The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-10-15
Charles Dickens Personal Appear

amce.
As Dickens is about to revisit America,
the following description of him, by Dr.
Shelton Mackenzie, will be read with in
tercst:
Charles Dickens will be forty-seven years
old next Fcbruarr. When in this country
seventeen years ago, Mr.. Dickens somewhat
resembled the portrait, by Maclise, prefxe,l
to the original edition OF q Nicholas Nickle-
by 1t was taken when Dickens was
twcnty-seyen years old, and the artist sue
ceedcd III poetzing features which, though
res eular, were commonplace, and throwing
expression into a face which really had
scarcely any. That Maclise portrait with
which American readers are very familiar,
simply showed an oYcr-drcssed young gem
tlcman, with long hair hanging down in the
fashion commonly called dogs ears. This
hair, which was then very profuse, was
darker than chestnut, and lighter than
brown. 1t was flowing and silky, with
tendency to curl. The painter represented
his su .ject as rather gorgeously got up, IS
respects arr extensive front OF black satin,
garnished with brilliant jewelry. The orig
inal, when he condeScended to visit us, lit
orally had metcoric appearance so brightly
flashed his many ornaments-brooches
breast-pins, and sparkling rings. We have
often wondered that, in his days of puppy
ism, Charles Dickens did not adopt the
Italian fashion of wearing earrings. lie
should have Gu, off his loye-locks, however,
to display these ornaments, and probably
had not sufficient strength of mind to make
that terrible sacrifice.
Seldom did a more highIy-dressed young
gentleman glitter on Broadway than
the Charles Dickens of 1871. Addicted to
that description of flashy vests, described by
young England as very cloud; stuck into
coat and pants on which the genius of
Stultz had evidently been employed; wear
ing the tallest and glossiest of chmney-pipe
hats, the thinnest morocco boots. the gayest
kid gloves, and the tinicst OF all delicate
canes, Charles Dickens as he emerged from
Carlton House, "a great hotel of the time,
much affected by English visitors to New
York. was remarkable looking young
man. He would have struck passing
stranger as an actor fully dressed to renrc-
sent the character of a fop in some comedy
or farce where the dramatist desired to have
a fling at young men who, aping at fashion,
ran into wild extrlvagances OF attire-out-
Brummeling Brummel, and out-D' Orsaying
DOrsay. At that time, too, Dickens was
rs closely "shaven and shorn as if he re-
ally were an actor, and his face was deeply
lined as the faces Of actors often are, from
the wear and tear which the muscles are
professionally subjected 10.
1t is very different now. Scycutccn years
have changed Dickens, and improved his
personal appearance. He has become stouter,
without being too full-robuSt bat not bulky.
The oeriI!es have disappeared. Either Time
or the barber las "thinned his flowing
hair His taste in dress has become nliti-
gated, and he exhibits limited supply ofjcw-
elry. He wears Kossuth, instead Of a
chimney pipe hat. The flash loud vests
of by gone years may now he catalogued
among Dickens abandoned habits. The
face, once so smooth, now is kcrsute. He
rcjoices in n full beard and moustache,
though he still is whskcrIe.s s The hair,
which is very sparsey Slrinkled with gray,
has retired little OFF his forehead
His features, too, have greatly been I'M
proved, as to their expression, by the adj
vance of time.
Charles Dickens may have been foppish,
vain, and full OF pretencc, but he is one of
the most good-naturcd Of mortals Among
the many points OF difference between him
and Thackeray. the most unicniable is that
Dickens is a whole-souled, genial man. Of
large humanity, whereas Thackcray is "A
cynic and q ist, who simply goes in f
enjoying himSeIf, and, with undoubted abil-
ity as writer, prefers portraying the dark
f a ure of the great family of mar. Dick
ens heart overtows with the milk of human
kindness, while Thackerays is a living
fountain of oil-of vitrol.
The advance of years, too, has not only
modified the expression of Dickenss face,
but improved his features. The lines about
the mouth, so deeply marked in youth,
have not become greater, and are now not
unsuitable to his time of life