The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-11

REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS

1.-THE Life of Charles dickens" by r.
Shelton Mackenzie, which has just been
issued by T. B. Peterson Brothers, is very
different style of book from the performance
by George Augustus Sala which we noticed
a few days ago The life of writer of books
is seldom eventful, and the chief charm of
well-prepared biography of such a man as
Charles Dickens will be in its anecdotes and
literary and personal gossip. For the prepa-
ration of such work as this there are few
men better qualified than DIR. Mackenzie, who
is known as frst-class anecdotist, and
whose acquaintance with the literary men of
Great Britain and America for the last two
or three generations has provided him with a
plentiful stock of padding of the very first
quality. That DIR. Mackenzies padding
is often not much if any inferior
to the more solid literary matters
that come under his attention,
we have only to refer to the really superb
manner in which he edited the ''Noctes Am
brosiane," where the notes certainly give an
additional spice to a text that is more Shake
spearian than anything outside of Shake
speare. With regard to the fIIife of Dickens"
before us we are not able to bestow unquali-
fed praise. The materials have probably
been in the authors hands for an indefinite
length of time, and the subject maturely
oonsidered but the book has been put to-
gether in too much of a hurry to make it
model specimen of biographical writing.
No one is probably better aware of the de-
fects of the work than DIR. Mackenzie him
self; and taking it at the valuation he most
likely puts upon it as a literary effort, we
G,l cofip or nf bo
literary career of Mr.. Dickens, with proba-
bly, most, if not all, the particulars of his
private life that the public have any right
to be acquainted with. A few extracts will
give our readers better idea of the quality
of the book than any description of ours
could do:--
Lord Jeffrey, erst so formidable, as editor
of the Ed5nburgh Reoje,O, and great reader
and admirer of Dickens, wrote to him some
years after the ''Old Curiosity Shop was
published, saying-''H funny that 5esOjR
of yours for midnight rambling on city streets,
and how curious that Macaulay should have
the same taste or fancy. l wish had
time to discuss the grounds and ertent of
my preference of your soft and tender char
acters to his humorous and grotesque; but [
can only say now, that am as far as posi-
BILE from undertaking the merit, and even
the charm, of the latter; only it is lower and
more imitable style. 1 have always thought
Quilp and Swiveller great marvels of art; and
vet should have admired the last far less
had it not been for his redeeming gratitude
to the Marchioness, and that inimitable con-
yalescent repast with his hand locked in hers
and her tears of delight. If you will only
own that you are prouder of that scene than
any of his antecedent fantasticals, shall be
satisfied with the conformity of our judg-
ments." In subsequent letter he wrote:-
81 do not consider Quilp or Dick Swiveller as
at all out of nature.
After short visit to Richmond Mr.. Dick
ems went to Baltimore via Washington, and
wrote a hasty note to Irving, hoping he
would join him at Baltimore, adding, ''What
pleasure / have had in seeing and talking
with you will not attempt to say. / shall
never forget it as long as live. What would
give if we could have but quiet week
together Spain is lazy place, and its cli-
mate an indolent one. But if You ever have
leisure under its sunny skies to think of a
man who loves you, and holds communion
with your spirit oftener, perhaps, than any
other person alive-leisure from listlessness !
mean-and will write to me in London, you
will give me an inexpressible amount of
pleasure"
Irving did meet him at Baltimore. In q
letter Washington, 9TH February, 1869, Mr..
man:-''Your reference to my dear friend
Washington Irving, renews the vivid
impressions reawakened in my mind a.
Baltimore but the other day. saw his fine
face for the last time in that city. He came
there from New York to pass a day or two
with me before / went westward; and they
were made among the most memorable of m,
life by his delightful fancy and genial humor
Some unknown admirer of his books anC
mine sent to the hotel a most enormou
mint-julep, wreathed with flowers. We sat
one on either side of it, with great solemnit
lit filed respectable sized rount
table,, but the solemnity wa
enchanted julep, and carried us among in
Vulnerable people and places that we bot
knew. The julep held out far into the night
and my memory never saw him afterward
otherwise than as bending over it with hi
straw with an attempted air of gravity lafte
some anecdote involving some wonderful
droll and delicate observation of character
and then, as his eye caught mine, meltin
into that cultivating laugh of his, which wa
the brightest and best have ever heard"
The enchanted julep was a gift from th
proprietor of Guys Hotel, Baltimore, anG
''having held out far into the night, must hay
been on a magnificent scale, at first-lare
enough for Cog and Magog, were they aliv'
to have become mellow upon. George Cruil
shank or III. l.. Stevens-no inferior arti
should dare TO attempt it-might win a.
ditional fame by sketching the two author
so much akin in genius and geniality, imbil
ing the generous, mellifuous fluid from
pitcher which, like the magic purse of Fort
L. I'll