Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-11
CHARLES prCxEns.

a Ing telegraph tins morning teAs US
that Charles Dickens is dead. The I'm
weaiied workman at length rests from
his labors; his life work forever over.
In great eities, inAowly. ChAmleis,1 around
every heGrthstone in the civilized world,
the influence Of this man has been felt.
The ragged newsboys Iand paupers of
great London, the lowly children of toll
and suffering, the brave hearted and true
of earth, ever found IN hin an uniiring
advocate and friend. While many of
those of tits generation to whom the
'sthaumalurgice faculty of thought" was
given,a used il to little or no high purpose,
rather caring TO handsomely round fine
periods, or commemorate in glowing
language tie chivalrous chsracters OF
olden time, = this man concerned
himself with The present. manfully
attacking ola, WORKOUT customsland big
otries, circlImlocution offices and pauper
establishments, and gently and smilingly
teaching in language adaptedto the com
prehcnsion Of those of this day the heaq-
tiful lessons of our Saviour. The dark,
gloomy winter months passed by, and he
saw the blue sky Of summer, and the fair
flowers, and, let US hope, the sweet smile
Of children and angels on his odeath-bed,:
But few days ago he was walking with
elastic step The streets of the city wherein
the greater part of his life was spent.
Upon his kind, manly face, the beauty
and light of genius, and true holiness lay
spread, and troops of lovely figures, ssthe ia
ces of men and women and many children"
the offspring of his soul, came before
those who beheld him. There in the
brain of him vino thus passed along had
been conceived and born the companions
and friends of our past life. He was
their father. From the brain of Jove
never sprang forth beings more wonder
full, more completely panoplied and
equipped to do war for the right against
all manner of wrongs and injustices. lie
hated and despised with true mans ha-
tired, quackeries and hypocrisies, no mat
ter under what name or guise they came
These he felt called upon by the still,
small voice in his soul to wage deadly,
implacable war against, OF quacks, thus
sings Dante: Hateful to God and to
the enemies of God" All true men, in
whatsoever country or age born, must of
very necessity it is the very
condition of their being : attack
false, sham characters wherever found.
New wine cannot be put into old bottles.
Truth cannot wed Falsehood, but must
grapple with and fight it whenever and
wherever met. The Chadbands and hurdles
and other hydra headed monsters of this
age stslked about the world-stage in great
numbers before this servant of The great
l Am came amongst us. None CT us ever
welded tie flaming sword with Drawer,
more determined heart, than he whom we
mourn here. But there were other quail
ties possessed by the dead that render him
even dearer in our eyes than aught else.
He loved little children. He sang always
the songof love and cheerfulness and hope,
the first and last Evangel. Amid the war
ring noise of demagogues and theologians
he quietly smiled and pointed to the New
Testament, to the sublime life of love and
cheerfulness and hope painted there. lie
taught as only One ever taught, the unity
of the human family. He took the beg
gar from the gutter and made the King
recognize him as brother. The hall;
the blind and the dumb he made sacreder
in our eyes, and threw the seamless gar
ment of Christ about them. In him was
deep, exhaustless fund of humor. Pathos
and humorl are they not the distinguish
ing characteristics of true, good mani
Of all the living characters he has
drawn not two are to be found
alike. The versatility and originality of
his genius can find no parallel this side of
Shakespeare. Not one of his works-hOw
different in this from all other novelsts
and most writers-but is pervaded with
and breathes high, noble purpose and
object. He never wrote line merely to
gain applause, or to give passing amusc-
ment. His whole life was one of faith
full, honest work. Its influence on this
generation who can measured 1t is not
dead; cannot die. 1t has already,
though, done much to extirpate Byronism,
Skepticism and other Vulturism, and to
hasten the day of universal Christianism.
Let US all, in thought strew with flowers
the grave OF him whose love embrac cd US
all. Let US, too, standing at this new
made grave, res olive to live and work as
he did, not for Time but for Eternity
in the Trua. the Good and the Beautiful