, 1866-10-14

nae long le!t an ardent Qeatre to make the
acquaintance Of the eminent author whose
works, especially whose David Copperaeld,
had read and .e.Fead. Informed Of this de-
sire, my old neighbor, Paul Feval (who is
the most o1isginE fellow in Christsndom1,
offered INC letter Of Introduction to Charles
Dickens, which ! accepted With alacrity.
The moment reached London asked for
the celebrated novelfst's address. Twas told
that "CharIcs Dickens lived at Gadshtll,
about tweuty-four miles from London by
Fnl.H ! wrote to Mr. Dickens The next day,
The following morning received d note,
In very good French, aud In anc regular
hsnd, which formed a marked contrast with
Ar. Dickens informed me In this note that
be was scarcely eyera absent from hone, except
On Saturdays. When he went to London to
surcsfntcnd the publication Of his last
novel, (which appeared In numhersl and In
vited me to come out to sec him.
The rnl1way from London to Gadshill u
built On the right bank of the Thames, aud
runs parallel with the river almost the whole
WAY consequently the jannt Is u very pleas
ant one. The train takes about an hour to
run the distance, 80 at the end Of sixty MIN
ntes ! got out Of the railway carriage at
Gsdshill station; aud, aa had Informed
him Of MT coming, lad to walk up the hill
on whose summit lies the village IN which
is Mr. Dickeus' residence.
As drew near the drst house of the VII
laee, and va about to ask my way; saw
with hsm and lapid step. He was a man
about fifty years old, OF average height,
good shape, straight as au arrow, With
1sonstacne anl eo~taa tnrntne slightly gray.
air of our officers Of The Chas.eurs d 'AGique.
/ asked him, Ia execrnhle English. >'N1ll
you please to tell nc which is Mr.. Dickens
The gentleman replied In French, "Allow
rs,o. ne to n3o,y 1aox y2n the Fa5 there. / an
On the why he talked in the most friendly
manner about Paul Feyal, whose talents he
csteems very highly, and about Fechtcr, with
whom he is extremely intimate. I noticed
that he lad q very sympathetic tone Of
voice, and clear and abrupt way Of talking,
which added TO big military manners.
Of the village. In the front Of 1t lay lawn
stretching 10 the road. 4 large garden,
likewise belonging to Mr.. Dickens, lies on the
other side Of the road It is reached By q sub
teranean passage under the road. Tie stable
yard. the stables, aud carriage houses arc on
Like most English cottages, Mr.. Dickens
Is plainly built and kept up with the most
perfect order. It IS not more than two sto-
ries high, As Soa enter, there Is . small
d1aTine,,oon, Dr. on he Ttght, eo9salniny ".
which is sery plainly furnished, and has no
ornament except two or three brouzcs. The
windows orcn on sort Of garden surround
Ing the house, and, as The house stands on q
high piece Of ground, an extensive view Of
axea ine ne'fh10'"e a ene country may ;ha BE- En- en-
lie large p a1awns 1oom ea m xith IL every. IS.
thing to make one comfortable, aud dec
oruted with great Injury, but with no at
tempt at show. Perfect taste relgus ores
everything. The drawing-roon opens into
the dining.room; under the diuing-room Is
the kitchen. Abore these rooms are the
tribuscd. but they arc extremely comfort
able and profuscly furnished with those
| needfu1 aud vast utensils which are indis-
rtnsaoic to the toilette Of every English
Amer talking for few minutes in his study,
Ar. Dickens introduced me to bis family. II
consisted that day of his daughter and sis
ter-in.law. He has several other children,
! at many IS sig OF eight, believe; but his
sons. kept in London by their professions,
rarely come out TO see him. except on Sun
10 cousin Of Wilkie Collins, Inc author oi
The Woman in Whitc.' The daughter l
| had the honor to meet at Gadshill Is q young
and beautiful lady of twenty, whose courte.
ous and kind features Me good deal like
| thosc Of her father. Both Of the ladies
! spoke French, and their conversation had a
| French turn, which ~aa probably due to the
annual visit they make to Paris. Dickens Il
/! very fond Of Ffance and the French.
Dickens taTotite time for working Is In
the morning. He rises very early and sets
to work At once he lightly breakfasts at
shout half past nine, aud continues to work
es. After lunch he goes out into the fields
| and does not return hotne uutil halCpast st1
O'Clock. He walks everY day eight or ter
miles: He walks rapidly.
Dieken's writing is, as hsve said, flne anl
ae keeps and has had bound the manuscript
ofsone Of BIS works, It seems to nc his "a
vostte nuvel l. "Darid Copperdeld." How
ever, he rarely speaks Of his works; bu1
when be Is driven to talk Of them, he talk!
out vanity, and without false modesty. Ht
conversation is strik1ng BY it, yiraclty, NJ
tural 'onc, and the absence ofeyesything lik.
humbug and studied attitude.
Charles Dickens possesses remarkable
talent for .eadipg: He 1eads admirably, ~! 2!
several persons thxt he acts comedy viii
raTe perfection, and that 1t Was formerly on
Of his tavotite amusements. he Is, - hav
already said, on Al intimate footing will
fletcher, who has obtained An Immense sue
cess In The part Of Hamlet, and who Ia nos
the Iyce1m Theatre
I After my dzst excursion to Gad&hill II
turned there with II. and Nine. Fcchter, AMI
stayed two Or three days with him. It
impossible for anybody to be more amiabl
aud Kind to guests than arc 1fE. Dickens Al
al bis family.
There arc two enormous Eewfoundlan
dogs III the ysrd, which visitors arc warne
! not to Rpp1phch too near, and two sfn51! dog
Of more friendly humor. There is verj littl
seen Of the sesvanta in hts or Ia any othe
English house. The service Is perfortne
rapidly and noiselcssly, snt nobody seems
ray it attention. Dickens favorite wine
Bordeaux wine.
Dickens ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. He. is fou
; ofreceising company informally and Int
mately erery day ofthe week, aud especial
!, Sunday, despite the English custom, whtc
Is tsEtuufnE to be some What modified on th
, subject, a happy and kindly nature, his CT
. | iurntly sympathetic influence is ! char
: Which works on every one brought in conta
~