New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-23


ho,ipc town and from London. They all agreed
that the case was hopeless from the nrst moment
Uis was one of those thoroughbred natures that
90 on working at full speed till the last moment
then without any premonory symptom OF weakness OF
anv sensible failure of energies faculties, break up In
a noment His sster-n-law was with him; his son and
two daughters teeHaphed for and arrived In time
10 stand by his bed the lamp went finally out.
From the first moment 20 the last he remained uneon-
scious and spoken farewell sOftened the bitter gef
OF relatives and friends.
Among his sincere moumers is the Queen. The rela-
tions between her and Mr.. Dickens were once 40 lar
from being true that Mr. Dickens felt himself obliged to
decline an invitation the Court. He was IN fact III
vted as an amateur actor and reader but being invited
only a. SUCH refused With sense of the dignity OF MS
profession only In England, he said that WINE
he yielded nobody in proper respect Tor MS SOW
ereigp he would not enter any house professionally
where he could not received equal terms socially
II was the ridiculous punctiliO Of some god-sekin-
waiting that stood between the Queen ana
Mr.. Dickens and it happened so long ago. uha'
it is only worth remembering TO show how much Wiser
the Queen proved in such matters than her counsel
or She put aside probably there was no need 10 put
aside the foolish suggestions of etiquette, and of late
wears the Queen welcomed Mr. Dickens 10 her house,
as she welcomes any other guest Of distinction There
had grown up between them feeling OF personal
friendship The Queen sent him her book with grace
full note saying how unworthy such tre was of the
Of her time. Mr. Dickens, not long before his
death, gave to the Queen copy of the
library edition Of his works. She put
it in her private cabinet, and asked Mr.. Helps
to let Mr.. Dickens know that his gift was
placed where IL would be always plainest in her sight
and readiet to her hand The letter containing this mes
sage reached the great novest's home while he lay
slowly dying and unconscious. 1t is known that public
honos have been pressed by the Queen and her advisers
upon Mr. Dickens After what he said at Liverpool last
year. he could well be offered peerage but he might
have had that any lesser title IL he would Times
have changed little since Macauay was happy and
proud to accept what Dickens could refuse without pride
OF oense but simply he thought the dignity
suited to him. When he had gratefully declined every
thing else the Queen asked him 10 accept seat in
her Privy Council. If ne would not have that either
presume il was because 1t confers the title OF Right Hon
Orable and he preferred to be simply Charles Dickens
Intelligence his death sent by telegraph to Bal
moral and Col Ponsonby of the household officers,
replied 1.-THE Queen commands me to express her deep
est regret at the sad news of Charles Dickens DEATH
need not go on 10 say how universal is the sorrow
among the English people The press is flied with euo-
gies as is only natural but what is remarka-
BILE is that the second day after the an
nouncement after the leading articles and biogra-
phies had been duly published every journal
returns to the same sad topic OF them the later
articles are filed with personal "reminiscences and OF
kind that mark how genuine is the feeling that spreads
through the community. Nobody had greater con
tempt for the mere ceremonial of mourning than Mr..
Dickens did not like the undertakers in the news
papers any better than in the streets Formal panegyre
was utterly distastefu him. But such tributes as
have been paid hmttoday by who were his fellow
workers his pupils mis- debtors as we all are he was Tar
from disdaining OF mere anecdote there Is not
much. life given TO letters is not commonly
fruitful of adventure. The most striking Of all that
railway accident staplehurst which came so near be
tha XUhic
happened years ago. determined the manner Of his death
on Thursday. For famous surgeon then SAID that II
was difficult TO fix the period when the influence OF "a
great shock the system will be manifested or
after which IT may not prove fatal. Putting aside hs
public life you find in these narratives OF his friends 30
much tenderness that il easy the man was loved
not for his great gifts and universal fame but for those
personal qualities which you ind indeed in his books
but which sweeter in private life than In any pubhc
expression. He had plenty Of enemies, indeed NO man
rises 10 ms hight IN literature without making Them
They ere known well enough in London / could name
two OF three in the next line who would he known also
in America but they are silent to-day as he who Is
dead On the other hand, if should begin 10 make
catalogue of the famous men III htcratur IN arr, III
politics in science who among the dear and honored
friends of Dickens should scarcely leave unInentioned
one really great name among the Engshmen Of to-day
1t his wish TO be buried privately but it Is the wish
of the nation that his dust should be laid with fitting cere-
monies in only fitting resting pace-Westmnser Alb
hey. don't know whether it will be considered right
to disregard his expressed DESIRE but Mr. Gladstone has
been the propose it, and may probably have to
decide if the family yield their claim TO that OF the
public OF his latest work, which he meant TO be mon
ument i'm its way there six numbers finished, ncud-
ing the three already published The book is said TO have
yexed him unduy, and ne fancied that he had
revealed too much Of the plot in the early parts His
work on became intense and ended, alas, as all the
the world souOwfully knows. His friends Woolner
and Mlas gone down to-day hear, 10 his house-o
what his house Mr. Wooner will take east Of the
features for a bust, which is greatly wanted there is
no good bust statue Of him in existence and whether
he buried in the Abbey not there must he memo
rial OF him Mlas who knew him intimately will pant
a last portrait OF the man he loved. G.. We