Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-06-10
CHARLES DICKENS Is DEAD,


Is dead. The unexpected and sorrowful tidings
were conveyed to us through the Atlantic Cable
this morning, and no sadder message has il
ever brought us. The announcement will be
received with grief no less profound in this
country, than in the land OF his birth, for we are
a reading people, and have long since forgotten
any grievance we imagined we had against the
greatest writer of fiction of the century, In the
great pleasure the immortal creations OF his
genius have afforded US. Even if he had not in
his own frank and manly way corrected the i'm
preston created by his earlier works that he
was hostile TO our people and our institutions
it would not have detracted from his popularity
here, where nearly every man, woman, and
child is indebted to him for hours and day = of
unalloyed pleasure, and where the character
he has depicted are as real and as familiar to
as if we had lived among them for years. The
opening chapters OF the story on which he was
engaged at the time of his death, 90 The Mystery
of Edwin Drood,' p show that he had lost none OF
of his peculiar power. On the contrary, hi.
admirers think it gave ample promise of being
in some respects his best work.
Mr.. Dickens readings from his own works In
this country in 1868 are remembered with
d ht by the multitudes who crowded the halls
where he gave those unique entertainments
| The pathos he threw into those affecting pas
| sages of David Copperfield, which even on the
| cold rinted page move the most unsympathetic
readers, was in striking contrast with the roll
| licking style in whichshe related the comical
incidents at "Bob Sawyer's party" or the sly
humor with which he gave the trial scenes from
"The Pickwick papers, showing him to have
| been a thorough master of the dramatic art.
MIR. Dickens was born at Portsmouth, Eng :,
Feb. Z, 1e12. His father, Mr.. Johu Dickens, VINO
had held for many years an office in the Nav
Pay Department. retired on pension in 1885,
| and being man of some literary faculty, he
became a reporter for the daily press in London.
He intended his son for the profession Of an at
| t0rney, and placed him in an attorneys office
for that purpose. Here the youth acquired that
| knowledge of the machinery and technical phra-
seology Of the law which he has turned to such
good account in many of his works Of fiction.
But the drudgery of his work weighed heavily
upon his spirit taste for literature, manifested
| mainly by an indiscriminate reading of novels
| and plays, began 70 develope itself, and his
l fathers connections enables him to exchange
his uncongenial occupation for the more agree
/ abe duties of a newspaper critic and repor er.
He was attached to the True Sun and after
wards to the Morning CAronicle, which was at
influence. A series Of sketches of London life,
| manners, and localities, published In the even
ing edition of the Chronicle, under the signature
| of"Boz, )" attracted much attention, and showed
the unknown writer to be possessed of a remark
able and original vein of observation and refiec-
| ton, though by some 1t was regretted that such
/ powers were exercised to so great an extent in
the delineatiOn OF scenes OF vice and misery and
the exposure of the weaknesses and infirmities
OF humanity. The sketches were afterwards
collected and published (lsSsl in two volumes.
The abilitv displayed in these sketches was so
| great that Mr.. Hall, of the frm OF Chapman *
| Hall, proposed to the writer the scheme of pre-
| pairing work of fiction, TO appear in monthly
| numbers, with illustrations by Seymour, comic
draughtsman. 1t was suggested that the adj
| ventures and mishaps of a club of originals
| would furnish happy medium for the power.
II hot n M hnr nynh ffG<
| first nun Der OF the '.Pickwick Papers, was
| written, and published with illustrations by
! Seymour. This clever artist died by his own
/ hand befo ie appearance Of the second nlm-
| Der; and the task OF Illustration devoyel upon
/ Mr.. A. X. Brown, who, unde: ne signature OF
| "Phiz," continued with great spirit the style o.
| had so happily begun.
| The work was completed and published coIec-
lively ia loS7. But before ii was finished il had
dttalned degree of popularity to which moth
| ing ia English literature since the publication
| o. the Wayerly novels could furnish a parallel.
| Everybody, both in England aud America, was
| laughing over the ludicrOus adventures of Mr
| Pickwick and his associates, the trial scene of
| Bardell VS.. Pickwick, and the quaint sayings
| grotesque comparisons, and inimical converse
| tions Of the elder and younger Weller.
Between the appearance of the first and last
| number the author rose to be the most popular
| living writer in the English language. By some
| Dickens best work. His next work s'Oliver
/ Twist" appeared originally in monthly num-
/ bers in "Bentley's Miscellany" ;" magazine of
Thlch Dickens assumed for time the editor
l snip, and was published collectively in 1898
/ 1his novel fully sustained the high reputation
acquired by the "Pickwick Papers" IL the
nnmor was not SO rich, SO abundant, so genial,
painting the darker passions of the soul and the
| terrible retributions of guilt.
Next Ie appeared, 3D. in serial numbers, published
collectively In 1869 the "LIfe and Adventures of
Nicholas Nickleby;" which, with some little
hesitation, we should place at the head OF ali
Dickens, novels, as being the most carefully
constructed, and containing the widest range OF
| character and the greatest variety Of inventive
/ power. Fnom no other work Of his could one
| who had never read anything from his pen de-
rive more just estimate Of all the wealth OF his
\ genius.
master Humphreys Clock," comprising the
riosity Shop" and "Barnaby Rudge," appeared
| in weekly numbers during 1910 and 1SIl. This
| was received, and deseryedly so, with a degree
l of favor equal to that which had been accorded
| to his previous productions. Indeed, the char
l acter of Little Nell awakened a depth and fer
yor Of sympathetic admiration which no earlier
After the publication of this work Dickens
made visit to America, arriving in Boston
| January %, 1912, and sailing for England on
1Hhe S,h 90 d following ne was everywhere received
| his popularity as writer and the excitable
| character of the American people. His views
OF American life and manners were published
upon his return, at the close Of 1912, under the
title Of american Notes for General Circula-
tion," work which added nothing to his repu-
| tation, though il was frightened here and there
with CLEANS of his peculiar humor.
In 1S43 he wrote his " Christmas Carol"
short story inculcating the virtues Of benevo-
lence and generosity, which was received with
| great favor. Several similar productions have
since, from time to time, appeared from his
pen, under the general title of Christmas Sto-
ries, Of various degrees OF merit, though no
one can be pronounced quite equal to the first
OF the series.
In 1874 he published, in monthly numbers, the
I" Life and Adventures of Martin Chuz zlewit"
and toward the close Of the same year he went
to Italy with his family, and resided there for
some time.
On January LIST, 1876, he assumed the editor
ship of the "Daily News, a morning newspaper
started In London on the liberal side in politics,
to which several able writer's were secured as
contributors. In this Journal were originally
published his "Pictures Of Italy" which were
gathered into volume and issued In 1885, work
ofa peculiar, almost unique character, contain
ing as 1t does the impressionsof OF man Of origi-
nal genius, who views Italy not as . scholar, An
antiQuary, or as an artist, but as humorist. He
did not continue long In his new post Of editor Of
daily newspaper.
his next publication. "Dealings with the Firm