The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-06-22

told of his youthful escapades in bis
native village, and on which was relat-
ed to the writer by one of Dickens
friends. now a noted London journal;
ist, is somewhat singular. While
writing his early sketches for the
Morning Chronicle, he was, or fancied
himself 10 be, deeply enamored of a
young lady named Emma Floyd
She lived at distance of about three
miles from his fathers house. Mid
way between the two was the post of
fee where Dickens mailed his malu-
script to the London editor. In those
days it was optional to prepay a let
ter OF infiict the expense on the recipi-
ent. Postage was then eight pence an
ounce, and Dickens, fearing 1 that
unpaid matter might be refused,' was
compelled to borrow the necessary
funds from the village grocer. When
in possession of money he would hur-
ry past the Office to see his ilamorata,
and having many friends he contract
ed habit OF stopping at the Elms, a
wayside tavern, and when he left,
there were, of course, no funds to pay
the letter due in London.
1hrs went on for some time until
Miss Emma Floyd, alarmed by the
reports of her lovers unsteadiness,
cast him of, and Dickens, in despair,
as was said, resorted to wild life for q
time. There is singular story told
of a mistake he made under these cir
cumstances: Returning home from
the "Elms" in the evening. he met a
young lady closely vailed, about
Emma's height, and resembling her in
gait and general appearance. In a
most ag gltated manner he at once made
a tervent declaration of love, renewed
his protests of undying attachment,
and begged forgiveness for all his er-
rors in thepast. The young lady hap
pened to be the daughter OF the rector
of the parish, and, therefore, of course,
slightly acquainted with the young
author His appeal Was SO eloquent,
and his sincerity SO manifest, that
Miss Rs heart was touched, and
she promised to speak to her father.
The next morning Charles Dickens re-
ceived a letter from the. Reverend
Rector, expressing his surprise at SO
sudden declaration to his daughter
after so slight an acquaintance; but
as he recognized his ability, SO he
would accept his VOWS of amendment,
and if both parties remained ip the
same frame Of mind for two
years, aAd The gentlemen could show
any prospect OF maintaining Mife,z he
would notEobject to their union. This
singular double engagement clapped
the climax of his social difficulties in
his native village, and within a fort
night of the unexpected 9rescontre he
removed to London and entered upon
the labor of his life. .s.sJ .5.f u. Il.
When DR.. Black, the then editor of
the Aorning Chronicle, proposed to en-
gage him as reporter in the Police
Courts, Dickens was reduced almost
to the last extremities He lived IN
a small garret room in Wych street /;
he was indebted to his landlady for
nearly months rent. His watch
was in the hands of s'his uncle"-a
gentleman with three golden balls
round the corner-and his stock of
linen was more like that of a French
refugee of 1852 than that of a prosper
Gus young journalist. But in a few
weeks all was changed. Having OBJ
tanned situation upon the paper, and
finding his own proper literary work
remuneratiye, Mr: Dickens appeared
another being. He was all energy,
and his versatile powers rapidly made
themselves conspicuous, SO much SO,
indeed, that he was not yet fye-and-
twenty when engaged to write the
Pickawiek Papers. Chapter by chapter
they were published as soon as writ
ten, and, however admirable the
transactions of the "Pickwick Club
are as a whole, traces of want of. con-
tinuity are apparent in the work. The
celebrated 'tMrs Bardelr was drawn
from living portrait; she was Mrs.
Ann Ellis, who kept ian eating-house
near Doctors Commons, on Great
knight Ride street. "Mr. Snodgrass,"
in his principal characteristics, and
even the description of his personal
appearance, was at once accepted as a
caricature of AMIR. Winters, a noueau
riehe, who might been in the season
every afternoon at four o'clock oglng
the ladies in the Ladies Mile in the
Park, and in the summer at Chelten-
ham Bath, and the fashionable water
ing places. The "Fat Boy was ac-
knowledged to be sketched from the
servant Of gate-keeper in Essex, on
the London and Chelmsford road.
Many other characters in his novels
have also, from time to time, been
traced to real characters. Their au-
thor, however. in nast instances, has
denied the authenticity ofthe portraits.
If, however, the great author, who has
just left us, did not paint from the
lining figure heads ethe individual ac-
tors in his novels, he certainly. drew
life from its broad lights and shades as
it actually was. %. Oliver Isoist, Bleak
House and David Coppesfsla, exposed
some of the most glaring wrongs lin the
lower. and middle strata of English
society; and suggested ameliOrations
which were ultima ely carried out in
the management of the Jail and Work
house The reform in Chancery prac;
tice, .nominally introduced by Lords
Brougham and Lynhurst, may also be
referred almost directly to the influence
of the novelist. % ss.J .2i.Ge o. ;.3i5,s5
But it is Of the man rather than the
author we are now thinking. Charles
Dickens, although perhaps, far from
strictly temperate in his habits, was 2
warm friend and constant adY9cate O:
all measures OR projects aimed at the
diminutioni of the national vice; of
drunkenness During the greatagitar