The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-01
From the Household Words, June g.
A CARD FROM MIR. CHARLES DICKENS.

Three and twenty years have passed since
entered upon my present relations with the
public. They began when was 60 young that
] fud them to have existed for nearly a quar-
ter of century.
Through all that time have tried to be as
faithful to tie public as they have been to me-
Ii 'sss my duty never to trife with them. or 10
deceive them, or TO preeume upon their favor.
or 20 60 anything with it but work hard and
justify it. / have always endeavored to dis
charge that duty.
Ny conspicuous position has often made me
the subject of fabulous stories and unsccounta
bic statements. Gees sionally such things Rave
chated me, CT even wounded me, bat | have
always accepted them as the shadows ipsepara.
ble from the light OF my notoriety and success
have never obtruded any such personal un
essnsss Of mine upon the generous aggregate
Of my audience.
For the first time in my life, and believe
for the last, | now devate from the principle
have so lorg observed, by presenting myself.
ia my own journal, in my own private charac
Ter, aud enueating all my brethren las they
deem that they have reason to think well Of
me, and to know that am a man who has eyer
been unaffectedly true 10 cur common callinul
10 lend their aid to the dissemination of nv
present WORDS.
Some domestic trouble Of mine, of long stand
ing, on which viii make no further remark
than that It clsims to be respected as being of
q sacredly private nature, has lately been
brought 10 gu arrangement which involves no
anger or Ill will of any kind, and the whole ori.
gin, progress, and surrounding circumstances
Of which have been throughout within the
knowledge of my children. 1t ia smicsbly com
posed, and its details have but now to be for.
gotten by these concerned in it.
By some means, arising out Of wickedness. or
oud Of folly, or out of inconceivable wild chance
or ont Of all three, this trouble has been made
the occasion OF misreprese ntation most grossly
false, most monslrous, and most cruel-invclv
ing not only me. but innocent persons dear to
my heart. and innocent persons of whom I
have no knowledge, if indeed they have any
existence; and 30 widely spread, that | doubt
If enc reader In a thousand will peruse these
lines by whom some touch of The breath of
these sanders will not have passed ike an nm
wholesome air.
Those who know me anG my nature need no
assurance under my hand that such calu N MES
are as irreconcilable with me as they are in
this frantic incoherence, with one another
But there is a great multitude who know me
through my writings, and Who do not know me
otherwise; and | cannot bear that one of them
should be left in doubt, or has ard of doubt
through my poorly shrinking from taking the
nnusaai means to which now resort of circu-
lating the truth.
most tolemnly declare, then-and this / do
both IN my own name and my wife s-tbat all
the late ~ whispered rumors touching the trouble
81 Which L have glanced are abominaby
false, end that whoever repeats one of them
after this denial will lie as wilfullv and as f,nl
ly as it is possible for any false witness 10 lis
Le!ore Heaven and earth.
Cu.prrs