The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-03
DICKENS ON HIS RECENT SICKNESS.
A FIy-Leaf i'm n Life


Once upon a time (nO matter whcn) | was en-
gagged in pursuit Ono matter what) which
could be transacted by myself alone; in which |
could have no help which imposed constant
strain on the attention, memory, observation,
and physical powers, and which involved an
almost fabulous amount of change of place
and rapid railway travelling. | had followed
this pursuit through an exceptionally trying
winter in an always trying climate and
had resumed it in England after but
n brief repose. Thus it came to be prolonged
until at length-and, as it seemed, all of
sudden-it so wore me out that could not rely
with my usual cheerful confidence, upon myself
to achieve the constantly recurring task, and
began to feel (fOr the first time in my life) gddy
Jared, shaken faint, uncertain of voice and
sight and tread and touch, and dull of spirit
The medical advice | sought within a few hours
was given in two words:-"Instant rest Being
accustomed to observe myself curiousy as if
| were another man, and knowing the advice to
meet my only need, | instantly halted in the
pursuit of which / speak, and rested.
My intention was to interpOse, as it were, a
fy-eaf in the book of my life, in which nothing
should be written from without for n brief sea-
son of few weeks But some very singular
perences recorded themselves on this same fly
leaf, and am going to relate them literally |
repeat the word literally.
My first odd experience was of the remarka-
BILE coincidence between my case, in the general
mind and one Mr.. Merdle's as ! find it recorded
in a work of fiction called Little Dorrit." To be
sure, Mr.. Merdle was n swindler, forger, and
thief, and my calling had been of less harmful
(and less remunerative) natures but it was all one
for that
Here is Mr.. Merdle's casc:-
"At first, he was dead of all the diseases that
ever were known, and of several bran-new maa-
dies invented with the speed of Light to meet
the demand of the occasion. He had concealed
drOpsy from infancy, he had inherited large
estate of water on the chest from his grand
father, he had had an operation performed
upon him every morning OF his life Tor elgh-
teen years, he had been subject to the explosion
OF important veins in his body after the manner
OF fireworks, he had had something the matter
with his lungs, he had had something the matter
with his heart, he had had something the matter
win his BRAIN Five hundred people who sat
down to breakfast entirely uninformed on. the
whole subject, believed before they had done
breakfast that they had privately and per-
sonaly knew Physician to have said to Mr.
Merdie, You must expect to go out some day
hke the snuit of candle;' and that they knew
MI Merdle to have said 10 Physician, "A man
can dle but once, By about II o'clock in the
forenoon, something the matter with the brain
became the tavorte theory against the field: and
! by II the something had been distinctly ascer-
! tanned to be Pressure
Pressure was so entirely satisfactory IN tbe
! public mind, and seemed to make every one 80
| comfortable that it might have lasted oiI dov
| but for Bars having taken the real state of the
| case into court at halt-past nine. Pressure how
ever so far from being overthrown by the dis
| cOVery, became q greater faYorite than ever
| There was a general moralizing upon Pressure;
| in every street, all the people who had tried to
make money and had not been able to do it,
said, There you were You no sooner began to
devote yoGSeI " the pursuit Vl wealth, than