The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-11-04
Dickens as he Used to Be, and as He is
Now.

The readers of Charles Dickens
works will be interested in this little
sketch of him, as he used to be and as
he is now is taken from an article in
the Philadelphia Press, by DIR. Shelton
Mckenzie. He commences with
"Boz's" appearance in this country
some fourteen years ago:
Seldom did a more highly dressed
young gentleman glitter on Broadway
than Charles Dickens of ls4l. Were
we satirical, which we certainly are
not-we might even say that he was
over dressed. Addicted to that de-
scription of fiashy vests, described by
Young England as very loud stuck
into coats and pants, on which the
genius of Stultz had evidently been
employed; wearing the tallest and CLOS
siest of chimney pipe hats, the thinnest
morocco boots, the gayest kid gloves;
and the tiniest of all delicate canes.
Charles Dickens as he emerged from
Carlton House, Ia great hotel of the
time, much affected by English visitors
to New York, was remarkable look
ing young man. He would have
struck passing stranger as an actor,
| fully dressed to represent the charac-
ter of fop, in some comedy or farce
where the young dramatist desired to
have fling at the young men, who
aping at fashion, ran into wild extrav-
agances of attire--out- -Brumeling
Brunei, and out D'Orsaying D'Orsay.
At that time, too Dickens was as
closely "shaven and shorn'' as if he
really were an actor, and his face was
deeply lined as the faces of actors oft
en- are, from the wear and tear which
the muscles are professionally subjected
| to.
1t is very different now. Seventeen
years have changed Dickens and inn
proved his personal appearance. He
has become stouter, without being too
full-robust, but not bulky. The
oreiles have disappeared. Either
Time or the barber has thinned his
flowing hair" His taste in dress has
become mitigated, and he exhibits a
limited supply of jewelry, exhibiting
only a single ring. He wears Kos
suth instead of chimney pipe hat.
The flash cloud" vests of by-gone
years may now be catalogued among
Dickens abandoned habits. The face
once so smooth, now is hirsute. He
rejoices in full beard and moustache,
though he is whiskerless. The hair
which is very sparsely sprinkled with
gray, has retired a little off his fore
head, so ss to give a full view of that
"Dome of thought, that palace of the mind"
His features, too, have been greatly
improved, as to their expression, by
the advance of time. He looks what
he is, a shrewd, clever and observant
man. You might easily give him cred
it for humorist-witty himself, and
the cause of wit in others; but few
gazing upon Dickens, the living like
ness of man of the world, would sus
pect what depths of imagination, poetry
and pathos lies within his heart. Had
you the opportunity of studying thai
face, you might imagine that Charles
Dickens was an astute lawyer, ;
\ shrewd merchant, q keen 1speculator
a clever engineer-anything in short
but the tear exciting author of Little
Nell, the mirth making creator of San
Weller. For his expression is wha
we may call keen. He looks as if n.
one need try to overreach him. Yo,
would readily take him for hard
close worldly man, and you woult
greatly mistake him.