The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-27
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

BY CHARLES DICKENS.
BY fer the largest share of Mr.. Dickens's adj
mireu will be disappointed with this story, for,
as il determined to give prominence to his
moral, he has shaded off and Tefreated, il we
may use the expression, that inimitable humor,
and those felicities Of style and of fancy which
constitute the engrOssing attraction Of his pre-
vious works. He seems to have chosen his
moral, and then to have planned and written a
story TO illustrate it, OF course, therefore, as a
story, it lacks hexlbllity and naturalness occa-
slonally, and its characters lack the personality
which belongs in common TO most Of the crea-
tions of Dickens and Of Shakespeare. Whether,
however, the enjoyment which this is calculated
to give will be less than his previous works of
the same dimensions have been accustomed 10
yield, will depend more, perhaps, upon the men,
tai and moral constitution of the reader, than
upon anything else. The moral of the book is
sprofound one, and when recognised by the
reader, he will inevitably be delighted with the
skill with which ii is presented, but If It be not
appreciated fully, the book will be considered
heavy, inartistic and purposelsss.
Without designing to diminish the interest of
the reader by revealing the plot of the story, we
will take the chance of interesting some who
may not see the book, by giving brief sketch
of the authors purpose and the process by which
he has elaborated it.
1t was the aim Of the book to show how large
share Of our happiness and comfort in life we
derive from the remembrance of our SORROWS,
our wrongs, and our privstions, and the wretch
edness which would follow the erasure Of those
experiences, both to the victim, and the circle
in which he moved.
The hero of the story, if il may be said to
have any, around whom the sentiment Of the
book revolvss, Is Mr.. Redlsw, the chemist, who,
neglected in youth, by his parents, and misera-
bly, poor, had striven and suffered until he had
hewed out knowledge from the mine where it
was buried, as he saws, and made rugged steps
thereof for his worn feet to rest and rise on.
"No mothers self-denying love, no
fathers counsel aided me-" he says. "a
stranger came into my fathers place when
was but child, and was early an alien
from my mothers heart. My parents. al
the best, were Of that sort whose care soon
ends, and whose duty is soon done; who
cast their offspring loose, early, as birds dc
theirs and, if they do well, claim the merit
and, If i'll. the pity"
In his struggle on through life, he experien.
ced the treachery of friends, and the bitterness
Of those sorrows which follow irrstrievabIe ca
lsmity. And at the time when he Is introduced
to the reader, he is brooding over all these mis-
cries, which his memory preserved with fata
fidelity. A phantom which unnecessarily com
plicates the machinery of the story, and is mere
ly the reflection of his misanthropic reflections
arrays before him all of the past that could max,
memory seem a curse to him, and he prays b
forget his sOTrOr, his vrOng, and his trouble
i have the power, said the phantom, 'tC
cancel their remembrance-to leave bu
very faint, confused traces of them, that will
die out soon.' Say Is it done?'
'StayP cried the haunted man, anestine
by terrified gesture the uplifted hand.
uemble with distrust and doubt of you; and
the dim fear you cast upon me deepens into
q nameless horror ! can hardly bear.
would not deprive myself Of any kindly re
fection, or any sympathy that is good fol
me, or others. What shall lose il as
sent TO this' What else shall pass from my
remembrance
No knowledge; no result OF study; moth
ing but the intertwisted chain Of feelings and
associations, each in turn dependent on. and
nounshed by, the banished recollections.-
Those will CO.
Are they so manyi said the haunted
man. rejecting in alarm.
They have been wont to show themselves
in the fire, in music, in the wind, In the
dead stiffness Of the night, in the revolving
years, returned the phantom, scornfully.
In nothing elseg
The phantom held its peace.
But, having stood before him, silent, for
Little while, it moved towards the fire. then
stopped.
Decide it said. before the opportunity
is LOST
"A moment / call Heaven to witness. >
said the agitated man. that | have never
been hster Of my kind-neyer morose.
Indifferent or hard, TO anything around me.
II. living here alone. / have made too much
of all that was and might have been, and
too little OF what is, the evil, believe, has
fallen on me, and not on others. But, il
there were poison in my body, should not,
possessed Of antidotes, and knowledge bow
to use them, use ,heml If there be poison
on my mind. and through this fearful shadow
4 can cast it out, shall not cast it outl'