Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-06-16
charles Dickens Dead.

W
no more. lie died suddenly--oi paraly-
sis it is supposed-at his home, Gads
Hill, England, last Thursday, aged 81
wears. The following tribute to his
memory we copy from the Chicago tour.
mel of Saturday;
The earth that clothed Charles Dick
ems ard made him one Of us is hardly
cold now, yet all Christendom mourns
him. Wherever lightning travels the
Mercury Of the modern Olympus-tho
sad intelligence of his death has gone
What is more, all the reading world, of
Whatever language, knew and loved him.
His own tongue is the yernacular Of
many lands, and without the aid OF trans
lators he would have been a familiar
friend to millions, and in every part Of
the habitablo globe; but no pent up Eng
lish coald contract his powers, There
is not a language in Europe that has not
done homage TO his genius.
The place of Dickens is literary fame
his niche in the Temples incompar-
able. u9is not to be ranked with Field
ing, Scott, Thackeray, Victor Hugo, or
any ether novelist, dead or living 10
some particulars he has Supporters, and
by so.ne readers he is less admired than
the two last named, but he is better
known than all combined, lie has
drawn characters and put into their
months quaint sayings winch have been
Incorporated into our common speech
and literature to an extent that makes
him the peer Of Shakespeare, To be thus
universally appropriated by tongue and
pen is the supreme test OF genius, and
the very highest attainment possible to
human ambition That be reached that
goal in life, while Shakspeares attain
iuent Of it was posthumous, shows the
difference between then and now, ratler
than between the two men
1t can hardly be said that Dickens
held, rather holds, the mirror up 10 ma
turo, for he oX2ggeratcs every character
and trait. AT the same time he never
distorts. Instead Of the mirror he uses
the microscope. This is far better, Co.,
There can be no thorough social or NOR
al anatomy without the magpliying lens,
any more than there can physical 49,
Pickwick, Sam Weller, Jack Bunsby,
Fagjn, Elijah Pogram, and IN fact every
one Of the leading characters in OIckeus
novels are simply ordinary personpges
microscopically presented. The keener
VISION OF the great novelist could see
clearly and at close range what others
fail to see at all, or at best, only IN the
dim, dwartiug distance, Not only could
he see thas clearly hinse but he could
open the eres OF others to behold what,
without his aid, would be unreyealed
This maryoous power was used Tor
high, ennobling ends. 1t has often been
repeated to the praise Of Sir Walter
Scott that he wrote nothing that, dying,
lie could wish to blot Charles Dickens
merits higher praise, for his virtues were
not negative, I o his writings more than
one important re form in England may
be attributed, He dealt us unsparlngb
with the defects in British society and
character as lie did with thoss OF our
own people in Martin ChuzsIewlt. -
There was no little indignation at the
microscopic expose there, as well as here,
but no one can deny that in cVe:y case
good results followed Henry Ward
Beechcr did well to pay tribute, last
evening to the memory OF Mr. dickens,
for he belonged as truly as himself to
the legion Of he cor, the brave and great
who fight the battle of progress. 1t
seems bot yesterday that the annthemas
of religion were hurled against noyelists
and move readers with discriminate fury.
There was once a good reason Tor 1t
But that time has passed now. Scott
lifted the literature Of romance out OF
the slough OF immoraity, and since his
day the best noyelstic genius has been
in active alliance with the soIdiery OF
truth and virtue In this respect Dicks
ems is only the Saul among many,
In retracing the steps OF mankind IN
the march Of progress toward the golden
age before us we have not far to go be-
fore reaching the period when chaplalns
were lower in the social scale than
grooms; when poets were flaming court
icrs, and novelIsts pandered to the low
err passions Of british men. All that
has passed now. Beecber, Tennyson
and Dickens are Of the blood royal, and
living or dead WELD sceptres of the high
est potencics; and they differ in degree
rather than kind, from their literary tel,
lows. The outlook is hopeful,
The best of it all is that such kings OF
men cannot die Alexauders Empire
crumbled at his death, Napoleon dynas'
ty may not survive him, but over Charles
Dickens Death has now power, lie had
wrought himself into the imperlshabls
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