The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-06-14
RExINIscENcEs OF DICKENS.
Death Threatened-The First Symp-
toms of Disease.


toms of Disease.
Mr.. Dickens in 1869, wrote q remarkable
'sUncommercal Paper" giving an account of
the beginning of the disease which terminated
in his DEATH Read In the light of his sudden
end, the sketch has some very touching and
suggestive passages, which we quote:
FLY LEAF FROM LIFE.
Once upon time (no matter wlen) was
engaged in pursuit (no matter. what,) which
I could have no help, which imposed con-
slant strain on my attention, memory, obser-
vation and physical powers, and which involv-
ed an almost fabulous amount or change or
place and rapid railway travelling. had fol-
lowed this pursuit through an exceptionally
trying winter in an always trying climate, and
had resumed it in England after but brief
repose. Thus it came to be prolonged until
at length and, as it seemed, all of sudden,
It so wore me out that | could not rely
with my usual cheerful confidence upon my
self to achieve the constantly recurring task,
and began to feel, for the first time In my life,
giddy, jarred, shaken, faint, uncertain of voice
spirit. The medical advice sought within
few hours was given in two words: I'm
slant rest" Being accustomed to observe
myself as curiously rs ii / were another man,
and knowing the advice to meet my only need;
Instantly halted in the pursuit of which
speak, and rested. Ny intention was to inter
pose, as 1t were, a fy-leaf In the book of my
life, in which nothing should be written from
without for brief season OF few weeks.
But some very singular experiences recorded
themselves on this same fly-leaf, and am go.
ing to relate them literally. repeat the Word
literally.
Nv first odd experience was Of the remarka-
BILE coincidence between my case, In the gene
raj mind, and one Mr.. Merdle's, as find 1t re-
corded In work Of fiction called Little Dor
ritt." To be sure, Mr.. Merdle was swindler,
forger and thief and my calling had been Of q
less harmful land less remunerative) nature;
but it was all one for that.
Here is Mr. Merdle's case:
"At first, he was dead OF all the diseases
that ever were known, and of several bran
new maladies invented with the speed OF light
to meet the demand of the OCCASION"
breakfast entirely uniformed on the whole
subject, believed, before they had done break
fast that they privately and personally knew
Physician to have said to Mr.. Merdle, You
must expect to 60 out some day, like the snuff
of CANDLE and that they knew Mr.. Merdle to
to nave said to Physician, "A man can die ont
once By about ii o'clock In the forenoon,
something the matter with the brain became
the favorte theory against the field, and by II
the something had been distinctly ascertained
to be Pressure Pressure was 80 entirely salts
factory to the public mind, and seemed to make
every one so comfortable, that 1t might have
lasted all day but for Bars having taken the
real state of the case into court at half-past g.
Pressure, however, so far from being over
thrown by the discovery, became greater
fayorite than ever. There was general NOR
aizng upon Pressure In every street. All the
people who tried to make money and had not
been able to do it, said, ''There you were !"
You no sooner began to devote yourself to the
pursuit of wealth thun you got Pressure.
.sThe idle people improved the occasion in a
similar manner. See, said they, what you
brought yourself to by work, work, work
You persisted In working, you overdtd It; Pres
sure came In and you were done for This
consideration was very potent In many quar-
ters, but nowhere more so than among young
clerks and partners who had never been In
the slightest danger of overriding it. These,
one and all, declared quite piolsly that they
hoped that they would never forget the warn
ING, as long as they lived, and that their con-
duct might be so regulated as to keep of Pres
sure, and preserve them comfort to their
friends for many years"
just my case, If had only known It,. when
was quietly basking in the sunshine in my
kcntish meadow
An I1-Starrcd Marriage - Dickens's
own Account of His Separation from
his Wife.
Early in life-just after the publication of
s!Pickwlck"-Mr Dickens married the dalSh-
ter of Mr. George Hogarth, the author and
critic. He separated from her in 1858, and as
the event called forth great deal Of ill-natur-
ed comment, the following letter was written
for the purpose Of being shown to the public
MY DEAR -: Mrs. Dickens and have
lived unhappily together for many years:
Hardly any one who has known us Intimately
can fail to have known that we are, In all re-
spects Of character and temperament, wonder
fully unSuited to each other. l suppose that
no two people, not vicious in themselves, ever
were joined together, who had greater dlincu!-
ty in understanding one another, or who had
less in common. Ar attached woman servant
(more friend TO both OF us than servant,)
who lived with us sixteen years. and is now
married, and who was, and still Is, in Mrs.
Dlckens's confidence and mine, who had the
closest familiar experience ofths unhapplness
10 London, in the country, In France. In Italy,
wherever we have been, year after year,
month after month, week after week, day alter
day, will bear testimony to this.
Nothing has, Oh many occasions, STOOD oe-
tween us and q separation but Mrs. Dickens's
sister, Georginc IlOgarth. From the age OF Is
she has devoted herself tn our house and chill
dren. She has been their playmate, nurse, in.
structress, friend, prolectrcss, adviser and
companion. In the manly consideration to-
ward Mrs. Dickens which ] owe to my wife,
will merely remark of her that the popularity
of her character has thrown all the care OF the
children on some one else. do not Know
cannot by any stretch OF fancy imagne-What
would have become Of them, but Tor this aunt,
who has grown up with them, to whom they
are devoted, and who has sacrificed the best
part of her youth and life to them.
She has demonstrated, reasoned, suffered
and toiled, and come again to prevent sepa-
ration between Mrs. Dickens and me. Mrs.
Dickens has often expressed TO her her sense
of her atlcctonate care and devotion In the
house-nevcr more strongly than in the last
twelve months.
For some years past Mrs. Dickens has been
in the habit of representing to me that 1t would
be better for her to 60 away and live apart;
that her always increasing estrangement made
a mental disorder, under which she sometimes
labors; more, that she felt herself unfit for the
life she had to lead rs my wife, and that she
would be fur better away. l have uniformly
replied that she must bear our misfortune and
fight the fight ont TO the end; that the chill
dren were the first consideration, and that
feared they must bind us together Tin appear
ance."
At length, within these three weeks, 1t was
suggested to me by Forster, that even for their
sakes, it would surely be better to reconstruct
and rearrange the unhappy home. cmpow-
cred him to treat with Mrs. Dickens as the
friend of both OF us for one and twenty years.
t{r, nio,-nrc IN odd her mart Mark