universally called, "Charley Goodfellow," or "Old Charley Goodfellow."

Now, whether it is a marvellous coincidence, or whether it is that the

name itself has an imperceptible effect upon the character, I have never

yet been able to ascertain; but the fact is unquestionable, that there

never yet was any person named Charles who was not an open, manly,

honest, good-natured, and frank-hearted fellow, with a rich, clear

voice, that did you good to hear it, and an eye that looked you always

straight in the face, as much as to say: "I have a clear conscience

myself, am afraid of no man, and am altogether above doing a mean

action." And thus all the hearty, careless, "walking gentlemen" of the

stage are very certain to be called Charles.

Now, "Old Charley Goodfellow," although he had been in Rattleborough

not longer than six months or thereabouts, and although nobody knew

any thing about him before he came to settle in the neighborhood, had

experienced no difficulty in the world in making the acquaintance of all

the respectable people in the borough. Not a man of them but would have

taken his bare word for a thousand at any moment; and as for the women,

there is no saying what they would not have done to oblige him. And all

this came of his having been christened Charles, and of his possessing,

in consequence, that ingenuous face which is proverbially the very "best

letter of recommendation."

I have already said that Mr. Shuttleworthy was one of the most

respectable and, undoubtedly, he was the most wealthy man in

Rattleborough, while "Old Charley Goodfellow" was upon as intimate terms

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Volume 5