CHAPTER	O
1	O
.	O

I	O
AM	O
BORN	EVENT
Whether	O
I	O
shall	O
turn	O
out	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
hero	O
of	O
my	O
own	O
life	O
,	O
or	O
whether	O
that	O
station	O
will	O
be	O
held	O
by	O
anybody	O
else	O
,	O
these	O
pages	O
must	O
show	O
.	O

To	O
begin	EVENT
my	O
life	O
with	O
the	O
beginning	EVENT
of	O
my	O
life	O
,	O
I	O
record	EVENT
that	O
I	O
was	O
born	EVENT
(	O
as	O
I	O
have	O
been	O
informed	EVENT
and	O
believe	O
)	O
on	O
a	O
Friday	O
,	O
at	O
twelve	O
o’clock	O
at	O
night	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
remarked	EVENT
that	O
the	O
clock	O
began	O
to	O
strike	EVENT
,	O
and	O
I	O
began	O
to	O
cry	EVENT
,	O
simultaneously	O
.	O

In	O
consideration	O
of	O
the	O
day	O
and	O
hour	O
of	O
my	O
birth	EVENT
,	O
it	O
was	O
declared	EVENT
by	O
the	O
nurse	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
some	O
sage	O
women	O
in	O
the	O
neighbourhood	O
who	O
had	O
taken	O
a	O
lively	O
interest	O
in	O
me	O
several	O
months	O
before	O
there	O
was	O
any	O
possibility	O
of	O
our	O
becoming	O
personally	O
acquainted	O
,	O
first	O
,	O
that	O
I	O
was	O
destined	O
to	O
be	O
unlucky	O
in	O
life	O
;	O
and	O
secondly	O
,	O
that	O
I	O
was	O
privileged	O
to	O
see	O
ghosts	O
and	O
spirits	O
;	O
both	O
these	O
gifts	O
inevitably	O
attaching	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
believed	O
,	O
to	O
all	O
unlucky	O
infants	O
of	O
either	O
gender	O
,	O
born	O
towards	O
the	O
small	O
hours	O
on	O
a	O
Friday	O
night	O
.	O

I	O
need	O
say	O
nothing	O
here	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
first	O
head	O
,	O
because	O
nothing	O
can	O
show	O
better	O
than	O
my	O
history	O
whether	O
that	O
prediction	O
was	O
verified	O
or	O
falsified	O
by	O
the	O
result	O
.	O

On	O
the	O
second	O
branch	O
of	O
the	O
question	O
,	O
I	O
will	O
only	O
remark	EVENT
,	O
that	O
unless	O
I	O
ran	O
through	O
that	O
part	O
of	O
my	O
inheritance	O
while	O
I	O
was	O
still	O
a	O
baby	O
,	O
I	O
have	O
not	O
come	O
into	O
it	O
yet	O
.	O

But	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
at	O
all	O
complain	O
of	O
having	O
been	O
kept	O
out	O
of	O
this	O
property	O
;	O
and	O
if	O
anybody	O
else	O
should	O
be	O
in	O
the	O
present	O
enjoyment	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
he	O
is	O
heartily	O
welcome	O
to	O
keep	O
it	O
.	O

I	O
was	O
born	EVENT
with	O
a	O
caul	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
advertised	EVENT
for	O
sale	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
newspapers	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
low	O
price	O
of	O
fifteen	O
guineas	O
.	O

Whether	O
sea-going	O
people	O
were	O
short	O
of	O
money	O
about	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
or	O
were	O
short	O
of	O
faith	O
and	O
preferred	O
cork	O
jackets	O
,	O
I	O
do	O
n’t	O
know	O
;	O
all	O
I	O
know	O
is	O
,	O
that	O
there	O
was	O
but	O
one	O
solitary	O
bidding	EVENT
,	O
and	O
that	O
was	O
from	O
an	O
attorney	O
connected	O
with	O
the	O
bill-broking	O
business	O
,	O
who	O
offered	EVENT
two	O
pounds	O
in	O
cash	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
balance	O
in	O
sherry	O
,	O
but	O
declined	EVENT
to	O
be	O
guaranteed	O
from	O
drowning	O
on	O
any	O
higher	O
bargain	O
.	O

Consequently	O
the	O
advertisement	O
was	O
withdrawn	EVENT
at	O
a	O
dead	O
loss	O
--	O
for	O
as	O
to	O
sherry	O
,	O
my	O
poor	O
dear	O
mother	O
’s	O
own	O
sherry	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
market	O
then	O
--	O
and	O
ten	O
years	O
afterwards	O
,	O
the	O
caul	O
was	O
put	EVENT
up	O
in	O
a	O
raffle	EVENT
down	O
in	O
our	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
country	O
,	O
to	O
fifty	O
members	O
at	O
half-a-crown	O
a	O
head	O
,	O
the	O
winner	O
to	O
spend	O
five	O
shillings	O
.	O

I	O
was	O
present	EVENT
myself	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
remember	EVENT
to	O
have	O
felt	O
quite	O
uncomfortable	O
and	O
confused	O
,	O
at	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
myself	O
being	O
disposed	O
of	O
in	O
that	O
way	O
.	O

The	O
caul	O
was	O
won	EVENT
,	O
I	O
recollect	EVENT
,	O
by	O
an	O
old	O
lady	O
with	O
a	O
hand-basket	O
,	O
who	O
,	O
very	O
reluctantly	O
,	O
produced	EVENT
from	O
it	O
the	O
stipulated	O
five	O
shillings	O
,	O
all	O
in	O
halfpence	O
,	O
and	O
twopence	O
halfpenny	O
short	O
--	O
as	O
it	O
took	O
an	O
immense	O
time	O
and	O
a	O
great	O
waste	O
of	O
arithmetic	O
,	O
to	O
endeavour	O
without	O
any	O
effect	O
to	O
prove	O
to	O
her	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
a	O
fact	O
which	O
will	O
be	O
long	O
remembered	O
as	O
remarkable	O
down	O
there	O
,	O
that	O
she	O
was	O
never	O
drowned	O
,	O
but	O
died	O
triumphantly	O
in	O
bed	O
,	O
at	O
ninety-two	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
understood	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
last	O
,	O
her	O
proudest	O
boast	O
,	O
that	O
she	O
never	O
had	O
been	O
on	O
the	O
water	O
in	O
her	O
life	O
,	O
except	O
upon	O
a	O
bridge	O
;	O
and	O
that	O
over	O
her	O
tea	O
(	O
to	O
which	O
she	O
was	O
extremely	O
partial	O
)	O
she	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
last	O
,	O
expressed	O
her	O
indignation	O
at	O
the	O
impiety	O
of	O
mariners	O
and	O
others	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
the	O
presumption	O
to	O
go	O
‘	O
meandering	O
’	O
about	O
the	O
world	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
in	O
vain	O
to	O
represent	O
to	O
her	O
that	O
some	O
conveniences	O
,	O
tea	O
perhaps	O
included	O
,	O
resulted	O
from	O
this	O
objectionable	O
practice	O
.	O

She	O
always	O
returned	O
,	O
with	O
greater	O
emphasis	O
and	O
with	O
an	O
instinctive	O
knowledge	O
of	O
the	O
strength	O
of	O
her	O
objection	O
,	O
‘	O
Let	O
us	O
have	O
no	O
meandering	O
.	O
’	O

Not	O
to	O
meander	O
myself	O
,	O
at	O
present	O
,	O
I	O
will	O
go	O
back	O
to	O
my	O
birth	EVENT
.	O

I	O
was	O
born	EVENT
at	O
Blunderstone	O
,	O
in	O
Suffolk	O
,	O
or	O
‘	O
there	O
by	O
’	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
say	O
in	O
Scotland	O
.	O

I	O
was	O
a	O
posthumous	O
child	O
.	O

My	O
father	O
’s	O
eyes	O
had	O
closed	EVENT
upon	O
the	O
light	O
of	O
this	O
world	O
six	O
months	O
,	O
when	O
mine	O
opened	EVENT
on	O
it	O
.	O

There	O
is	O
something	O
strange	O
to	O
me	O
,	O
even	O
now	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
reflection	O
that	O
he	O
never	O
saw	O
me	O
;	O
and	O
something	O
stranger	O
yet	O
in	O
the	O
shadowy	O
remembrance	O
that	O
I	O
have	O
of	O
my	O
first	O
childish	O
associations	O
with	O
his	O
white	O
grave-stone	O
in	O
the	O
churchyard	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
the	O
indefinable	O
compassion	O
I	O
used	O
to	O
feel	O
for	O
it	O
lying	O
out	O
alone	O
there	O
in	O
the	O
dark	O
night	O
,	O
when	O
our	O
little	O
parlour	O
was	O
warm	O
and	O
bright	O
with	O
fire	O
and	O
candle	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
doors	O
of	O
our	O
house	O
were	O
--	O
almost	O
cruelly	O
,	O
it	O
seemed	O
to	O
me	O
sometimes	O
--	O
bolted	O
and	O
locked	O
against	O
it	O
.	O

An	O
aunt	O
of	O
my	O
father	O
’s	O
,	O
and	O
consequently	O
a	O
great-aunt	O
of	O
mine	O
,	O
of	O
whom	O
I	O
shall	O
have	O
more	O
to	O
relate	O
by	O
and	O
by	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
principal	O
magnate	O
of	O
our	O
family	O
.	O

Miss	O
Trotwood	O
,	O
or	O
Miss	O
Betsey	O
,	O
as	O
my	O
poor	O
mother	O
always	O
called	O
her	O
,	O
when	O
she	O
sufficiently	O
overcame	O
her	O
dread	O
of	O
this	O
formidable	O
personage	O
to	O
mention	O
her	O
at	O
all	O
(	O
which	O
was	O
seldom	O
)	O
,	O
had	O
been	O
married	O
to	O
a	O
husband	O
younger	O
than	O
herself	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
very	O
handsome	O
,	O
except	O
in	O
the	O
sense	O
of	O
the	O
homely	O
adage	O
,	O
‘	O
handsome	O
is	O
,	O
that	O
handsome	O
does	O
’	O
--	O
for	O
he	O
was	O
strongly	O
suspected	O
of	O
having	O
beaten	O
Miss	O
Betsey	O
,	O
and	O
even	O
of	O
having	O
once	O
,	O
on	O
a	O
disputed	O
question	O
of	O
supplies	O
,	O
made	O
some	O
hasty	O
but	O
determined	O
arrangements	O
to	O
throw	O
her	O
out	O
of	O
a	O
two	O
pair	O
of	O
stairs	O
’	O
window	O
.	O

These	O
evidences	O
of	O
an	O
incompatibility	O
of	O
temper	O
induced	O
Miss	O
Betsey	O
to	O
pay	EVENT
him	O
off	O
,	O
and	O
effect	O
a	O
separation	EVENT
by	O
mutual	O
consent	O
.	O

He	O
went	EVENT
to	O
India	O
with	O
his	O
capital	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
a	O
wild	O
legend	O
in	O
our	O
family	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
once	O
seen	EVENT
riding	EVENT
on	O
an	O
elephant	O
,	O
in	O
company	O
with	O
a	O
Baboon	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
think	O
it	O
must	O
have	O
been	O
a	O
Baboo	O
--	O
or	O
a	O
Begum	O
.	O

Anyhow	O
,	O
from	O
India	O
tidings	EVENT
of	O
his	O
death	O
reached	EVENT
home	O
,	O
within	O
ten	O
years	O
.	O

How	O
they	O
affected	O
my	O
aunt	O
,	O
nobody	O
knew	O
;	O
for	O
immediately	O
upon	O
the	O
separation	EVENT
,	O
she	O
took	EVENT
her	O
maiden	O
name	O
again	O
,	O
bought	EVENT
a	O
cottage	O
in	O
a	O
hamlet	O
on	O
the	O
sea-coast	O
a	O
long	O
way	O
off	O
,	O
established	EVENT
herself	O
there	O
as	O
a	O
single	O
woman	O
with	O
one	O
servant	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
understood	O
to	O
live	O
secluded	O
,	O
ever	O
afterwards	O
,	O
in	O
an	O
inflexible	O
retirement	O
.	O

My	O
father	O
had	O
once	O
been	O
a	O
favourite	O
of	O
hers	O
,	O
I	O
believe	O
;	O
but	O
she	O
was	O
mortally	O
affronted	EVENT
by	O
his	O
marriage	EVENT
,	O
on	O
the	O
ground	O
that	O
my	O
mother	O
was	O
‘	O
a	O
wax	O
doll	O
’	O
.	O

She	O
had	O
never	O
seen	O
my	O
mother	O
,	O
but	O
she	O
knew	O
her	O
to	O
be	O
not	O
yet	O
twenty	O
.	O

My	O
father	O
and	O
Miss	O
Betsey	O
never	O
met	O
again	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
double	O
my	O
mother	O
’s	O
age	O
when	O
he	O
married	EVENT
,	O
and	O
of	O
but	O
a	O
delicate	O
constitution	O
.	O

He	O
died	EVENT
a	O
year	O
afterwards	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
as	O
I	O
have	O
said	EVENT
,	O
six	O
months	O
before	O
I	O
came	EVENT
into	O
the	O
world	O
.	O

This	O
was	O
the	O
state	O
of	O
matters	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
afternoon	O
of	O
,	O
what	O
I	O
may	O
be	O
excused	O
for	O
calling	EVENT
,	O
that	O
eventful	O
and	O
important	O
Friday	O
.	O

I	O
can	O
make	O
no	O
claim	O
therefore	O
to	O
have	O
known	O
,	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
how	O
matters	O
stood	O
;	O
or	O
to	O
have	O
any	O
remembrance	O
,	O
founded	O
on	O
the	O
evidence	O
of	O
my	O
own	O
senses	O
,	O
of	O
what	O
follows	O
.	O

My	O
mother	O
was	O
sitting	O
by	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
,	O
but	O
poorly	O
in	O
health	O
,	O
and	O
very	O
low	O
in	O
spirits	O
,	O
looking	EVENT
at	O
it	O
through	O
her	O
tears	EVENT
,	O
and	O
desponding	EVENT
heavily	O
about	O
herself	O
and	O
the	O
fatherless	O
little	O
stranger	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
already	O
welcomed	EVENT
by	O
some	O
grosses	O
of	O
prophetic	O
pins	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
drawer	O
upstairs	O
,	O
to	O
a	O
world	O
not	O
at	O
all	O
excited	O
on	O
the	O
subject	O
of	O
his	O
arrival	EVENT
;	O
my	O
mother	O
,	O
I	O
say	O
,	O
was	O
sitting	O
by	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
,	O
that	O
bright	O
,	O
windy	O
March	O
afternoon	O
,	O
very	O
timid	O
and	O
sad	O
,	O
and	O
very	O
doubtful	O
of	O
ever	O
coming	O
alive	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
trial	O
that	O
was	O
before	O
her	O
,	O
when	O
,	O
lifting	EVENT
her	O
eyes	O
as	O
she	O
dried	EVENT
them	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
window	O
opposite	O
,	O
she	O
saw	EVENT
a	O
strange	O
lady	O
coming	EVENT
up	O
the	O
garden	O
.	O

My	O
mother	O
had	O
a	O
sure	O
foreboding	EVENT
at	O
the	O
second	O
glance	EVENT
,	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
Miss	O
Betsey	O
.	O

The	O
setting	EVENT
sun	O
was	O
glowing	EVENT
on	O
the	O
strange	O
lady	O
,	O
over	O
the	O
garden-fence	O
,	O
and	O
she	O
came	O
walking	EVENT
up	O
to	O
the	O
door	O
with	O
a	O
fell	O
rigidity	O
of	O
figure	O
and	O
composure	O
of	O
countenance	O
that	O
could	O
have	O
belonged	O
to	O
nobody	O
else	O
.	O

When	O
she	O
reached	EVENT
the	O
house	O
,	O
she	O
gave	O
another	O
proof	EVENT
of	O
her	O
identity	O
.	O

My	O
father	O
had	O
often	O
hinted	O
that	O
she	O
seldom	O
conducted	O
herself	O
like	O
any	O
ordinary	O
Christian	O
;	O
and	O
now	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
ringing	O
the	O
bell	O
,	O
she	O
came	EVENT
and	O
looked	EVENT
in	O
at	O
that	O
identical	O
window	O
,	O
pressing	EVENT
the	O
end	O
of	O
her	O
nose	O
against	O
the	O
glass	O
to	O
that	O
extent	O
,	O
that	O
my	O
poor	O
dear	O
mother	O
used	O
to	O
say	O
it	O
became	O
perfectly	O
flat	O
and	O
white	O
in	O
a	O
moment	O
.	O

She	O
gave	O
my	O
mother	O
such	O
a	O
turn	EVENT
,	O
that	O
I	O
have	O
always	O
been	O
convinced	O
I	O
am	O
indebted	O
to	O
Miss	O
Betsey	O
for	O
having	O
been	O
born	EVENT
on	O
a	O
Friday	O
.	O

My	O
mother	O
had	O
left	EVENT
her	O
chair	O
in	O
her	O
agitation	O
,	O
and	O
gone	EVENT
behind	O
it	O
in	O
the	O
corner	O
.	O

Miss	O
Betsey	O
,	O
looking	EVENT
round	O
the	O
room	O
,	O
slowly	O
and	O
inquiringly	O
,	O
began	EVENT
on	O
the	O
other	O
side	O
,	O
and	O
carried	EVENT
her	O
eyes	O
on	O
,	O
like	O
a	O
Saracen	O
’s	O
Head	O
in	O
a	O
Dutch	O
clock	O
,	O
until	O
they	O
reached	EVENT
my	O
mother	O
.	O

Then	O
she	O
made	O
a	O
frown	EVENT
and	O
a	O
gesture	EVENT
to	O
my	O
mother	O
,	O
like	O
one	O
who	O
was	O
accustomed	O
to	O
be	O
obeyed	O
,	O
to	O
come	O
and	O
open	O
the	O
door	O
.	O

My	O
mother	O
went	EVENT
.	O

‘	O
Mrs.	O
David	O
Copperfield	O
,	O
I	O
think	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
Miss	O
Betsey	O
;	O
the	O
emphasis	O
referring	O
,	O
perhaps	O
,	O
to	O
my	O
mother	O
’s	O
mourning	O
weeds	O
,	O
and	O
her	O
condition	O
.	O

‘	O
Yes	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
my	O
mother	O
,	O
faintly	O
.	O

‘	O
Miss	O
Trotwood	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
the	O
visitor	O
.	O

‘	O
You	O
have	O
heard	O
of	O
her	O
,	O
I	O
dare	O
say	O
?	O
’	O

My	O
mother	O
answered	EVENT
she	O
had	O
had	O
that	O
pleasure	O
.	O

And	O
she	O
had	O
a	O
disagreeable	O
consciousness	O
of	O
not	O
appearing	O
to	O
imply	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
been	O
an	O
overpowering	O
pleasure	O
.	O

‘	O
Now	O
you	O
see	EVENT
her	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
Miss	O
Betsey	O
.	O

My	O
mother	O
bent	EVENT
her	O
head	O
,	O
and	O
begged	EVENT
her	O
to	O
walk	O
in	O
.	O

They	O
went	EVENT
into	O
the	O
parlour	O
my	O
mother	O
had	O
come	EVENT
from	O
,	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
in	O
the	O
best	O
room	O
on	O
the	O
other	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
passage	O
not	O
being	O
lighted	O
--	O
not	O
having	O
been	O
lighted	O
,	O
indeed	O
,	O
since	O
my	O
father	O
’s	O
funeral	EVENT
;	O
and	O
when	O
they	O
were	O
both	O
seated	EVENT
,	O
and	O
Miss	O
Betsey	O
said	O
nothing	O
,	O
my	O
mother	O
,	O
after	O
vainly	O
trying	EVENT
to	O
restrain	O
herself	O
,	O
began	O
to	O
cry	EVENT
.	O

‘	O
Oh	O
tut	O
,	O
tut	O
,	O
tut	O
!	O
’	O

said	EVENT
Miss	O
Betsey	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
hurry	O
.	O

‘	O
Do	O
n’t	O
do	O
that	O
!	O

Come	O
,	O
come	O
!	O
’	O

My	O
mother	O
could	O
n’t	O
help	O
it	O
notwithstanding	O
,	O
so	O
she	O
cried	EVENT
until	O
she	O
had	O
had	O
her	O
cry	O
out	O
.	O

‘	O
Take	O
off	O
your	O
cap	O
,	O
child	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
Miss	O
Betsey	O
,	O
‘	O
and	O
let	O
me	O
see	O
you	O
.	O
’	O

My	O
mother	O
was	O
too	O
much	O
afraid	O
of	O
her	O
to	O
refuse	O
compliance	O
with	O
this	O
odd	O
request	O
,	O
if	O
she	O
had	O
any	O
disposition	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
.	O

Therefore	O
she	O
did	EVENT
as	O
she	O
was	O
told	EVENT
,	O
and	O
did	EVENT
it	O
with	O
such	O
nervous	O
hands	O
that	O
her	O
hair	O
(	O
which	O
was	O
luxuriant	O
and	O
beautiful	O
)	O
fell	EVENT
all	O
about	O
her	O
face	O
.	O

‘	O