Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-06-24
An In-Starred MarrIage-OIckens' own
Account of His Separation from His
Wife

An Iil-starred MarrIage-OIckens' Own
| Account of His Separation from His
! Wife
Early IN life--iust after the publication
| OF 'Flckwlck"-Mr. Dickens married tho
| daughter OF MT. George Hogarth. the au-
| thor and critic. He separated from her in
| 1883, and as the event called forth a great
| deal of ill-natured comment, the following
| letter was written for the purpose of being
shown to the public:
My DEAR -: Mrs. Dickens and 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 all respects of character and tempera-
ment wonderfully unsuited for each olher.
l suppose t'tat 10 two people, not vicious
| III themselves, ever were joined together
who had greater difficulty in understand
ing one another. or who had less in COM
mon. An attRchGtI woman servant (mOre
friend TO both Of us than a servant) 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 experience of this un-
| happiness III 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 testi-
mOny to this.
Nothing has, on many occasions stood
between us and separation but Mrs Dick
ems sister, Georgia Hogarth. From the
age of Is she ha6 devoted herself to our
house and children. She has been their
playmate, nurse, instructress, friend, pro.
tectress, adviser and companion. In the
manly consideration towards Mrs. Dickens
which L owe to my wife, I will merely re-
mark Of her that the popularity of her
character has thrown the care of the chill
lrn Slco I Il
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 tOlled, and como again to prevent O
separation between Mrs. Dickens and me.
Mrs Dickens has often expressed to her
her sense of her af1ectionate care and de-
voti0n in the hOuse-never more strongly
than in the last twelve months.
For some years past, Mrs. Dickens has
been in the habit Of representing to mo
that it would be better for her to go away
and live apart that her always increasing
estrangement made mental disorder, un-
der which she sometimes labOrs more,
that she felt herself unfit for the life she
had to lead as my wife, and that she would
l.
piled that she must bear our misfortune
and fight the fight out to the end that the
children were the first consideration, and
that ] feared they must bind us together
:" in appearance"
At length, within these three weeks. it
was suggested to mo by Forster, that even
for their sakes, it would surely be better To
reconstruct and re arrange the unhappy
home. 1 empowered him to treat with
ri bn fria TfI ICt Oc
Tor one and twenty years. Mrs. Dickens
wished to add, on her part, Mark Lemon,
and did so. On Saturday last, Lemon
wrote to Forster that Mrs Dickens ''grate-
fully and thankfully accepted the terms /
proposed to her. OF the pecuniary part
of them, l will only say that L believe
they are as generous MS if Mrs. Dickens
were lady of distinction and L q 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 cid
est girl to keep my house both my girls
and all my children but tho eldest son
to live with me in continued compan-
iOnship of their Aunt Georgine, for
whom they have all the tendercst af- |
fections that l have ever seen among
young people, and who has higher |
claim las L have often declared for |
many years. upon my affection, respect |
and gratitude than any body in this world. |
hope that no one who may become ac-
quainted with what write hero can posi- |
bly, be so cruel and I'M Just as to put any |
on orr separation so far. |
My elder children all understand it ner- |
fectly, and all accept it as inevitable.
There is not q shadow of doubt or CON |
cealment among u.s. Ny eldest son and [ |
are one as to it all.
Two wicked persons, who should have |
spoken very different of me, in considera-
ton OF earned respect and gratitude, have |
las am told, and, indeed, to my personal |
knowledge coupled with this separation |
the name of young lady for whom have
a great attachment and regard. 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. l know
ner to be innocent and pure, and as good
Is my own daughters.
Further, am sure that Mrs Dickens.
having received this assurance from me,
must now believe it, in the respect know
her to have for me, and in the perfect con-
idence [ know her, in her better moments,
10 repose in my truthfulness.
On this head, again there is not O shadow
If doubt or concealment between my chill
tren and me. AL is open and plain among
Is, as though We wore brothers and sisters.
They are perfectly certain that [ would
lot deceive them, and the confidence
among us is without a fear. G. d.
official Use OF the Word Rebcl-Protegt of
Virginia Conservatives.
II