The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-08-23
Dickens Domestic Troubles.

.
troubles which does not mend the matter,
nor give his readers any distinct clue to the
real difficulty. But the assistant editor of
the Philadelphia Press, who is familiar with
the private history of English literary nota-
bilitios gives us an interesting view into the
domestic circle and reveals perhaps the true
source of the trouble:
In the year 1881, during the publication
of the PiCkwick Papers-as they are called,
for the actual name of the book is ssThe
POsthum0uS Pa o. the ri .kwick Gu
Charles Dickens married the daughter of Mr.
George iIogarth, at that time musical critic
of the London Morning Chronicle, and now,
we believe, holding n like relation with the
Daily Ncrs. Ut that time Mr.. Dickens was
twenty-five years old; his wife about twelve
months his junior.
Mr. llOgarth, who thus became Dickens
f.lther-iI-law, had been a W. : in Edin-
hurgh, bis native city. For the benefit of
such of our readers rs are not Scottish. we
inform them that the mysterious initials APP
pended 20 Mr.. IIogarth sname signify "Wri-
ter To the Signet a decree of CaledOnian
laWycrship between counsellor or advo-
cate, and the ordinary attorney or solicitor.
lie wrote a History Of Music. LOckhart. in
his Life of Scott, says that :. all who under
stand the science speak highly of it," On
the strength of il, This profession of LAWYER
Icing wholly unprOfitable,) Mr.. George
lIOgarth removed from Edinburgh TO Lon
don, and set up rs newspaper critic. In this
capacity, though his manner is very hard,
he has exhibited some judgment and great
honesty, and, now far advanced in life, is a
sort of patriarch among the newspaper
scribes of London-chiehy remarkable, in
private life, for insisting ON relating two or
three dilapidated anecdotes about Sir Walter
Scott
The Persian proverb prcttily SAYS, " | am
not the rose. bat ! have lived near it.
Thus, though llogarth was not in any way
connected with Scott, his own relations
were. james Ballantyne, Scott's school
fellow and lifc-friend, who transacted all
his business negotiation while the author
ship of Warcrlcy was "A secret was married
to George lIogarths sister. George lIO-
garth was frequent guest at his brCther-in-
laws table, where he often met Scott Lock
hart, Terry, the actor, William Erskine. the
lawyer, and a few more ofthc select. Thus,
llOgarth could have tolduumerous anecdotes
of Scott-but ouly remembered Hree, which
with wonderful tcnacity of purpose, he
wouH relate to all listeners-curiousv con-
irving towards the close af each story. TO
forget the point OF it, and expressing his
hope that he would remember it better next
time.
Brought up among literary people, Miss
IOgGrth had almost an instructive liking
for Charles Dickens, even before he put that
important question, to which the fair sex so
rarely have an opportunity of twice saying
No The marriage was considered n
very suitable one 10y the mutual friends of
both the principals, and produced several
chiidren--the oldest nearly Il man in years,
and quite a man in mind and body. To the
eve of the world, Charles Dickens and his
wife appeared happy couple
1t was whispered. however, that NrS.
Dickens, with the thrift of her Scottish ma
turc, and, indeed, with properly wOmanly
and wifely care for the future, seriously Oh
iected, years ago, To her husband careless
ness in regard to money-matterS, and strong
ly urged him to spare now, that he might
have to spend hereafter-to lay by, in fact,
for a rainy day. Itwould appear, by letters
in 'Cockburn's Life of jeffrey that the
great ex-reviewer, who cherished the warm
est regard for Dickens, most earnestly had
urged on him the necessity of making Il
provision for the future, while his health
and means permitted and that even seven
years after his marriage, Dickens had not
done anything of the kind.
In those days, and ior a long time later
Dickens, who had been lionizcd in the fash
ionab!c circles of London, was abSurdly ex-
travagant in giving expensive entertain
mcnts in return. This competition with the
titled and wealthy was very foolish and has
been laid aside for some years But it
naturally annoyed Mrs. Dickens, in a pecu-
MARY sense, and-if the whole truth he
known-perhaps she felt herself out ofplace
in the haughtily condeScending and patron
izing society of the Lady Clementinas, the
Lady ConstanccS and the Lady Emilies.
The members of Mr.. Dickens family were
another source of dissatisfaction to his wife,
II is said. From his father, Mr. John Dick
cns-immortalized in "David Copperfield
as the renowned wilkins Micawber, who
was always waiting Tor something 10 turn
up-down to the Youngest of his numerous
brothers, Charles Dickens family were a
drag upon his liberal nature for very many
years. i nc AdlucI it'l an iuCuult Oi dt
least 81, 600 a year. rs Government pen
SiOner and a newspaper reporter, which
ought to have suiiiced for the support of his
children. But il was not. Ii was muddled
away, nobody knew how, and the family
stuck on their brother Charles, like nest
of leeches. OF course he submitted TO il
trucIy generous as he is and, of course, also
his wife did not like it. We should wonder
If she did.
At last, only few weeks ago, there came
across the water dark rumors that domestic
happiness, like Cupid in the song had
"opened the window and flew away from
the Dickens hearth-rumorS which affected
the moral character of Charles Dickens-ru
mors which speedily assumes most sub
stantive form, when, in his own "HOuSc
hold Words" he made plain; frank, earn
est, and, as every one believes, a perfect!
/. honest statement. Incompatibility of TEN
per had led TO a separation after twenty-On
+ years of welded life, and Mrs Dickens mos
fully acquitted her husband of all moral de
linquency. Was this all? 1t was enough
for
Whispering words can poison truth,
And constancy lives in realms above,
And life is stormy and youth Is vain,
Aud TO be wroth with love
Doth work like madness on the brain