The Portland daily press., 1869-10-02
Why Charles Dickens Separated from Uis
Wife-His own Statement.

[Fror the Boston Folo.1
The great novelist prefaces his letter as fol-
lows: "You have not only my full permission
to show this, but l beg you to show this to
any one Who has been misled into doing me
wrong" We therefore take pleasure in pre-
senting his statement to our readers:
My DEAR -: Mrs. Dickens and l have
lived unhappily together for many years.
iiarGiy any one who has known us intimate
ly can iall to have known that we are, in all
respects OF character and temperament, won
derfully unsulted to each other. / suppose
that 10 two people, not vicious in themselves.
ever were Joined together, who had greater
difficulty in understanding one another. or
who had less in common. An attached wo-
man servant (more friend to both of US than
servant) who lived with us sixteen years, and
is now married, and who was, and still is. in
Mrs. Dickenss confidence and mine, who had
the closest familiar experience OF this unhap-
piness in London, in the country, in France,
in Italy, wherever we have been, year after
year, month after month, week after week,
day after day, will bear testimony to this,
Nothing has, on many occasions, stood be-
tween us and separation, but Mrs, Dickens's
sister, Geo CINE Hogarth. From the age of
fifteen she has devoted herself to our house
and children. She has been their playmate,
nurse, lfleDu, dcNISSf
and companion. In the manly consideration
tow.rds Mrs Dickens which l owe to my
| wife, will merely remark OF her that the pc
culaIity OF her character has thrown all the
care OF the children ON SOME one else. | do
not know-I cannot by any stretch OF fancy
imagine-what would have become of them
but tor 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 come again TO prevent a separ-
alton between Mrs DICKENS and me. Mrs.
DICKENS has often expressed to her sense of
her ai1ectionate care and devotion in the
house-never more strongly than within the
| last twelve months.
| For some years past Mrs. DICKENS has
been in the habit OF representing to me that
| it would be better for her to go away aud live
apart THAT her always increasing estrsnge-
ment made mental disorder under which
she sometimes labors more, that she felt her
sell unfit Tor the lite she had to lead as my
wife, and that she would be far better away.
hav uniformly replied that she must bear
our misfortune and light the fight out to the
end; that the children were the first consider
alton, and that 1 feared they must bind us
together lin appearance" lt
At length, within these three weeks, it was
their sakes it would surely be better to re-
construct and rearrange the unhappy home.
| empowered him to treat with Mrs. Dickens
| as the friend of both of us for one and twen-
| ty wears. Mrs. Dickens wished to add, on her
part, Mark Lemon, and did So On Saturday
| last Lemon wrote 10 Foster that Mrs. Dick
ems "gratefully and thankfully accepted il5 ii 5
terms proposed to her. OF the pecuniary
part of tnem 1 will only say that L believe
Il ATrS
| lady of distinction and L man Of fortune.
| The remaining parts of them are easily de-
| scribed-my eldest boy to live with Mrs. Dick
| ems and to take care of her; my eldest girl to
keep my house; both my girls and all my
| children bnt the eldest son TO live with me in
continued companionship Of their aunt Geor-
| gine, for whom they have all the tenderest
| affections that have ever seen among young
people, and who has higher claim las have
often declared, for mary years., upon my
| affection, respect and gratitude, than anybody
| in this world. .....I
| l hope that no one who may become ac-
quainted with what l write here, can possibly
be so cruel and unjust as to put any miscon-
struction on our separation SO far. My elder
children all understand it perfectly, and ac-
| cept it as inevitable. l- el
There is not a shadow of doubt or conceal
ment among us. My eldest son and are one
as to 1t all. .5... l,.
Two wicked persons, who should have
spoken very different of me, in consideration
of earned respect and gratitude have, las L am
told, and, indeed, to my personal knowledge
coupled with this separation the name of
young lady for whom have great attach
ment and regard. 1 will not repeat the name
i honor it too much, Upon my soul and
honor, there is not on this earth more
virtuous and spotless creature than that
| young lady. know her to be innocent and
pure, and as good as my own daughters.
| Further am quite sure that Mrs. Dickens,
/ having received this assurance from me, must
| now believe 1T, in the respect know her to
have tor me, and in the perfect confidence
1 know her, in her better moments, to repose in
/ my truthfulness. tst....... ..... ..I
/ On this head, again, there is not shadow
| OF doutt or concealment between my children
| and me. All is open and plain among us. as
| though we were brothers and sisters. They
are perfectly certain that would not deceive
them, and the confidence among US is without
| a fear. c. ID.