Chapters 50-52 Summary
As Pickwick, Ben, and Sam set off to see Mr. Winkle’s father, Bob Sawyer arrives and announces that he is going along. He is leaving his apothecary business to take care of itself, much to the consternation of Pickwick, who fears for the community, which is being left without a means to obtain medicine. As the carriage travels along, Bob becomes increasingly loud, clearly under the influence of the contents of the bottle he has brought along. Pickwick ascertains that it is milk punch, and he and Ben decide it would serve Bob right if they drank it all, which they do. Soon Ben and Pickwick also become tipsy. They decide to stop for lunch and refill the bottle. Several times along the way this process is repeated, and both Ben and Pickwick are fast asleep when they arrive at their destination.
At the inn, they learn that Mr. Winkle, Senior, lives not far away. They freshen up (and try to help Bob return to sobriety) and journey to Mr. Winkle’s home. They are shown into the parlor, where Pickwick presents his letter to Mr. Winkle, who reads the news of his son’s marriage while Ben goes to sleep. Mr. Winkle does not respond to the announcement of his son’s marriage except to state that he will not give his blessing because his son made his choice without his father’s approval. Pickwick and the others return to the inn, irate at Mr. Winkle’s hardheartedness.
Mr. Pickwick and his companions awaken the next morning to find it raining. They decide to wait to leave until the weather clears. When the weather does not change, they decide to go ahead and make the journey despite the inconvenience. They stop at an inn for the night, where they are surprised to encounter Mr. Pott from Eatanswill, the publisher of the Gazette. He tells them he is on his way to observe the Buff Ball of his opposition. That evening, Mr. Slurk of the Independent, Mr. Pott’s adversary, also arrives, and the two newspapermen get involved in a violent quarrel. Sam restrains them.
When Sam returns home, Mary tells him that a letter arrived for him soon after he left. The letter is from Sam’s father. It says Mrs. Weller caught cold sitting out late listening to one of her preachers, and she ultimately died. He asks Sam to come to comfort him. Sam leaves immediately, promising Mary that he won’t be gone more than a day or two. Sam finds his father in relatively good spirits except for feeling annoyed by widows who have already begun to prey upon him. Mr. Weller tells Sam that Mrs. Weller left him some money that has been invested for him. Mr. Stiggins arrives, wanting to know what Mrs. Weller left him. Mr. Weller tells Stiggins that she left him nothing, which Stiggins finds hard to believe. Mr. Weller is ready to be rid of Stiggins now that his wife is gone, and he throws the old preacher out in the horse trough.
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