Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-12-10
ANECDOTES OF DICKENS.
The Originals Of His Noted Characters

The Originals Of His Noted Characters.
Dr.. Shelton Mackenzie has written, and
Peterson 4 Brothers have Just published,
q "Life of Charles Dickens, with Personal
Recollections and Anecdotes, Letters, and
Uncollected Writings iu Prose and Verse. F"
We make a few extracts below, which will
give our readers taste of the work.
DICKENS FAMILY. 4
Mr.. John Dickens was married in the
early part Of the present century, and his
wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Dickens, has been dc.
scribcd to me as having much resembled
Mrs. Nickleby, Of happy memory, in the
charming iunacuracy Of her memory and
the curious insecutiveness of her conversa-
ton. In later years she was tall and thin,
with wasp's waist, of which she was very
vain, and was what 10 called "dressy.'
She was good wife, very fond Of her hts.
band, devoted to her children, and ex.
tremely proud Of her son Charles, who was
kind and liberal to her from the time it
was in his power to be so. Her family
further consisted Of the following children.
l. Fanny Dickens, who was a music
teacher for some time before her marriage
with Mr.. Bennot, a lawyer, she is dead.
2. Charles Dickens.
8. Letitia Dickens, married to Mr.. Aus.
ten, engineer and architect in London.
She is tho only surviving member Of this
household.
4. Frederic William Dickens, who
through the influence of Lord John Russell,
an Old aud warm friend Of Charles Dickens,
obtained a clerkship in the Foreign Office,
London, but after some years received a
hint that from certain irregularities his
resignation would be accepted. On the
23d of October, 1868, he diel of abcess on
the lungs at Darlington, where he had
been stationed during the preceding twelve
months. He had suffered greatly during
tho last three weeks Of his illness.
6. Alfred Dickens was an architect CT
cnsiuccr, perhaps little of both, upon the
Nation Railroad, and is dead.
6. Augustus Dickens was brought up in
the counting. house Of John Chapman &
Co., No. 9 J.cadenhall street, London, and
came to this country some ten or twelve
years ago. He became clerk in the Illi.
nois Railroad Company, aud died in Chica.
90 five years ago. His second wife (Miss
Bertha Phillips, daughter of the late
Charles Phillips, the celebrated Irish ora
tor), whom he brought here and married,
died on Christmas eve, 1868, at Chicago,
leaving three beautiful children. She was
alive when Charles Dickens was last in
America, but as none of the family had
recognized her, and he thought it not i'm.
possible that she might be intruded upon
him, being known to be his sister.in.law,
he did not visit Chicago. 1t is stated that,
on hearing of her distressed circumstanc nces,
he sent her handsome pecuniary present.
Augustus was the original Bosses"
DICKENS EARLIEST WRITINGS.
Mr.. James Grant writes:
"Early in 1886 the editorship Of the
Monthly Magasine-the adjective "Old"
having been by this time dropped-came
into my hands; and in making the neces-
sary arrangements for its transfer from
Captain Holland-then I should have
mentioned, proprietor as we'll as editor-I
expressed my great admiration of the series
Of Skethes by Boz which had appeared
in the Monthiy, and said I should like to
make arrangement with the writer for the
continuance of them under my editorship.
With that view asked him the name Of
the author. It will sound strange in most
ears when state that name which has
for SO many years filed the whole civilized
world with its fame, was not remembered
by Captain Holland. But he added, after
expressing his regret that be could not at
the moment recollect the real name of
Bos' that he had received . letter from
him few days previously, and that if I
would meet him at the samc time and
place next day. he would bring me that
letter, because it related to the sketches
Of the writer, in the Monthly Magazine,
then journal Of high literary reputation
and Of great political iufuence-he sup
plemented his remarks by saying that
Boz was Parliamentary reporter on
which observed that must, in that case,
know him, At least by sight, as I was &C.
| quainted 10 that respect, more or less. with
all the reporters in the gallery Of the
House Of Commons. Captains Holland and
met according to appointment. I then
found that the name of the author oi
Sketches by Boz was Charles Dickens
The letter was written in the modest terms
1t was simply to the effect that a. he (Mr
Dickens) had hitherto given all his con,
ributions-those signed Bos'-gratui
tously, he would be glad if Captain Hol
land thought bis Sketches worthy Of any
smdN remuneration, a. otherwise he would
be obliged to discontinue them, because b.
was going very soon to get married, and
therefore would be subjected to more OK
peuses than he was while living alone
which he was during the time, in Furni
vars Inn." .
WILLIS ON DICKENS.
| Willis went to sec Dickens, then ittl
known, in 1885, and wrote:
i In the most crowded part Of Holboru
within door or two Of the Bull ant
| t. (<kn Rpn~k sSoexsur- .~l .k>>