The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-07-02
Death of Charles Dickens.

Death of Charles Dickens.
Boz is no more. The great novelist has
written his last story for the delight OF mankind
Al a period when he was thought TO pc sui IN
the vigor of manhood, with his genius as quick
and bright as ever, a stroke of paralysis has
taken him away. To millions of readers this an
nouncement viii come like a private grief. Prob
ably no other writer is so near TO the hearts Oh
readers of English. In variety and truth OF char
acterization the Shakespeare OF the novel, ne mas
won a closer and warmer place in the affections
of the multitude than the great dramatlst. The
latter commands Intellectual admiration in a
hiober degree he has scared higher and sounded
deeper, wedding philosophy to poetry, ranging
from the most practical and common lie 70 the
Hottest ideality, and commanding the homage OF
scholars. statesmen and thinkers; but the former
has nestled into the hearts of the people, become
a part of their life, and made his creations tamll-
liar in their knowledge as the faces and words of
kindred. OF all contemporary writers he has, to
borrow the words of Thurlow weeds toast, given
the greatest delight to the greatest number.
Ever since the appearance of the Piekwick papers,
for a period of more than thirty years, he has
charmed more readers, from childhood TO age, IN
every walk of life, and of every degree OF lnteill-
gence and cultivation than any other author. The
characters of his novels are as Well known and as
frequently mentioned IS real personages. Many
of them are like household friends their names
have become epithets in the language, and their
sayings ordinary quotations. 10 mention them
merely, is to call up a multitude OF memories
that seem like "reminiscences of real life. There
is Just, enough of eccentricity and earrieature
about them to strike the popular imagination and
give play to the humor of their maker and if they
are sometimes more typical than individual, they
are no less essentially true.
Dickens was a thorough democrat, without
being the least bit of a ~demagogue. He took the
novel out of the sphere of caste, convention and
false ntiment and made it the expression of
unaffected nature, the vehicle of hearty sympathy
with the people. He was the enemy of sham and
pretence, of social and political prescription, of
whatever is cruel, mean or hypocritical. His
works are infused with 8 the still, sad music of
humanity, - and they often have been the means
of alternating sufferings and removing abuses.
The cruelties of the debtors Imprisonment law,
the equally cruel delays of the Chancery Court,
the petty tyranny ~practiced in schools and asylums,
the harsh rule to which children are often sub
jected, have been all m~itigated by his influence.
The indirect influence of his writings in etimulat-
ing the benevolent instincts and promoting charity
of opinion cannot be estimated but it must have
been immense. He was a master of pure pathOs,
and touched alike the fountain of laughter and
tears. 1t is through the influence of this faculty
that few can read his novels without feeling
kinder and better. Some of his exquisite Christ
mas stories, especially, are a direct Indictment
to generous deeds, and have worked conversions
almost equal to that OF his own "Scrooge, In
III o.
There was "a vain of poetry in Dickens which
gave a peculiar beauty to his style and heightened
the charm of his genius. Some of his descriptive
and reflective passages are like poems. both in feel
ing and picturesqueness of expression, and IN the
flow of the words, which seem to arrange
themselves naturally into musical blank verse.
There is no doubt that had he devoted himself to
p~oetical composition alone, he would have achieved
distinguished place among British bards. But
the medium of expression he chose gave him a
- t. L. l~AlL L. III /
pleasure and to do more good. de showed, also,
great talent as a publicspeakeI, actor, reader and
editor. Few men are SO happy in addressing an
after-dinner party or a public gathering, while
combine so much manly earnestness with
genial sentiment and humor. 1t is the quality of
in his writings, pervading even his
most Imaginable efforts, which secures esteem and
permanent influence. His triumphs as
reader are too recent to need remark. AS an
,ditor, he had charge of the London Daily Ne,es
n 1876. In early life he was reporter and critic
or the London True Sun and Chronicle, in which
appeared his first sketches over the signature of
: Boz which was q household diminutive for a
hid named Moses. His experience as a Journal
st supplied him with much of the material of
lis earlier novels and confirmed his disposition to
hampton the interests of the poor and week and
oppressed. London gave up it's secrets to him,
nd he has used them with the skill and power
which the world knows.
Of late years he founded and edited the popu-
ar series of Household Words, and more recently
iH The Year Round. To the latter magazine he
as given his direct personal supervision, extend
NC even to the business management. He has
ways been a prodigious worker. In addition to
is many novels, beginning with Pick,cick and end
ng with Ed,Uin brood, he has written several
olumes of travel in America and Italy, a bio
of Grimaldi-the famous clown-a Ch1Ed's
history of England, and several miscellanies that
n the aggregate would alone form a respectable
terary monument. Then he has lectured and
elivered public readings, participated in the
oings of several literary, artistic end benevolent
.'eieties, made two trips to America and several
on the continent of Europe. While
orking at home he relied upon long walks in the
fternoon to keep up bis health. On his late
to the United States he seemed to be hale
nd hearty, and his death at the comparatively
age of So is surprising. 1t is not improba-
that he has oyerworked himself. Thackeray, 4,
no produced less than Dickens, died at SO but
3 did not take as good care of himself, and had !
ot so strong a constitution. Wherever the news
the death of Dickens reaches, it will excite J.,
'ofound regret and sadness. No other contem- a
)rary writer could be so much missed by the
ord of English readers but if he survives to
no more, his works viii be read by increas- :
e numbers, so long as the language in which
ey are couched remains unchanged in common
f. Bulletin. 4