divided　between　pleasure　and　regret—pleasure　in　the
  achievement　of　a　long　design；　regret　in　the　separation　from　many
  companions—that　I　was　in　danger　of　wearying　the　reader　with
  personal　confidences　and　private　emotions。
  Besides　which；　all　that　I　could　have　said　of　the　Story　to　any
  purpose；　I　had　endeavoured　to　say　in　it。
  It　would　concern　the　reader　little；　perhaps；　to　know　how
  sorrowfully　the　pen　is　laid　down　at　the　close　of　a　two…years’
  imaginative　task；　or　how　an　Author　feels　as　if　he　were　dismissing
  some　portion　of　himself　into　the　shadowy　world；　when　a　crowd　of
  the　creatures　of　his　brain　are　going　from　him　for　ever。　Yet；　I　had
  nothing　else　to　tell；　unless；　indeed；　I　were　to　confess　（which　might
  be　of　less　moment　still）；　that　no　one　can　ever　believe　this
  Narrative；　in　the　reading；　more　than　I　believed　it　in　the　writing。
  So　true　are　these　avowals　at　the　present　day；　that　I　can　now
  only　take　the　reader　into　one　confidence　more。　Of　all　my　books；　I
  like　this　the　best。　It　will　be　easily　believed　that　I　am　a　fond　parent
  to　every　child　of　my　fancy；　and　that　no　one　can　ever　love　that
  family　as　dearly　as　I　love　them。　But；　like　many　fond　parents；　I　have
  in　my　heart　of　hearts　a　favourite　child。　And　his　name　is　DAVID
  COPPERFIELD。　1869
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  Chapter　1
  I　AM　BORN
  Whether　I　shall　turn　out　to　be　the　hero　of　my　own　life；　or
  whether　that　station　will　be　held　by　anybody　else；　these
  pages　must　show。　To　begin　my　life　with　the　beginning
  of　my　life；　I　record　that　I　was　born　（as　I　have　been　informed　and
  believe）　on　a　Friday；　at　twelve　o’clock　at　night。　It　was　remarked
  that　the　clock　began　to　strike；　and　I　began　to　cry；　simultaneously。
  In　consideration　of　the　day　and　hour　of　my　birth；　it　was
  declared　by　the　nurse；　and　by　some　sage　women　in　the
  neighbourhood　who　had　taken　a　lively　interest　in　me　several
  months　before　there　was　any　possibility　of　our　becoming
  personally　acquainted；　first；　that　I　was　destined　to　be　unlucky　in
  life；　and　secondly；　that　I　was　privileged　to　see　ghosts　and　spirits；
  both　these　gifts　inevitably　attaching；　as　they　believed；　to　all
  unlucky　infants　of　either　gender；　born　towards　the　small　hours　on
  a　Friday　night。
  I　need　say　nothing　here；　on　the　first　head；　because　nothing　can
  show　better　than　my　history　whether　that　prediction　was　verified
  or　falsified　by　the　result。　On　the　second　branch　of　the　question；　I
  will　only　remark；　that　unless　I　ran　through　that　part　of　my
  inheritance　while　I　was　still　a　baby；　I　have　not　come　into　it　yet。　But
  I　do　not　at　all　complain　of　having　been　kept　out　of　this　property；
  and　if　anybody　else　should　be　in　the　present　enjoyment　of　it；　he　is
  heartily　welcome　to　keep　it。
  I　was　born　with　a　caul；　which　was　advertised　for　sale；　in　the
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  newspapers；　at　the　low　price　of　fifteen　guineas。　Whether　sea…going
  people　were　short　of　money　about　that　time；　or　were　short　of　faith
  and　preferred　cork　jackets；　I　don’t　know；　all　I　know　is；　that　there
  was　but　one　solitary　bidding；　and　that　was　from　an　attorney
  connected　with　the　bill…broking　business；　who　offered　two　pounds
  in　cash；　and　the　balance　in　sherry；　but　declined　to　be　guaranteed
  from　drowning　on　any　higher　bargain。　Consequently　the
  advertisement　was　withdrawn　at　a　dead　loss—for　as　to　sherry；　my
  poor　dear　mother’s　own　sherry　was　in　the　market　then—and　ten
  years　afterwards；　the　caul　was　put　up　in　a　raffle　down　in　our　part
  of　the　country；　to　fifty　members　at　half…a…crown　a　head；　the　winner
  to　spend　five　shillings。　I　was　present　myself；　and　I　remember　to
  have　felt　quite　uncomfortable　and　confused；　at　a　part　of　myself
  being　disposed　of　in　that　way。　The　caul　was　won；　I　recollect；　by　an
  old　lady　with　a　hand…basket；　who；　very　reluctantly；　produced　from
  it　the　stipulated　five　shillings；　all　in　halfpence；　and　twopence
  halfpenny　short—as　it　took　an　immense　time　and　a　great　waste　of
  arithmetic；　to　endeavour　without　any　effect　to　prove　to　her。　It　is　a
  fact　which　will　be　long　remembered　as　remarkable　down　there；
  that　she　was　never　drowned；　but　died　triumphantly　in　bed；　at
  ninety…two。　I　have　understood　that　it　was；　to　the　last；　her　proudest
  boast；　that　she　never　had　been　on　the　water　in　her　life；　except
  upon　a　bridge；　and　that　over　her　tea　（to　which　she　was　extremely
  partial）　she；　to　the　last；　expressed　her　indignation　at　the　impiety　of
  mariners　and　others；　who　had　the　presumption　to　go　‘meandering’
  about　the　world。　It　was　in　vain　to　represent　to　her　that　some
  conveniences；　tea　perhaps　included；　resulted　from　this
  objectionable　practice。　She　always　returned；　with　greater
  emphasis　and　with　an　instinctive　knowledge　of　the　strength　of　her
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  objection；　‘Let　us　have　no　meandering。’
  Not　to　meander　myself；　at　present；　I　will　go　back　to　my　birth。
  I　was　born　at　Blunderstone；　in　Suffolk；　or　‘there　by’；　as　they　say
  in　Scotland。　I　was　a　posthumous　child。　My　father’s　eyes　had　closed
  upon　the　light　of　this　world　six　months；　when　mine　opened　on　it。
  There　is　something　strange　to　me；　even　now；　in　the　reflection　that
  he　never　saw　me；　and　something　stranger　yet　in　the　shadowy
  remembrance　that　I　have　of　my　first　childish　associations　with　his
  white　grave…stone　in　the　churchyard；　and　of　the　indefinable
  compassion　I　used　to　feel　for　it　lying　out　alone　there　in　the　dark
  night；　when　our　little　parlour　was　warm　and　bright　with　fire　and
  candle；　and　the　doors　of　our　house　were—almost　cruelly；　it
  seemed　to　me　sometimes—bolted　and　locked　against　it。
  An　aunt　of　my　father’s；　and　consequently　a　great…aunt　of　mine；
  of　whom　I　shall　have　more　to　relate　by　and　by；　was　the　principal
  magnate　of　our　family。　Miss　Trotwood；　or　Miss　Betsey；　as　my　poor
  mother　always　called　her；　when　she　sufficiently　overcame　her
  dread　of　this　formidable　personage　to　mention　her　at　all　（which
  was　seldom）；　had　been　married　to　a　husband　younger　than　herself；
  who　was　very　handsome；　except　in　the　sense　of　the　homely　adage；
  ‘handsome　is；　that　handsome　does’—for　he　was　strongly　suspected
  of　having　beaten　Miss　Betsey；　and　even　of　having　once；　on　a
  disputed　question　of　supplies；　made　some　hasty　but　determined
  arrangements　to　throw　her　out　of　a　two　pair　of　stairs’　window。
  These　evidences　of　an　incompatibility　of　temper　induced　Miss
  Betsey　to　pay　him　off；　and　effect　a　separation　by　mutual　consent。
  He　went　to　India　with　his　capital；　and　there；　according　to　a　wild
  legend　in　our　family；　he　was　once　seen　riding　on　an　elephant；　in
  company　with　a　Baboon；　but　I　think　it　must　have　been　a　Baboo—
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  or　a　Begum。　Anyhow；　from　India　tidings　of　his　death　reached
  home；　within　ten　years。　How　they　affected　my　aunt；　nobody　knew；
  for　immediately　upon　the　separation；　she　took　her　maiden　name
  again；　bought　a　cottage　in　a　hamlet　on　the　sea…coast　a　long　way　off；
  established　herself　there　as　a　single　woman　with　one　servant；　and
  was　understood　to　live　secluded；　ever　afterwards；　in　an　inflexible
  retirement。
  My　father　had　once　been　a　favourite　of　hers；　I　believe；　but　she
  was　mortally　affronted　by　his　marriage；　on　the　ground　that　my
  mother　was　‘a　wax　doll’。　She　had　never　seen　my　mother；　but　she
  knew　her　to　be　not　yet　twenty。　My　father　and　Miss　Betsey　never
  met　again。　He　was　double　my　mother’s　age　when　he　married；　and
  of　but　a　delicate　constitution。　He　died　a　year　afterwards；　and；　as　I
  have　said；　six　months　before　I　came　into　the　world。
  This　was　the　state　of　matters；　on　the　afternoon　of；　what　I　may
  be　excused　for　calling；　that　eventful　and　important　Friday。　I　can
  make　no　claim　therefore　to　have　known；　at　that　time；　how　matters
  stood；　or　to　have　any　remembrance；　founded　on　the　evidence　of
  my　own　senses；　of　what　follows。
  My　mother　was　sitting　by　the　fire；　but　poorly　in　health；　and　very
  low　in　spirits；　looking　at　it　through　her　tears；　and　desponding
  heavily　about　herself　and　the　fatherless　little　stranger；　who　was
  already　welcomed　by　some　grosses　of　prophetic　pins；　in　a　drawer
  upstairs；　to　a　world　not　at　all　excited　on　the　subject　of　his　arrival；
  my　mother；　I　say；　was　sitting　by　the　fire；　that　bright；　windy　March
  afternoon；　very　timid　and　sad；　and　very　doubtful　of　ever　coming
  alive　out　of　the　trial　that　was　before　her；　when；　lifting　her　eyes　as
  she　dried　them；　to　the　window　opposite；　she　saw　a　strange　lady
  coming　up　the　garden。
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  My　mother　had　a　sure　foreboding　at　the　second　glance；　that　it
  was　Miss　Betsey。　The　setting　sun　was　glowing　on　the　strange　lady；
  over　the　garden…fence；　and　she　came　walking　up　to　the　door　with　a
  fell　rigidity　of　figure　and　composure　of　countenance　that　could
  have　belonged　to　nobody　else。
  When　she　reached　the　house；　she　gave　another　proof　of　her
  identity。　My　father　had　often　hinted　that　she　seldom　conducted
  herself　like　any　ordinary　Christian；　and　now；　instead　of　ringing　the
  bell；　she　came　and　looked　in　at　that　identical　window；