Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-07-22
Dickens ssCharacters', and Habits
OF work.

My host Mr.. Dlckens) talked with me
quite freely, but with singular modesly, OF
his own productions and modes of study
and writing, answering my questions frank
ly and patiently. | asked il certain charac-
ters which l pointed out, generally esteemed
very peculiar and eccentric, if not positively
unnatural and impossible, we're not alto
gether beings of the mind, pure creatures
OF his own fancy and he said explicitly
that the most fantastic and terrible of his
characters were the most real-lhe "unnat-
ural' were the natural-the ''exaggeratons"
were just those strange growlhs, those ac-
tual human traits be had copied most faith
fully from lite. Sam Weller, whom every.
body recognized as an acquaintance, was
not a real but quite an imaginary parsonage,
he said-was only the representative OF a
class. Afterward, standing by his study
table, and observing the exquisite order and
nicely of its arrangements, asked him If
he actually did his every day work there.
"Oh, yes" he said IL sit here and write.
through almost every morning"
"Does the spirit always come upon you
at once - | asked. "No-sometimes.' he
answered, Il have to coax it; sometimes
do little else than draw figures or make dots
on the paper, and plan and dream till per
haps my time is nearly up. But | always
sit here, tor that certain time" What a
lesson is this for lesser writer's. Yet | for
one cannot claim to have ever profited by
it. ankee-lIke, pursued my interesting
Investigations, asking him il, in case the
now OF inspiration did not come till near
the hour Tor lunch, or exercise, he left that
seat wheu the hour struck, or remained. II
90 at once he SAID, hardly waiting to
complete IL sentence. | could not keep my
health otherwise. let nothing deprive me
OF my tran p"
Tneu asked if the mental work did not
20 on AS he walked, aud he SAID he suppos
ed II always md III some degree, especially
when he was alone, YET that he thought he
saw almost all there was to be seen in his
walks about London and Paris-indeed
everywhere he went; that be had trained
his eye and ear to let nothing escape him !;
that he had received most valuable suggest
ions and hints of character in that way. |
remember that he said in this connection
that he seldom came upon group OF peo-
pie standing before q print-shop window
without pausng few minutes to study
their faces and listen to their criticisms.
Two pointed sayings Of his l recorded, one
for its wit, the other for its humanity.
Speaking of Uncle Toms CABIN then
Just out, he said he thought it decidedly a
story of much power, dramatic and moral,
but scarcely a work Of art he thought too,
he said, that Mrs. Stowe had made rather
too much of her subject-had overdone in
the philanthropic direction. Uncle Tom
evidently struck him as an impossible piece
OF ebony perfection, as monster of excell-
ence. and other African characters in the
book as too highly seasoned with the virtues
except for spice of drolery and OCCASION
al perversity. "Mrs. Stowe" he said, ''hard
ly gives the Anglo Saxon fair play. liked
what | saw of the tolored people IN the
States. l found them singularly polite and
amiable, and in some instances decidedly
clever but then," he added, with droll
half smile, and peculiar comical arch of
his eyebrows. 81 have no prejudice against
white people," In the course Of the eve
ming, expressed to him my pleasure Of
seeing that his servants wore no distinctive
livery, and he replied: II hope you are
not surprised do not consider that | own
enough of any man to hang a badge upon"
Grace GreenUood, IN the Tribune.