Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-03-04
a LEAF OF FAMILY HISTORY
WRITTEN BY Mr.. DT IKENS

| AZ tefa PGtHois'ion NO SHOW LhlS, out L
beg you to show it to any one who wishes
to do me right, or to any one who may
have been misled into doing mo wrong.
Faithfully, yours, - -- C.. D.,
To Arthur Smith, ESQ.,:
| Mrs. Dickens and | have lived nnhap.
pilyekogether 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 tsnnerament
/ wonderfully unsuited to each other.
suppose that no two people, not vicious In
! themselves, ever We're Joined together who
had greater difficulty In understanding
one another, or who had less in common.
/ An attached woman servant (more friend
TO ooth1of US than servantl who lived
with us sixteen years, and is now married.
and who was, and still is, in Mrs. Dickens
confidence and mine, who had the closest
familiar * erience Of this unhappiness in
Londoh, IN ,he country, III France. IN
Italy, wherever we have been, year after
year, menth after month week after week,
day after day, will bear testimony to this
Nothing has, on many occasions, stood
between US and a separation but Mrs.
dickens sister Georgine Hagarth. From
theqag of fifteen she has devoted herself
to cur house and cur children. Shs has
been their playmate, nurse, instructress,
friend, protectress, adviser and companions
In the manly cosideration toward Mrs.
/ Dickens which lowe to ny wife, Twill
only remark of her that the peculiarly Of
her character has thown all the children
on some one else. | do not know-<I cans
not by any stretch OF fancy imagin6-2S
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 lire toi8hem @l4 S4''' ''a
ga'She has demonstrated, reasoned, sufs
tered and toilet; and came again to pre-
vent separation between Mrs Dickens
and ME-, Mrs, Dickens had often expires
sed to her her sense of her affectionats
care and devotion in the house-never
more strongly than within the stotwelve
months. .....-,.1 "a. ......,..sl r .n,,,+.,f..s.r,
For some years past Mrs. Dickens has
been IN the habit of repres enting to me-
that it would be be better f6r her to GO
away and live apart; that her always inz
ereasing estrangament made a mental Dip
order under which she sometimes labors,;
more, that she felt herself unfit for the
life she had to lead as my wife, and that
she would be better far away. I havs
uniformly replied that she must bsarfour
misfortune, and fight the fight. out to the
end; that the children were the first con.
sideration, and that I feared they must
bind us together sin appearafice. n j1r2o
/ AT length, within these three weeks.
it was suggested to, me, by Forster thae
even for their sakes, it surely would be-
better to reconstruct, and realrange their
unhappy home. [ empowered him to
treet with Mrs, Dickens, as the friend Of
both OF US, for one and twenty years Mrs.
| Dickens wished to add, on her rart. Mark
Lemon, and did SO. On Saturday last
Lemon wrote to Forster that Mrs. Dick
ems gratefully and thankfully accepted"
the terms | proposed to her. Of the pez
cunlary part of them I will only say that
believe e. that they are as generous as if
Mrs Mrs Dickens were lady. Of distinction
and man OF fortune. The remaining
parts OF them are easily described-mv
eldest boy to live with Mrs. Dickens and
to take care of her; my eldest girl to
keep, my house, both my girls und all INV
children, but the eldest son, to live With
me In the continued companionship Of
their Aunt Georgine, for whom they hays
all the tenderest affections, that | have
ever seen among young people, and who
has higher claim (as | have otter de-
clared tor many years. upon my affection;
respect and gratitude than anybody In
( this world ~ errrests re ID s'IaE.'no3
Il hope that no. one who may become
acquainted with what [ write here. can:
possibly be, SO cruel and unjust as to put
any mseonstruetion on our separation. so
far My older children all understand If
perfectly, and all accede it as inevitable
There is not shadow of doubt or con.
ceafment among us. My eldest son and
Ii are one as to it ALL -S'1' '27'~
Two wicked persons; who shor,ld bscs
spok ken very differently of me, in consia-s
Grafton OF earnest respect and eratit,. a.
have Gas | ain told, and, indeed to NV.
personal knowieGge). coupled with this
separation the name of young lady for for
whom | have a great alta chment and RE-!
gard. ! viii not repeat her name--E,
honor it too much. Upon my soul and.
honor5 there is not on this earth a more
virtuous and spotless creature than thar
| young lady,. lfknow her to! be innocent