The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-23
iii M and Hrs Charles D,si<sA
A LEAF OF FAMILY HISTORY wRIrTu -
DICKENS. 4. =. ~ -

srtI.
~. ,r Loxpox. May 90, lss&
permission e 70 sSo~ this but fiS beg a, you q show
to any one who wishes to do me right, or to any
one Who may have been mislead into doing ~
wrong. Faithfully yours, c.-p.
fs Arthur emish. Esq:
Mrs. Dickens and I have lived unbappily to-
gerher for many years. Hardly any one who has
known Us Intimately can fail TO have known that
we are, in all respects OF character and fempera
ment, wonderfully unsuited 70 each other. 1 sup
pose that no two people. not vicious N them.
greater difficulty in understanding one another,
or who had less In common., An attached woman
servant (nore friend to both Of us than servant).
who lived with us sixteen years. and IS now mar
ried, and who was. and still Is, in Mrs. Dickens's
confidence and mine, who had the closest familiar
experience Of this unhsppiDess In London, in the
country, in France, 10 Italy, wherever we have
been, year after year, month after month, week
after week, day after day, viii bear testimony to
this. ~ 9si q
Nothing has, on many occasions, stood be.
tween Us and separation but Mrs. Dickens sis
ter, Georgine Haearth From the age OF nfteen
she has devoted herself to our house and our
children. She has been their paymse. purse
instructress, friend, protectress adviser and CON-
pApion. In the manly consideration toward Mrs.
Dickens which owe TO my wife, will only re-
mark Of her that the peculiarly Of her character
has thrown all the children on some one else.
co not know cannot by any stretch OF fancy
imagine-what would have become Of them but
for this aunt, who has grown up with them. to
whom they are devoted, and who has sacrificed
the best part of her youth and life to them.
She has demonstrated, reasoned, suffered and
toiled, and came again TO prevent separation
between Mrs. Dickens and me. Mrs. Dickens had
often expressed to her her sense Of her affection
ate care and devotion In the house-never more
strongly than within the last twelve months.
For some years past Mrs. Dickens has been Ia
the habit of representing to me that it would be
ha<to hor n. M wa n
always increasing esfrangement made mental
disorder under which she sometimes lab0rs !;
more. that she felt herself unfit for the life she
had to lead as my wife, and that she would De
! better far away. / have Uniformly replied that
| she must bear cur misfortune, and fight the light
| out 10 the end that the children were the first
! consideration, and that feared they must bind
| us together Sin appearance" r3asoU
| Atlength, within these three weeks, II was sug-
gesed 20 me by Forster that even for their sakes,
Il surely would be better To reconstruct, and rear.
| range their unhappy home. empowered him 70
treat with Mrs. Dickens, as the friend OF both OF
u.s. for one and twenty yearp. Mrs. Dickens wished
| to add, on her part, Mark Lemon, and did SO. On
| Saturday last Lemon wrote TO Forster that Mrs.
| Dickens "gratefully and thankfully accepted" the
| terms l proposed to her. OF the pecuniary part
Of them will only say that believe that they are
ss generous as II Mrs. Dickens were lady Of dis
| tinction and ! man of fortune. The remaining
| parts of them are easily described-my eldest boy
TO live with Mrs. Dickens and to take care of her
my eldest girl 10 keep my house; both my girls
and all my Children, but the eldest son, to live
with me in the continued companionship OF thei
aunt Georgine. for whom tley have all the tender
est affections that have ever seen among yount
people, and who has higher claim Gas hay'
often declared, for many years. upon my alec
ton, respect and gratitude than anybody In TIN
world. str sob Fg.ff .ee
/ hope that no one who may become acq1ainte'
with what write here can possibly be so crue
and unjust as to put any misconstructon on GU
separation, SO far. Ny older children all under
stand it perfectly, and all accept it a. inevitable
There is not shadow OF doubt or concealmen
among us. My eldest son and / are one as to
all. ..ft...--.e - = IL -ltsffr.j
Two wicked persons, who should. have spoke
very d fferenty Of me, in consideration OF earne'
respect and gratitude, have Gas am told, sns
indeed, to my personal knowledge) coupled vii
J this separation the name of a young lady X
. whom have great attachment and regard.
, | will not repeat her name-l honor it too mucl
/ Upon my soul and honor, there is not on tn
earth more virtuous and spotless creature this
| that young lady. know her to be innocent an
| pure, and as good as my own dear daughters.
Further. ] an quite sure that Mrs. Dicken
having received this assurance from me, mu
now believe il in the respect know her TO nay
for me, and in the perfect confidence know b
D in her better moments 70 repose In my trutnfu
) | ness. t n
On this head again, there is not a shadow
doubt or concealment between my children Al
me. All IL open and plain among us, as thoui
we were brothers and sisters. They are perfect
I certain that would not deceive them, and &
I confidence among rs is without fear.
n