The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-09-30
why Charles Dickens Separated from
His Wife.-.IEis OWN Statement.
From the Boston Folio

From the Boston Folio.
The great novelist prefaces his letter as
follows: You have not only my full per-
mission to show this, but beg you to show
this to any one who has been misled into
doing me wrong" We therefore take
pleasure in presenting his statement to our our
readers;
My Dear -: Mrs. Dickens and I have
lived unhappily together for many years.
Hardly any one who has known us init
mately can fail to have known that We are,
in I'll respects of character and tempara-
mcnt, wonderfully unsuited to each other.
suppose that no 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 woman servant (more friend to
both of us than servant), who lived with
Us sixteen years, and is now married, and
dence and mine, who had the closest fami-
liar experience Of this unhappiness in Lon
don, 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
between us and separation but Mrs. Dick
ens's sister, Georgine Hogarth. From the
age of fifteen she has devoted herself to our
house and children. She has been their
playmate, nurse, instructress, friend, pro-
tectres-, adviser, and companion. In the
manly consideration toward Mrs. Dickens
which owe to my wife, I will merely re-
mark Of her that the peculiarly Of her cha
racter has thrown all the care Of the chill
dren on some one else. ! do 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 sacri-
feed the best part Of her youth and life to
them.
She has demonstrated, reasoned, suffered,
and t0ilcd, and come again, to prevent
separation between Mrs. Dickens and me.
Mrs. Dickens has often expressed to her her
sense Of her atlectionate care and devotion in
the house-never more strongly than within
the last twelve months.
For some years past Grs. Dickens has
been in the habit Of representing to me that
it would be better for her to 60 away and
live apart: that her always increasing
estrangemcnt made mental disorder, 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
far better away. l have uniformly replied
that she must bear our misfortune and fight
The fight out to the end; that the children
were the first consideration, and that l
feared they must bind us together sin ap-
pearancc."
AT length, within these three weeks, it
was suggested to me by Foster that even
for their sakcs it would surely be better to
reconstruct and rcirrangc the unhappy
home. empowered him to treat with Hrs.
Dickens rs the friend OF both OF US for one
and twenty years. hrs. Dickens wished to
add, on her part, Mark Lemon, and did SO.
On Saturday last Lemon wrote to Foster
that Mrs. Dickens 81 gratefully and thank
fully accepted" the terms | proposed to
her. Of the pecuniary part Of them, l will
ONLY say that | believe they are rs generous
rs if Mrs. Dickens were q lady of distinction
and | q man of fortune. The remainlng
parts CT them are easily described-my
eldest boy to live with Mrs. Dickens and to
take care of her; my eldest girl to keep my
house; both my girls and all my children
but the eldest son to live with me in con-
tnued companionship OF their aunt Geor-
zinc. 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 many years.
upon my affection, respect, and gratitude.
than anybody in this world.
ihouc that no one who may become &C
ulairted with what l write here can posi-
| bly, be so cruel and unjust as to put any mis-
construction on our separation, so far. Ny
elder children all understand it perfectly,
and all accept it rs inevitable.
There is not q shadow OF doubt or con-
ccalmcnt among US. My eldest son and
are one AZ to it all.
Two wicked persons, who should have
spoken very different of me, in considers
ton Of earned respect and gratitude, have
las | am told, and, indeed, to my personal
knowledge,) coupled with this separation
The name of a young lady for whom have
| II great attachment and regard. will not
rcpeat the name-I honor it too much
Upon my soul and honor, there is not on
| this earth more yirtuous and spotless crea-
| ture than that young lady. l know her tC
be innocent and pure, and as good as III!
| own daughters.
Further, / am quite sure that Mrs. DICK
ems, having received this assurance from
me, must now believe it, in the respect
know her to have for me, and in the perfect
| confidence I know her, in her better mo
mcnts, to rcpoSe in my truthfulness.
On this head, again, there is not shadow
| of doubt or conccalment between my chill
| dren and me. All is open and plain among
Us, as though we were brothers and sisters
| They are perfectly certain that l would moi
| deceive them, and the confidence among u
| is without fear. G.. D.