Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-02-10

motley fools costume which only excitos the !
jerision Of other countries, making itself felt in
shouts of laughter that may be said to come
pcalng upon them over the broad waters of the
Atlantic. But in the meanwhile it interfcres
fatally with the culture of letters. The efore- !
said bag of dollars, no matter how acquired
utter indifference to the honesty of the means
of acquisition giving additional impetus to the
naked passion for gain---s worth dozen poets
in America"
1tappears that DICKENS has fallen into pccu-
mary difficulties, notwithstanding the large
sums Of money which the labor ofh pen has
brought him. WINS, the New York corres-
pondcnt of the National In,clligcncor, in his
last published letter thus describes the crcum-
stances under which he first saw him, while ia
similar predicomcnt:
81 am sorry 10 see by the English papers that
Dickens has been within the rules of the
Queens Bench realizing the prophecy Of Pc
cuniary ruin which has for some time been
whispered about for him. His splendid genius
did not need the melancholy proof Of improvi-
dencc, and he has had wealth so completely
within his grasp, that there seems particular
aud UNHAPPY need!essncss in his ruin The
worst Of his misfortune is, he has lived so close
ly at The edge Of his 1oodtidc of prosperity that
the ebb leaves him at highwater mark, and not
in the contened ooze of supplied necessities
where it first took him mp. And, by the vay
il was in that same lowwa'cr period of his lite
just before he became celebrated first
saw Dickens and will record this phrase Of
his Crys0iis-(rhe tomb Of tho caterpillpr and
the cradle Of the butterfly NJ LnnJrus cnlls IL
upon the chance of It's being as interesting to
future ages such picture would now be of
the dnte-bmicrfiU'iy of Shakespeare. was
following n iavorite amusement of mine one
rainy day in the strand, Lomdon--s,rolliug to-
wards the more crowded thotoughfares with
! cloak and umbrella and looking at people and
/ shop-windows. heard my name called from
a passenger in the street cab. From cut the
smoke of the wet straw pecrcd the head of my
! publisher, Mr.. Macronc "a most liberal and no.
/ blc-hcarted fellow, since dend) After a little
calechIsm as 10 my damp destjny for that morn
/ ing, he Informed me that he was going to Vi
sit Ncwgatc and asked Inc to join him.
/ | willingly agreed never having seen this
famous prison and, after was seated in the
cab, he said he was to pick up on the WY a
young paragraphIst for the Morning Chronicle,
who wished 10 write description OF it. In
the most crowded part of Ilplboru, within door
or two of the 'Buli and Mouth Inn, Ohc great
starting and stopping place OF the stage coach
esq we pulled up at the entrance Of large
building used for lawyers chambers Not to
leave me sitting in the rain, Macrone asked me
to dismount with him. followed by long flights
OF stairs to an upper story, and was ushered in.
to an uncarpetcd and bleaklooking room, with
deal table, two or three chairs-ond few
books small boy, and Mr.. Dickens for the con,
tents. | was only struck at first with one
thing, (and made memorandum Of ii that
evening, as the strongest instance had ever
seen of English ohsequiousness TO employers
the degree to which the poor author was over
powered with the honor of his publishers visit
remember saying to myself as sat down on
a ricket,y chair, My good fellow, if yor we're
in America ith that fine face and your ready
Quill, you would have no need to be condcscend.
ed to by publisher Dickens was dressed
very much as he has since described Dick
. SwIyelcr'-miRus the swell look. His hair
was cropped close to his head, his clothes scant,
though iauntly cut and, after changing rag
ged Office coat for a shabby blue, he stood by the
door, colar'css and bulioncd up, the very per-
soniication, thought, Of u close sailor to the
wind We went down and crowded into the
cab, Zone passenger more than the law allow
ed, and Dickens partly in my lap aud partly IN
Marcrones, and drove on to Newgate.
In his works, If you remember, there is de-
scription of ihe prison, drawn from THIS day
observation. We were there an hour or two,
and were shown some ofthe celebrated mur-
derers confined for life, and one young soldier
waiting for execution and in one of the pas,
saqes we chanccd TO meet Miss Fry on her IL.
sual errand of benevoence, Though interested
in Dickens face, forgo, him naturally enough
after we cutered the prison, and do not think
heard him speak during the two hours. !
parted from him at the door of the prison, and
continued my stroll in the city.
Not long after this, Macrone sent me the
"shects OF Sketches by Boz" with a note say
ing that they were by the gentleman who went,
| a., A., | rnol tho hool ~ n