for morsels of the food.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Here's the atmospheric title page of my Pears edition:



And here's an interesting fragment - an open page from the "reading copy" Charles Dickens prepared for his public readings. (No spoilers here - we've had this bit! When I looked at the reading copy for The Frozen Deep in a glass case in The Charles Dickens Museum a few months ago, it was open at a very dramatic page we hadn't read yet! Eek!):

[Greg]

It's lovely the concern the family members show each other in this section: the careful repeated queries of Mr. Tetterby to his wife, the father's acknowledgement of Johnny's help with the baby, the elder children's sharing of their food with the younger children, and Sophia seeking comfort in her husband's arms as she wept. I recall seeing these sorts of scenes in this group many times before, I think, with the love and chaos of parents with their children. It's entertaining and endearing and pure Dickens, and I look forward to finding out more about what is bothering Mrs. Tetterby tomorrow!

[Sara]

I suppose it is natural that everything seems to conjure A Christmas Carol for me right now, but this scene with the children excited about supper and then concerned for their mother, and the regard of the father for the entire family, made me think very much of the Cratchits. Dickens finds so much love among the poor families and has a wonderful way of reminding us that love is so much more important than wealth.

[Chris]

Sara wrote: "I suppose it is natural that everything seems to conjure A Christmas Carol for me right now, but this scene with the children excited about supper and then concerned for their mother, and the regar..."

Me too!

[Stephen]

Started this today and slowly catching up! Love the atmosphere and the idea of reading aloud around an open fire is appealing.
Love everyone's comments and observation. And Petra your leading is great.

[Petra]

Thank you, Jean , for posting the summary for today. I cannot figure out how to cut & paste on the phone, so haven't been able to post the summary! I'm technologically challenged!

[Petra]

I am loving the Tetterbys! They have a housefull of love and caring. They may have to watch their pennies but they all work together as a whole. They're happy and content with each other. It's wonderful to see.

Sara,they are very much like the Cratchits.

[Petra]

Stephen, thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying our read. Happy that you could join us.

[Petra]

Jean, I like that illustration of Redlaw. It's very dramatic and mysterious. It kind of has a Sherlock Holmes vibe to it.

[Petra]

Thank you all for your well wishes. We're doing well here. Things are dealt with and turned out well. I'll be my way home in the morning.

[Bridget]

Petra, it's so good to hear that things have turned out well for you. I wouldn't have been able to post a summary on my phone either - you are not alone in that!

Thank you, Jean, for the photo of Dickens' notes for reading this story aloud. I love seeing things like that. Somehow seeing things like that narrows the vast expanse of time between now and 1840 and makes me feel closer to the inimitable author.

I am also enjoying the Tetterby family. I'm curious about Mrs. Tetterby's feelings, and I'm also curious how this will tie in with Mr. Redlaw.

I really enjoyed seeing "pease pudding" mentioned today. I know it as "pease porridge"; from the nursery rhyme of my childhood "pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot nine days old".

[Petra]

Bridget, I was going to comment about pease pudding, too, them forgot. It reminded me of the nursery rhyme, too.

Pease Pudding is a porridge made from (usually) yellow peas, water and salt. It sometimes is cooked with a piece of bacon or a smoked joint for flavor.

I imagine it's like savory oatmeal but made with peas.

[Sara]

Maybe it was the idea of it being in the pot for 9 days, but it never sounded very appetizing to me. lol.

Petra, so glad everything is well, and I can join you and Bridget in saying I could NEVER do this on a phone.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Me neither, in fact my mobile phone is so old that it can't get the internet, and if I really have to text it's a case of accessing each letter by how many times you press a button. Oh, it's actually Chris's as mine dropped out with disuse! (We're both hopeless with phones!)

I'm so pleased you're back Petra and that all is well. I hope you don't get snowed in - nor anyone in Canada or North America. Even we have snow today!

I'm a bit off-topic here, so will start again.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Pease pudding is lovely!! Split peas are the best to start with, although you can use any dried peas. Soak them overnight first, and boil (I think you put a hambone in there, but I only learnt how to do this as a vegetarian, so use a sprig of mint), but don't add any salt until near the end. A soft version of this is called "mushy peas" which you can get in some chip shops (particularly in the North). Most people buy it in tins now though.

The thing about it being "nine days old" in the rhyme I suspect is that for a good traditional English soup you are never supposed to eat the last few spoonfuls, but use that as base for the next one!

Poorer people always had a perpetual soup going like this, with bones they had boiled up to get every last bit of meat. My grandma used to make a delicious soup from boiling bones and adding veg to make a sort of stew, and once a week my Mum would be given a glass jar of it and some Yorkshire pudding to take home and heat up for my Dad's tea. There was a family joke that Dad's favourite soup was made of "Ma's bones". 😆

So perhaps pease pudding was made in this way as well, to make sure it was soft? The more you cook it the better the texture gets, but it probably loses a lot of the nutritional value!

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Here follows Petra's summary and the illustrations she has found for us ...

Oooer - this is a bit of a cliffhanger!

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Summary 4 - The Gift Diffused

Mrs. Tetterby ate her dinner without pleasure. At times she laughed, at others she cried, then she both laughed & cried together. Mr. Tetterby was perplexed. She then pauses and says she’s herself again. Then starts to tell her story:

When still single, Sophia had many suitors. Once four at one time; two of them sergeants in the army. She’s happy with her choice of Mr. Tetterby and has no regrets. However, while out shopping, with her basket so large and her pennies so few, and seeing so many wonderful items on display, she had begun to think that perhaps she could have made a better choice and been better off and happier, if she’d not married at all or married someone else. In her thoughts, she couldn’t think of a reason why she and Mr. Tetterby are together. The pleasures and good times seemed so insignificant. All she could see was how poor they were and how many children they had to feed.

But now that she’s home again, surrounded by her family, the recollections came back to her and her heart was filled with love and happiness. She was filled with remorse at having had these terrible thoughts and burst out crying again.

Suddenly she screamed and ran behind her husband. The scream woke the children, who ran from their beds to her and clung to her. She pointed to a pale man in a dark cloak who had entered the room. She had seen him on the street while shopping and he frightened her, but she didn’t know why.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Mrs Tetterby Shopping" - Charles Green, 1895 & 1912

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

The Haunted Man at Tetterby's - Charles Green, 1985 & 1912

[Kathleen]

I am so happy to know you weathered the storm, Petra, figuratively if not literally! And thank you Jean--how fun to see the title page and reading copy!

I do love the Tetterby’s. In the last section, wasn’t it wonderful how Mr. Tetterby had the children do just what he thought would warm Mrs. Tetterby’s heart? And here he doesn’t seem at all bothered by her moment of regret, which of course we all have at times. I’m terrified along with her about the stranger, but did guess …

[Petra]

Jean, mushy peas are pease porridge? I didn't know that.
The English-style fish & chips shops have mushy peas on offer as a side dish around here. I enjoy mushy peas with my order when they are available.

[Sam]

I know we are in a different era where assertiveness is positive and feminism has created stronger more equal roles for women, but I feel a nostalgia for the passive-aggressive displays like Mrs.Tetterby's table slamming with the dinner settings, and while I do not long for things to be the way they were, there is a charm and to reading about now. And it wasn't all that long ago that you saw this type of communication between the husband and wife.