The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-11-06
Gclrft 4flisfellann.
The Dickens Difficulty.

DR.. Shelton Mackenzie gives. in the Phi ia.
delphla Press, a long account of the Dickens
difficulty, from which we take the following
facts:
:. In the year 1897, during the publication
OF the Pickwick Papers, as they are called. for
the actual name Of the book is The Postum
nous Papers of the Pickwick C!uo,' Char les
Dickens married the daughter of Charles
ltogarlh, at that time musical c, itc of the
London Morning Chronicle. and now, we be.
leve, holding relation with the Dc1iy Nems.
At that time Mr.. Dickens was twenty five
years old, his wife about twelve months his
junior.
:. Mr.. IIosarth, who thus became Dickens's
iathe- n.law, had been W. s. in Edinburgh.
MS native city. For the benefit of such of
our 'ea'crs as are not Scottish, we inform
mem that The mysteries initials appended to
Mr. llogarths name signify Writer 10 the
S1gnet, degree Of Californian lawyership
between counsellor or advocate and the
ordinary attorney or solicitor. He wrote a
History of Music. Lockkart, in his Life Of
Scott, says that all who understand the
science speak highly of it, For our own
part, We have always failed to appreciate
THIS small volume, having found it dry and
dull, heavy and pelantic. However, on the
strength of it (his profession Of lawyer being
wholly unprofitable) Mr.. George Ilogarth re.
moved liom Edinburgh to London, and set up
as newspaper critic. In this way. though
his manner is very hard, he has exhibited
some Judgment and great honesty, ard now,
lar advanced In life, is a sort of patriarch
among the newspaper scrbes at London,
chiefly remarkable in private life for insist
ing on relating two Or three dilapidated
anecdotes about Sir Walter Scott
The Persian pioverb prcttily says: Il am
not the rose, but have lived near it, Thus.
though llngarlh was not in any way connec-
yea with Scott, his own relations were James
Ba''antync, SCOTS schoolfrllow and life
Trend. who transacted all his business Eceo.
tl1'lonS while the authorship Of Wavcrly was
a secret, was married to George IIogarth's
sister. George llosarth was frequent CUES,
at his brotherin-law s table, where he often
met Scott. Lockhart. Terry the actor. William
ErSklne the lawyer, and few more of the
select. Thus 1logar'h could have told nu.
merous anecdotes of Scott but he ONLY re-
mcmbered three. which, with wonderful,
tenacity of purpose, he would relate to all
listeners, obviously conlriving toward the
close Of each story to forget the point of it,
AND expressing the hope that he would lcmcm.
Der 1t better the next time.
brought up among literary people, Miss
iiosarth had almost an instructive liking for
charles Dickens, even before he put that i'm.
pof'aht question to which the fair sex 50
laitiy have an opportunity of twice saving
40. 1he marriage was considered Il very
suitable one by the mutual friends of both the
principals, and produced several children, the
eldest nearly man in years, and quite a
man IN mind and body II the eve of the
world Charles Dickens and his wife appeared
happy couple.
1t was Whispered, however, that Mrs.
DICKENS, with the thrift of Scottish nature,
ana indeed with proper womanlv and wifey
care Tor the future, seriously objected years
ago 10 her husbands carelessIess in regard to
money matters, and strongly urged him to
spare now, that he might have to spend
hereafter; to lay by, in fact for rainy dav.
I would appear by letters in Cockburn
leie OF Jetliey, that the great cx-revi,wcr,
who cherished the warlncst rcrar1 for
Dickens, most earnestly had urged on him
the necessity of making provision for the
future. while hls health aud means permitted,
and that, even seven years after his marrige.
Dickens had not done nything Of the kind.
In those days. and for long time later,
Dickens, who had been lioniz,d in the fash.
lonable circles of London, was absurdlv OK.
iraVagant IN giving expensive entertainments
IN return. This competition with the titled
and wealthy was very foolish, and il naturally
annnyed MIS-. Dickens in . Pecuniary sense,
and if the whole truth be known, perhaps she
felt herself our of place in the naughty, con.
descending and patronizing society of the
Lady Clementinas, the Lady Constances, and
the Lady Emilcs.
The members of Mr.. Dickcns's family
were another source Of dissatisfaction to his
wife, it is said From his father. Mr.. John
Dickens. immoltalzcd in David Copperfield'
as the renowned Wilkins AIlcawbrr, who was
always waiting for something to turn up,
down to the youngest of his numerous
brothers Charles Dickens's family were drag
upon his liberal nature for very many years.
The father had an income of at least two
thousand dollars a year, las a government
pehsioher and newspaper reporter, which
ought to have sulliced for the support of his
children. bat it did not. 1t was mudllcd
away, nobody knew how. and the family
stuck on their Brother Charles like nest of
leechcs OF course he submitted to it, prodi-
gal as be is, ard of course, also, his wife did
not like it.
Thus, however. matters went on, begetting
dissatisfaction and coolness until some recent
c'rcuhstances-in the rrofuse explanations
we are at loss to know precisely what they
are-led to separation"