Matlock Station today. It was part of the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway, and opened in 1850 with buildings designed by Joseph Paxton, who designed the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition in London the following year. Our canine commuter would detrain here or at the next stop, Matlock Bath. One can barely imagine the bureaucratic tiswas if he tried this today; even in the Great War officialdom was fussing about dogs on public transport: see The Letter of the Law.
Introduction
Victorian environmentalist John Ruskin complained that the Midland Railway had torn up lovely countryside between Derby, Matlock and Buxton just so that ‘every fool in Buxton can be at Bakewell in half-an-hour, and every fool in Bakewell at Buxton’, overlooking the benefits to Derbyshire’s canine population.
THERE is a dog at Derby who often visits Matlock by the railway, going by one train, and returning by another. He never goes farther than Matlock baths, and always returns the same night to Derby, which is his home.
In the Natural History Magazine* a story is told of a Setter dog, who forced his way into an omnibus in the Edgeware Road, much against the consent of the conductor and passengers, as the dog did not belong to either, and who used every means to entice him out, which he constantly resisted in the most surly manner, so much so, that they were in danger of being bitten if they attempted to force him out. These attempts were repeated every time the omnibus stopped, but always without success, till they arrived at the Eagle in the City Road, when, the moment the door was opened, the dog jumped out, and walked off to a neighbouring street which it was afterwards discovered was his home.*
Abridged
From ‘Domestic Pets’ (1851) by Jane Loudon (1807-1858).
“The Magazine of Natural History and Journal of Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology And Meteorology” Vol. 6 (1833), available at The Internet Archive. The magazine was edited by Jane’s husband John Claudius Loudon; the couple met after John enjoyed reading Jane Webb’s science fiction novel The Mummy!, set in the 22nd century, and invited her to lunch.
The story was submitted by a correspondent signing himself ‘Cattus’ who said he was eyewitness to the event.
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate her ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
Victorian author Jane Loudon related two anecdotes about dogs using public transport all by themselves. One took a regular train from Derby to Matlock and back, whereas another was seen catching a London bus and refusing all attempts to eject him until he reached the stop nearest his master’s house, where he stepped off calmly and trotted home. (58 / 60 words)
Victorian author Jane Loudon related two anecdotes about dogs using public transport all by themselves. One took a regular train from Derby to Matlock and back, whereas another was seen catching a London bus and refusing all attempts to eject him until he reached the stop nearest his master’s house, where he stepped off calmly and trotted home.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: besides, despite, if, just, or, ought, unless, who.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Danger. He. They.
2 If. Passenger. Story.
3 Going. Often. Resist.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Resist. 2 Walk. 3 Use. 4 Repeat. 5 Belong. 6 Jump. 7 Time. 8 Dog. 9 Arrive.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
bng (5+5)
bang. being. binge. bingo. booing.
baaing. bong. bongo. bung. bungee.
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Grok : Ask Grok
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