1 I Am Born I have been told that I was born on a Friday at midnight I was born in the small town of Blunderstone in Suffolk England My father had died some six months before The most surprising thing about my birth was the visitor who arrived just before it Betsey Trotwood was my father’s aunt Miss Trotwood had once been married Her husband was a great disappointment to her considering he once tried to toss her out of a third-story window She paid him off and he went away to India Miss Trotwood then lived as a single woman for the rest of her life She believed strongly that all women would benefit from life without husbands 4
On the afternoon before my arrival my mother was sitting by the fire She was missing my father and fretting that she would not survive my arrival At some point my mother’s eyes drifted toward the window There she saw a strange lady with her nose pressed to the window My mother jumped from her chair as Miss Trotwood strode in Mrs David Copperfield I think the older woman inquired Yes my mother whispered just before bursting into tears Oh tut tut Miss Trotwood said Don’t do that But my mother had little choice and did cry until she had quite cried herself out Miss Trotwood demanded to know the name of my mother’s servant Then she opened the parlor door and shouted Here Peggotty Tea Your mistress is a little unwell Don’t dawdle Then Miss Trotwood sat and announced Your child will be a girl I am certain From 5
the moment of her birth I will be her friend and her godmother I would like you to name her Betsey Trotwood Copperfield My mother was so awed by Miss Trotwood that she didn’t dare argue the point But she did burst into a fresh storm of tears Well my aunt said Don’t cry anymore You’ll make yourself ill And it won’t be good for you or my goddaughter Her firm instance seemed to do my mother some good for she did stop crying Peggotty carried in the tea things and took one look at my mother before sending word for the doctor Miss Trotwood merely stuffed bits of cotton in her ears and waited by the fire The doctor arrived quickly and saw to my mother As I was still some hours away from arrival he came downstairs to warm by the fire Seeing the cotton in my aunt’s ears he assumed she had an earache and offered some medical advice for curing it 6
