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David Copperfield: Uriah

With all his love for his child wife, as she calls herself, he finds that her gay irresponsibility results in anything but a comfortable home. After vainly trying to develop her childish nature he uncomplainingly makes the best of it and continues to admire her bewitching ways. Meanwhile Uriah Heep has managed by deceit to worm his way into partnership with Mr. Wickfield, after which he proceeds to gain full control of the business. Considering Mr. Micawber likely to be a useful tool, Uriah hires him in the capacity of clerk, at such a meager salary that Mr. Micawber is obliged to borrow small sums of money from Heep, who takes advantage of this indebtedness to force Mr. Micawber to assist him in his dishonest practices.

At the end of a year Mr. Micawber requests an interview with David and his aunt at Canterbury. They find him filled with righteous contempt for Uriah Heep, the hypocritical plotter, and prepared to make a sweeping exposure, which he forthwith proceeds to do in his loftiest style which results in the recovery of Betsey Trotwood's money, full restitution to Mr. Wickfield, and, in Mr. Micawber's own words, the final pulverization of Heep. "Blossom," as David delights to call Dora, proves as frail as the name, and in spite of his tenderest care she droops and at length is gone.

As at other times of trial, it is the quick sympathy of Agnes Wickfield that softens the pain, and through her influence David plans to go abroad for a time. Meanwhile out of gratitude to Mr. Micawber for his service in the recovery of her money, Betsey Trotwood offers to help the Micawbers to make a new start in Australia. The family joyfully accept the proposition and prepare to sail on the same ship with Emily and her devoted uncle, to whom she has at last returned and who is accompanying her to the distant colony to begin life anew. Before bidding these good friends farewell, David visits Yarmouth once more and witnesses the last scene of Emily's tragedy. A raging tempest beats a ship to pieces just off the coast. One living person is seen still clinging to the mast, and the irony of fate sends Ham to his death in his efforts to rescue that creature, whose body when washed ashore proves to be that of Steerforth.

After three years' absence abroad, David returns to England, and gradually comes to realize that Agnes Wickfield has always been his guiding-star and held sway in his heart. Betsey Trotwood, fearing that David may still be blind with regard to the feeling of Agnes toward him, guilelessly mentions that she has reason to believe that Agnes is to be married. Whereupon David is determined, at whatever cost to his own feelings, to tell Agnes of his joy in any happiness that may come to her. He soon discovers that she has never cared for any other than himself and that her future happiness will be his as well. As the years pass and a group of children is added to their home David continues to find Agnes his inspiration as of old.

THACKERAY WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY, son of a civil servant in India, was born July 18, 1811, in Calcutta. He died December 24, 1863, in London, where most of his life was spent. From 1840 on, his wife was insane, so there lived in his heart, as in that of the other great humorist of his time, Dickens, constant domestic sorrow.