Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-24
THE DICKENS DIFFICULTY.

phla Press, long account Of the Dickens diff
Guilty, ON which we take the following facts.
In tho year 1887, during the publication of
tne Piekwick Papers, as they are called-for
tne actuaI name Of the book is The Postbumous
Papers Of the Pickwick Club''-Chas. Dickens
married the daughter of Mr.. George Hogarth,
az toaf time musical critic of the London Morn
,as Chronicle, and now, we believe holding a
He IKE relation with the Daily News At that time
nl. DlekenS was 20 years Old-his wife about
Twelve months his junior.
Mr. Hogarth, who thus became Dckenss
,atner-ln-law, had been W. S. in Edinburgh,
MS native city. For the benefit of such of our
readers as are NOT Scottish we inform them that
-Ethe mysterious initials appended to Mr. Ho-
eEarth's name signify Writer TO the Sienet,n
skzsgree Of Caledonian lawyership between n
.s1ssansellor or advocate" and the ordinary
20 s4eo<rey or solicitor. He wrote a History Of
rasiea LOckhart, in his Life of Scott saws that
hSs .eif 1no understand the science speak highly
1oI IA For our own part, we have always failed
oi 70 appreciate this small volume having found
3 "A dry and dull heavy and pedantic However,
% ne strength of it, (his prG1nson of lawyer
hsing wholly Improbable ~ Geo. Hogarth
removed from Edinburgh to London, and set
s as a newspaper critic. In this capacity,
> Inougn his manner il very hard, he has exhib-
. lied some Judgment and great honesty and
nov far advanced in life, is a sort of patriarch
among the newspaper scribes OF London, chiefly
remarkable in private life, for insisting on re-
iohng two or three dilapidated anecdotes about
Sir Walter Scott
The Persian proverb prettily says: II am not
the rose, bukI have lived near It" Thus,
though Hogarth was not in any way con nected
~ with Scott, his own relations were; Jas Balan-
tyne, ScOtt's schoolfellow and life-friend, who
transacted all his business negotiations, while
the authorship Of Waverly was a secret, was
., married to George Hogarth's sister. George
Hogsrth was frequent guest at his brother in
laws table, where ne often met Scott Lockhart,
70 Harry, the actor. William Erskine, the lawyer
aed-e few more of the select. Thus, Hogarth
could nave told numerous anecdotes of Scott
bshat heiyonly remembered three, which, with
= vonderful tenacity Of purpose, he would relate
TO Al tfskeners -curiously contriviDg, towards
abe eose Of each story to forget the point Of it.
and sxPvessiDg his hope that he would remem-
y J, befter the next time. /
Brought up among literary people, Miss Ho-
tay.rthhsa simost an instructive liking for Chas
Dickens, sven before he put that important
TO which the fair sex so rarely have an
-ofpostunity OF twice saying mo" The mar
~ rage wU considered a very suitable one by
? ths mutual friends of both the principals, and
.lprsdneed several children-the eldest nearly a
/ 5atIsn aIsn 10 years, and quite a man in mind and
BODY 10 the eye Of the world, Chas. Dickens
l.snd his wife appeared happy couple.
(. 1t was whispered, however, that Mrs Dick
ems, with the thrift of Scottish nature and, in
with properly womanly and wifely care
Tor the future, seriously objected, years ago, to
her husbands carelessness in regard TO money
matters and strongly urged him to spare now,
that ne might have to spend heresfter-to lay
BY IN fact, tor a rainy day. II would appear
By letters in COckburns Life of Jeffrey, that
thegreat Ex-reviewer, who cherished the warm
! Iestregsrd for Dickens most earestly had urged
-on him the necessity of making provision for
G -tAe future, while his health and means permit
ted, and that even seven years after his mar
= rage, Dickens had not done anything of the
kind.
In those days, and for a long time later, Dick
ems, who had been lionized in the fashionab bic
- circles Of London, was absurdly extravagant in
, giving expensive entertainments in return
= This competition with the titled and wealthy
was very foolish, and il naturally annoyed Mrs.
DICKENS, In a pecuniary sense, and-if the
whole truth be known-perhaps she felt herself
g out OF place In the naughty cOndescending and
patronlzlng society Of the Lady Clementinas
the Lady Constances, and the Lady Emilies.
The members of Mr. Dickens family were
another source Of dissatisfaction to his wife il
Is said. From his father, Mr.. John Dickens
lmmOrtalized in David Copperield' as the
renowned wilkins Micawber, who was always
waiting fOr something to turn up down to the
q youngest OF his numerous brothers, Charles
Dickens family were drag upon his liberal
4 nature for very many years. The father had an
Income Of at least .. 900 a year. as a Govern
&C ment pensioner and newspaper reporter which
ought to have suffced for the support of his
-chlldren- but ii was not. It was mudaled aWay
nobody knew how, and the family stuck on their
brother Charles, like a nest Of leeches Of
.Heourse he submitted to it, prodigal rs be is,
= and OF course, also, his wife did not like it.
ID. Ihus, however, matters went on, begetting
dissatisfaction and coolness, until some recent
eircumstanees-in the profuse explanations we
are at a loss to know precisely what they are
led to separation