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Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine olume 19 No.1 March 2022

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The Front Cover Story
-Chapter XV-

Where Samuel Pickwick

introduces his friends….

……Then there emerged from the house Mrs. Pott, who would have looked very like Apollo if
she hadn’t had a gown on; conducted by Mr. Winkle, who, in his light-red coat, could not been
mistaken for anything but a sportsman, if he had not Bornean equal resemblance to a general
postman. Last of all, came Mr. Pickwick, whom the boys applauded as loudly as anybody,
probably under the impression that his tights and gaiters were some remnants of the dark
ages; and then the two vehicles proceeded towards Mrs. Leo Hunter’s; Mr. Weller (who was
to assist in waiting) being stationed on the box of that in which his master was seated.

Every one of the men, women, boys, girls, and babies, who were assembled to see the
visitors in their fancy dresses, screamed with delight and ecstasy, when Mr. Pickwick, with
the Brigand on one arm, and the Troubadour on the other, walked solemnly up the entrance.
Never were such shouts heard as those which greeted Mr. Tupman’s efforts to fix the
sugar-loaf hat on his head, by way of entering the garden in style.

“Mr. Pickwick, ma’am,” said a servant, as that gentleman approached the presiding goddess,
with his hat in hand, and the Brigand and the Troubadour on either arm. “What? Where?”
exclaimed Mrs. Leo Hunter, starting up, in an affected rapture of surprise.
“Here,” said Mr. Pickwick.
“Is it possible that I really have the gratification of beholding Mr. Pickwick himself?”
ejaculated Mrs. Leo Hunter.
“No other, ma’am,” replied Mr. Pickwick, bowing very low. “Permit me to introduce my
friends- Mr. Tupman – Mr. Winkle- Mr. Snodgrass- to the authoress of ‘The Expiring Frog.”

Very few people but those who have tried it, know what a difficult process it is to bow in
green velvet smalls, and a tight jacket, and a high-crowned hat: or knee-cords and top boots
that were never made for the wearer, and have been fixed upon “him without the remotest
reference to the comparative dimensions of himself and the suit. Never were such
distortions as Mr. Tupman’s frame underwent in his efforts to appear easy and graceful –
never was such ingenious posturing, as his fancy-dressed friends exhibited.