, 1870-06-19
:DICKENS

Boston, in which he thus alluded 10 Iitua
Nell: L.
"Ihere Ia ono other point connected With
the labozs IT may call them SOY that you Il
hold IN such generous esteem, to which can
not help sdfsrtlns. 1cannot help expressing
to me to find 60 strong An interest awakened
On this eide Of ths water in favor Of that litte
heroine Of mine to whom your President has
nAds AIuslon, who died in her youth I had
letters about that child. in England, from the
dwellen in log-huts amoug the mnEaases and
swampa and densest foresta and deep coli
sudes Of the Far West Many sturdy hand,
h1rd with the Axe and spade and Drowned By
the summers Sun, has taken up the pen and
vu.ten 10 mo htt1e history Of 'domea-
an proud to SAY, With something Of
interest in that Ittla tale, or some comfort or
hsppiuees derived from it !; and the writer has |
always addressed me, not ~ writer Of books
for sails, resident some four or Eve thousand 1
miles away, but As \ friend to whom he |
might freely impast the Joys and aor1ovs Of \
his OWE hfeslde. Many 4 mother-1 could \
reckon them now by dozens, not by units-has
done the Ike; and has told me how she lost
such child at such ti0c, and where abe Lay |
this or that respect, she resembled Nell. I do
assure ypu that no Circumstance OF my life
has given mo one hundredth part OF the g1ati-
fcation I have derived from this eource.
Was WaSe1nG At the time wheth-
eoc. es ss Ss como mo, md to hi, Wind Up os Pi
decided me. feel Is il it were = positive
duty; ~ II were bound to pack up my clothes
and como and see my friends; and even now
have such An odd sensation in connection
with these things that you have no chance OF
spelling me. I feel "a though We were agree
ing-as indeed We are, il We substitute for
fictitious characters the clAsses from which
they are d1awn-About third parties, in whom
we bad I common interest At every new act
Of kindness On your part: sAy it to myself,
That's for Oliver should not wonder II that
was meant for Smike-1 have no doubt that it
vas intended for Nell; and 30 became 4 much
happier, certainly, but more sober md re-
tirnE man than ever WAS befo1e."
There are none, We think, who viii not,
after reading this allusion to the child who
has 60 long been = reality 10 many minds, take
| 4 sad interest In recalling the final scene Of
her life:
DEATH OF LITTLE NELL
She was dead No sleep so beautiful and
calm, 60 freq from trace Of pain, 30 fair to
look upon. Sha seemed cresture fresh from
the hand of God, and waiting for the breath
Of life; not ono who had lived aud suffered
| death. Her couch was dressed with here and
there some winter berries and green Leaves,
gathered in spot she had been used to favor.
"When die, put near mo something that has
loved the light, and had tho sky above ii
alwaya." Those we.c her words.
She was dead. Dear, gontle, patient, noble
Nell was dead. Her ittlo bird, i poor, slight
thing the pressure Of finger would have
crushed, was stirring nimbly in ita cage, and
the strong heart Of its child-mistrcss WAS mute
and motiouless forever! Where we're tht
traeeB OF her early cares, her Buhe,ings, ant
fatiguesf Al gone. Sorrow was dead, indeed
in her: hut peace and perfect happiness wers
bonn imageo in her tranquil beauty and pro
found rcpoee-
| And still her former self lay there, unalterei
upon that sarne sweet face; it had passed Gkt
dream, through the hAunts Of misery IN,
care; at the door Of the poor schoo1master OF
the summer evening before the furnace dr
upon tho cold wet night; at the still bedside o
the dying boy, there had been the same mill
and lovely look So shall We know the angels
in their majesty, after death.
The old man held one languid arm in his
and the email tight hand folded to his b1sas
for warmth. It was the hand she la
stretched ont to him with her last smile til
hand that had led hin, on through al thei
,, wauderings. Ever and anon he pressed it t
,, his lips; then hugged it to his breast agsir
rnurmuIlps tlat it was warmer now. aud, a
. he said it, he looked in agony to those VII
stood around, as If implorinE them to hel
! her.
.. She was dead, and past all help. or need {
|
I'LL With sfe. even willie her OWL WAS wanit,
: fast, the garden che had tended, the eycs sh
had gladdcned, the noieeless haun1s Of man
thoughtleee hour, the paths she ha
trodden, as it were, bat yesterday, coul
:, know her no more,
"1t is not" said the sehoolmastcr, as I
bent down to kiss her on the cheek, and "a,
' his tears free vent, 1it is not in this worl
that Heavens justice ends. Think what it /
/, compared with the world to which her youn
: snifit b hss winged its early fight, and say,
a above this he'd, could call her back to LII
i which Of us would utter it ~
= She had been dead two dayB. They were 3
about her At the time, knowing that the CT
h WAS drawing on She died soon after da
- earlier portion Of the night but, as the hou
crept on, ahe sank TO slsep. They could II
i, by what che family uttered in her dream
i that they were Of her journeyings with the Q
4 man they were OF no painful scenes, bat
,hose ss, Hho 2, bad I'd helped them and ased the
with Ereatferror,
= Waking, she never wandered in her min
but once, and that WAS at beautiful rnusi
which, eho said, was in the air. God know
10 It. a1, may havs been: Opening her oyes =. l. II
y woald Kiss her once again. That done, q!
= turned to the old man, with lovely emi
= upon her fnce, such, they said, ~ they b.
never seen. and could never forget, and clun
ia with both arms. about his neck. She b
quiet mind, and manner quite unaltered, sa
n that Fhe every day became more earnest a
h more grateful to them, faded Like the lie
n upon the summers evening.
~ Along the crowded path they bore her no
=. pure as the new fallen SNOW that covered
~ whose day on earth had been as fleeting. 9
"a der that porch where she had sat, VII
~ Heaven, in its mercy, brought her to It
Peaccful spot, ehe passed again. and tho
J., church received her in its quiet shAslc.
r 10 this wo add it's companion picture, I
death Of Little Paul, from "Dombey a
N Son." which was not written till some yc
20 later, but which illustrates the same tent
10 ~ feeling for, and appreciation OF, tho chazac
~ Of little children:
DEATH OF LITTLE TACL.
One night he had been thinking Of
mother, and her picture in the drawing 70
down stairs, and thought she must have 10,
aweet Florence bcttes than his father did,
have held her in her arua when she thou
she vas dying-for oven he, her brother, y
had such dear love for her, could have
grcater wish than th1t- The train Of thou,
suggested to him to inquire il he had q
seen his mother, for ho could not remem
running very last and confusing his mind
"floy, did ever zee mammas"
.sNo, darling, whyS'
''Did eser rec any kind face, fika n1Annm
looking at me when I was baby, Floys"
He asked incredulously, as il he had 60
vision of a face before hun,
"Oh yes, dear."
'Whoso, FloyT"
"Your old nurses. Often"
"And where ID my old nu1se7' said r
Is she dead too: Floy are We all dead,
ccpt youa"
There Was hurry in the room, for IN
stant-longer.. perhApa: but it seemed
with her face quite colorless, but smiling,
his head upon her aru1- Her arm trent
very much.
"Show mo the old nurse, Floy, if
ht plesse7"
"she il not here, darling. She shAu ct
THANK you, Floy?r
Paul closed his eyes with these words,
fell asleep. When he awoke, the sun
high, and the broad day WIS clear and IA
he Lay little while, looking 1t the winde
which we're open, and the curtains rustlin,
in the air, and waving to md fro. Then
said. "Floy, ID it, Tomorrow Is ahe com
Some one seemed to 90 in qucst Of
Perhaps it Wa Susan. Paul thought he ht
her telling hum, when he closed his eyes a.
That eho would coon be h2ck; but be did
open them to eee- She kept her word
haps she had never been AvAy-hut the ]
on tie staiss, and then Paul voie-voEa n
and body-and sat upright in his bed He
them now about them. There WAS no
must hefore them, as there Ind been 60
times in the night. He knew them every
aud called them By their nanes
And who il this ; Is this my old nurs
said the chiM, regarding with radiant q
afgure coming in.
Yes, yes. No other stranger would /