The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17
DICKENS.

1t is hardly possible that the At
lantic cable could have flashed
through the ocean any single item
of European news that would have
created the profound sorrow in
America that will follow the n
nouncement of the death of
CHARLES DICKENS. The genial nov
ellst, with his broad and generous
views of life and it duties, had
made him friends with all classes of
our people, aud his death will be
mourned as a personal loss by mill
lions, we might say, who only knew
him through his writings. We be-
Ileve DICKENS vas more generally
read, and more keenly relished Sy
the mass In this country than In
Great Britain, for there are few
Americans who possess the average
common school education who are
not familiar with his works. From
this earnest appreciation, people
had come to regard with some
thing more than a friendly interest
the author. Admiration grew into
love and reverence for the man.
and this feeling was manifested in
q marked manner towards him on
his late visit to the Atlantic cities.
The enthusiasm he called forth on
the Hudson would have been Law.
ished on him as well on the banks
of the Mississippi. He was a brave,
good and true man a democrat
and friend of the people IN the
broadcast acceptat!on a eontemner
of cant and hypocrisy he lnvigor-
ated the social forces of the world
by his charity for the poor and I'M
fortunate he stripped p~retence of
its cloak, no matter whether 1T was
of sable or f~ustian I; no man or NO.
man rose from reading his books
without feeling their sphere o fduty
enlarged and their hearts filled
with noble lessons of kindness and
sympathy. DICKENS was a praeti~
cal reformor. Imprisonment for
debt, the mlsmanaged charity
schools, the paupers and the work
houses, the law delays, the priva-
tons of the manufacturing class,
represent abuses at which he cast
his lance of ridiculo and sarcasm,
and which he did much to reform
or ameliorate.
DICKENS was ffty-eight years of
age in February last, The irci-
dents of his life arc so well known
that we need not recount them.
Sketches by Boz" were his first
efforts at authorship, in a London
paper in 1886. "Pickwick" follow
ed, and this has maintained its
popularity to the present time as
the most humorous of all his wri-
tings. Then came, for many years,
a succession Of novels and smaller
sketches, with the annual Christ
mas story.
In 1912 he visited the United
States, and moved our people from
their psoprlety by his "American
Notes." which contain a vast deal
of truth married by some exaggera-
ton. In 1916 he started the Lon
don Daily Neus, but the drudgery
of this life did not suit him. "Our
Mutual Friend" was his last novel.
1.-THE Mystery of Edwin brood"
remains incomplete, but 1t is rich IN
promise if its author had bat lived
to finish his task.
The t~elegraphic accounts o fDIcK-
EMS death make it ~tolorably clear
that 1t was caused by evcrwork. 1t
was by the physicians orders he
ceased his readings IN public, but
the active mind could not rest IN
idleness, and he fell a victim to de-
votIon to bis art. HIS memory will
be- gratefully treasured by all who
have read his works, and by the
millions who are to como after
them.-0hio Statesman.