Clue: Dickensian character of rag playing at close of 8 (9)
Answer: GRADGRIND
Explanation: Definition: Dickensian character
I think something wicked this way comes: '8' must be replaced by its solution WORLD SMILE DAY and then treated as part of the wordplay , so that the clue is a charade of GRA, an anagram ('playing') of 'rag' plus D ('close of' WORL**D**) plus GRIN (SMILE) plus D ('day'), for the character in *Hard Times*.