The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-08-16
oHAa1Es DIcKENs's K1Ll1.
-;.The Pride which Ape. H'amil,ty
From the Saturday Review.l

jMrss DieAenss will stands on different
iornnnds. and as the world's judgment has
tbeen invoked on its merits, We must say that
III strikes us as being rather painful dccu-
5mert. The natural reluctance to say this rs
dif1infshed by the fact that the will was writ
-tan to- the world. Mr.. Dickens's last charge
:: :E mapkibd is Of the nature OF solemn re-
scfipt. tirbt ct oTbi, quite as much 50 o testa-
msntary document. It is & ptece 1ltStt
which implicit that there is something to JUS
,iifv. II is not the first time that Mr. Dickens
: has invited the whole world to survey bus
priyste and domestic concerns. HIS Will is
HE Complement of that strange document
which MIR, Dickens pubhshed--and which
,Massrs. Bradbury & Evans would not allow to
BE published in Q periodical CT which ne was
editor sand; they were propIletoes-WlIetn ne W
separated nom his wife, AS to the rights or
! Tropcs OF that separation, or rather OF what
z led to It, wepronounce no Judgment, because
Z vS have no means Of forming Judgment.
.AhyhoS the incident furnished s, remarkable
Absence Of good taste and. as most people
!. .thous hit, Of good feeling, snd all on one side.
Mr.. Dickens psraded has dSmesns me 70 sne sae
kent q modest and creditabie silence. That
Mr.. DICKENS had wrongs We ahall neither
DENY nor affirm; that Mrs. Dickens had none,
It would be hard to believe. One wrong sne
certainly had; she was assailed 6y her nus,
EanfIi IN public. Mr. Dickens might have had
&instiea All On his side; We do not say that be
had not; but generosity on that occasion ne
did not display. And generosity he has not
displsyed in bisN dying testament. WIN tne
worst taste, Mr.. Dickens, when III the vigor OF
life. affropted his wife by mak1pg bis married
life public, property; and DYING, ne mas ; re;
Mnctru11a and stilted in his e1pressions OF
onHtude I'd fis wite's sister, ibe'al in the pro.
TfaioD that he has made for that lady. not
sSofeettuf Of atother lady. he has reduced his
.Wifes income by one half after hui death, with
something Of self-laudatory announcemen'
Z that he has already been far too generous to
her 6uring his life. He leaves to his wife, as
a annuity, the interest Of $4,000, coupled with
the boastful reminder that be hsa since their
: separation allowed her ESQ ysar;
hardly call this ,'brave" OF learn est. II 5Mr.
Dickens had been annoyed. BY his wires
nature, soma lingering touch OK the human
kindness OF which we are told that ne ls the
evangelist might have warmed bis heart or
his nan when be came to speak or the motner
.of his children with the words Of dying man.
; His heart miRht be all charity and all loVsrto
the whole human race, but 1t was cnn!y
enough dspossessedh iady, .nsr ,nas n,s n1
soriows, at least kept them to herself TO
Miss Ternan and Miss Hogarth MIR. Dickens
very likely has duties, and be has cheerfuiiy
recognized them uy word and deed. Are we
to believe that ell his duties to his wue were
summed up by giving her an annuity without
a.siIicle word OF recognition, or If it were
needed, Of forgiveness and reconciliation ?
,,iter ssyinc this, which only sense OF duty.
stimulated by the provocation offered by Mr.
Dickeusis Worshippers, has e1torted from Is.
we shall not waste our time IN exposing the
. bad taste OF what the illustrious testator In
sarts in his will about his funsral. The osten-
tatlon OF tunostentatiousness is az of. f.nsiye as
the display Of the most exaggerated love- OF
posthumous honors and expensive obseguies;
and amoug the social vices which DIR. Dick
enes's works have exposed, the pride which
apes humility is rather curiously illustrated in
his death.