, 1870-11-06
TRICK PLAYED UFON DICKENS,
\ Home View OF tslc .Amcricnu
E8tex.ss
LEWISTON, Mur1N COUNT PA,
OctobAr 81 1271

LEWISTON, MUrLIN COUNT PA.
......... October Il, 1870.
70 tie Editor Of tA< f'hitaarlrAfa lreas
S1R: In the atlantic Monthly for Noyem-
ea,itled i" -Four Mouths With Charles Dick
enr," written ~ the -t'Hecretary" who &c:
comranied Mr. Dickens in his tour through
America in 1872. The writer, in describing
Dickens. trip from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh,
says:
lit WAS on the deck of tho csn.l-bo.t that
etr.snger. sf'er following NJ. Dieksns SOW
coat OF tAstrakan goattkin' n6lcb 3Ir. Dick
cns wore, came to him, felt Of the cost, aud
asked what it wle, tue price, etc., and mauy
otEeI questions His curiosity much amused
Ny Dickens. who answered bis questions very
Ii: dly, smiling al the while at rho earnest-
Msa and perftcs stlf-eomplaeency Of his
3H. Dickens. in his American Nptea. tells
this story much better, thus:
There vas Il man un tha boat with h
light, freah-co'oted face, anda pe7per-aad-aaIt
euit Of clothes, who was the most inouisltiye
fellow that can possibly bs imagined. He
never spoke otherwise than interrogatiyely.
He was IN embodied inquiry, Sitting down
or standing up, still or moving, walking the
deck or taking his 1neale, there he was, with
q great note Of Interrogation in each eye,
Two in his cooked eara, two more in his turned.
up nose and chin, at least half dozen more
1argees one Of aIl in bis iair, which WIS
brushed partly on his fo.ehoad in fa1en
ctump- Every button in Ais clothes said.
En2 What's that Did you speak Say
that again, will you He mas always wide
awnke like The euchantod bride, who drove
ler hnss nd frantic always RESTLESS. alx.ys
and never finding. There never was such u
curious mxn. woro a far great coat at that
time, and be fore NO we're well cle.r OF the
wharf, be questioned mo concerning il, and
is price. and where bought it. aud when, ard
what it was, and what it weighed, ant,
What it cost. Then he took nosice OF nv
.ntcb, and asked what it co-t, and whether It
Mas a French watch, and w!'cre got ii, and
how I got it, and whether boughtik or lad
Il given me, and hos II went. and where the
Ii Sbcle war, and When wound it. oveEy night
.rtyery uaornirs. and whether Ifozeos to Wind
it at all, aud it did, what then Nhcraha1.I /
leen to last. and wheso was going nc1t, and
Nhe1e Was guing after that, nLd had soen
tic President, and what did lao Say, aud what
lid I tay, and what did be sly when I had
t1id it /? Eh Lar now do tell Finding
THAT nothing would satisiy him, I eEaded hia
questions after the first scoKe or two, and in
particular pleaded ignorance Respecting the
name Of tho fur whereof tho coat was made.
nm unable to SAT whether this Was the rea.
t1n, but that coat fasc1na:ed him erer Aftsr-
U1rd Ao usually Kept close behind me- ha
walked. and moved ~ moved, that he might
look ut it the better; and 10 frequently
iivcd into narrow placea after me at the risk
Ut lis life, that he might hAye the satisfaction
Of passing his hand up the back, and rubbing
il tho wrong way"
That il very pretty story Il it stands, but
il can 10 improved a 1ittle.- The man - With q
light fresb-coloIed face, and pepper-and.
talt suit Of clothes, who Was tho most inqais,
rive fellow that can possibly be imagined.
lived here in 1872. and has been Sheriff OF
Ccute' County. He and party Of friends
were lctuIuing l1cme from Harrisburg, and
l@i:E naturally Of a jovial turn OF mind,
'-Ea: Z game" of Diskoua during tho entire
trlI. Tue Shetla WIS the leading spirit OF the
Jsrt,, and furnished them ucinterrupted
snlut. :nent By Lis semi-i1iotio manner and
his p, rclstcnt cFobs-ex animation OF aIr. Dick.
rtn, The etofy ~ puhlieht d Is not too strong
II drawn. Tho Sheriff plAyod thenative Amer
iv3n to perfection, and, as the event eho *ed
completely sold :" the whole English party
md their retinue- When the American Notes
fret nppeared people sbont here recalled the
SheriNn original version Of the incident, ana
were intensely au1used. Now that the Eecfe
| tary has written down hts enltihiIlty. re thini
| til. jnke LIS gone fat enough.
Dickens may we'll be pAtdoned for finding il
his cl,auce companions on tho canal-host oni,
utsat he h1d expected TO find III Americans
! tsat 1t il almost incompIehepsibEo that hi
| american secretary should unt have eeel
s'.n,ueh this simple trick. g. 49,.
Possibly lad Mr. Dickens beau fortuuAt
| cEnuch 10 sccnre different travelling CON
psnicn. lir Notes might hsve been more gcu
| rlac sud valuable A.