Read Complete Works of Wilkie Collins Online
Authors: Wilkie Collins
Two more entries are the last which he made. “Available names” introduces a wonderful list in the exact following classes and order; as to which the reader may be left to his own memory for selection of such as found their way into the several stories from
Little Dorrit
to the end. The rest, not lifted into that higher notice by such favour of their creator, must remain like any other undistinguished crowd. But among them may perhaps be detected, by those who have special insight for the physiognomy of a name, some few with so great promise in them of fun and character as will make the “mute inglorious” fate which has befallen them a subject for special regret; and much ingenious speculation will probably wait upon all. Dickens has generally been thought, by the curious, to display not a few of his most characteristic traits in this particular field of invention.
First there are titles for books; and from the list subjoined were taken two for Christmas numbers and two for stories, though
Nobody’s Fault
had ultimately to give way to
Little Dorrit
.
“THE LUMBER ROOM. |
SOMEBODY’S LUGGAGE. |
TO BE LEFT TILL CALLED FOR. |
SOMETHING WANTED. |
EXTREMES MEET. |
NOBODY’S FAULT. |
THE GRINDSTONE. |
ROKESMITH’S FORGE. |
OUR MUTUAL FRIEND. |
THE CINDER HEAP. |
TWO GENERATIONS. |
BROKEN CROCKERY. |
DUST. |
THE HOME DEPARTMENT. |
THE YOUNG PERSON. |
NOW OR NEVER. |
MY NEIGHBOURS. |
THE CHILDREN OF THE FATHERS. |
NO THOROUGHFARE.” |
Then comes a batch of “Christian names”: Girls and Boys: which stand thus, with mention of the source from which he obtained them. These therefore can hardly be called pure invention. Some would have been reckoned too extravagant for anything but reality.
“
Girls from Privy Council Education lists.
“LELIA. |
MENELLA. |
RUBINA. |
IRIS. |
REBECCA. |
ETTY. |
REBINAH. |
SEBA. |
PERSIA. |
ARAMANDA. |
DORIS. |
BALZINA. |
PLEASANT. |
GENTILLA. |
“
Boys from Privy Council Education lists.
“DOCTOR. |
HOMER. |
ODEN. |
BRADLEY. |
ZERUBBABEL. |
MAXIMILIAN. |
URBIN. |
SAMILIAS. |
PICKLES. |
ORANGE. |
FEATHER. |
“
Girls and Boys from Ditto.
“AMANDA, ETHLYNIDA; BOETIUS, BOLTIUS.”
To which he adds supplementary lists that appear to be his own.
“
More Boys.
“ROBERT LADLE. |
JOLY STICK. |
BILL MARIGOLD. |
STEPHEN MARQUICK. |
JONATHAN KNOTWELL. |
PHILIP BROWNDRESS. |
HENRY GHOST. |
GEORGE MUZZLE. |
WALTER ASHES. |
ZEPHANIAH FERRY (or FURY). |
WILLIAM WHY. |
ROBERT GOSPEL. |
THOMAS FATHERLY. |
ROBIN SCUBBAM. |
“
More Girls.
“SARAH GOLDSACKS. |
ROSETTA DUST. |
SUSAN GOLDRING. |
CATHERINE TWO. |
MATILDA RAINBIRD. |
MIRIAM DENIAL. |
SOPHIA DOOMSDAY. |
ALICE THORNEYWORK. |
SALLY GIMBLET. |
VERITY HAWKYARD. |
BIRDIE NASH. |
AMBROSINA EVENTS. |
APAULINA VERNON. |
NELTIE ASHFORD.” |
And then come the mass of his “available names,” which stand thus, without other introduction or comment:
“TOWNDLING. |
MOOD. |
GUFF. |
TREBLE. |
CHILBY. |
SPESSIFER. |
WODDER. |
WHELPFORD. |
FENNERCK. |
GANNERSON. |
CHINKERBLE. |
BINTREY. |
FLEDSON. |
HIRLL. |
BRAYLE. |
MULLENDER. |
TRESLINGHAM. |
BRANKLE. |
SITTERN. |
DOSTONE. |
CAY-LON. |
SLYANT. |
QUEEDY. |
BESSELTHUR. |
MUSTY. |
GROUT. |
TERTIUS JOBBER. |
AMON HEADSTON. |
STRAYSHOTT. |
HIGDEN. |
MORFIT. |
GOLDSTRAW. |
BARREL. |
INGE. |
JUMP. |
JIGGINS. |
BONES. |
COY. |
DAWN. |
TATKIN. |
DROWVEY. |
PUDSEY. |
PEDSEY. |
DUNCALF. |
TRICKLEBANK. |
SAPSEA. |
READYHUFF. |
DUFTY. |
FOGGY. |
TWINN. |
BROWNSWORD. |
PEARTREE. |
SUDDS. |
SILVERMAN. |
KIMBER. |
LAUGHLEY. |
LESSOCK. |
TIPPINS. |
MINNITT. |
RADLOWE. |
PRATCHET. |
MAWDETT. |
WOZENHAM. |
SNOWELL. |
LOTTRUM. |
LAMMLE. |
FROSER. |
HOLBLACK. |
MULLEY. |
REDWORTH. |
REDFOOT. |
TARBOX (B). |
TINKLING. |
DUDDLE. |
JEBUS. |
POWDERHILL. |
GRIMMER. |
SKUSE. |
TITCOOMBE. |
CRABBLE. |
SWANNOCK. |
TUZZEN. |
TWEMLOW. |
SQUAB. |
JACKMAN. |
SUGG. |
BREMMIDGE. |
SILAS BLODGET. |
MELVIN BEAL. |
BUTTRICK. |
EDSON. |
SANLORN. |
LIGHTWORD. |
TITBULL. |
BANGHAM. |
KYLE — NYLE. |
PEMBLE. |
MAXEY. |
ROKESMITH. |
CHIVERY. |
WABBLER. |
PEEX — SPEEX. |
GANNAWAY. |
MRS. FLINKS. |
FLINX. |
JEE. |
HARDEN. |
MERDLE. |
MURDEN. |
TOPWASH. |
PORDAGE. |
DORRET — DORRIT. |
CARTON. |
MINIFIE. |
SLINGO. |
JOAD. |
KINCH. |
MAG. |
CHELLYSON. |
BLENNAM — CL. |
BARDOCK. |
SNIGSWORTH. |
SWENTON. |
CASBY — PEACH. |
LOWLEIGH — LOWELY. |
PIGRIN. |
YERBURY. |
PLORNISH. |
MAROON. |
BANDY-NANDY. |
STONEBURY. |
MAGWITCH. |
MEAGLES. |
PANCKS. |
HAGGAGE. |
PROVIS. |
STILTINGTON. |
STILTWALK. |
STILTINGSTALK. |
STILTSTALKING. |
RAVENDER. |
PODSNAP. |
CLARRIKER. |
COMPERY. |
STRIVER-STRYVER. |
PUMBLECHOOK. |
WANGLER. |
BOFFIN. |
BANTINCK. |
DIBTON. |
WILFER. |
GLIBBERY. |
MULVEY. |
HORLICK. |
DOOLGE. |
GANNERY. |
GARGERY. |
WILLSHARD. |
RIDERHOOD. |
PRATTERSTONE. |
CHINKIBLE. |
WOPSELL. |
WOPSLE. |
WHELPINGTON. |
WHELPFORD. |
GAYVERY. |
WEGG. |
HUBBLE. |
URRY. |
KIBBLE. |
SKIFFINS. |
WODDER. |
ETSER. |
AKERSHEM.” |