New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-05

own dark secret
night Of nights, had heard Lander talk and Ada
laide Kemble sing and Charles Dickens handed me TO
my carriage, taking leave of me with God blessyou,"
and drove home through the soft Summer air with my
head among tho stars
Some ten days later I received my first letter from
Charles Dickens-a very slight thing but mine own"
T,vsrocK House. july IT, 1882
MY DEAR CLARKE: am AFRAID you will have down in
da have you angel Of the recording
specsas the sest mankind II pray drop upon the
psge and blot the entry ou-ior don't dessreit
able the promised lie; Of our heat
cal engagements But a do and here it is:
Monday, ga August, nottingham.
"Wednesday, 18th August Derby
Friday 9th August, Newcastle.
Monday, Oth August, Sheffield
Wednesday, Isl September, Manchester.
think you would snd the lastnamed place the best
incose the letter o Prison Governor spoke Of
address until the Winter win be TO- Camden Crescent Dover Be
heve always very faithfully yours CHARLES DcKENs
Ihave given this little letter to show the perfect accu
racy and faithfulness of his memory. did not make
any Of the points kindly indicated in it, was in Ire
land and Scotland all through the month OF August and
thought could not so order my ways as to secure the
pleasure so coveted think now that could have
done but for an unhappy propensity to drift with the
tide OF circumstances, stronger wills than mine.
During the first year succeeding my return from En-
gland wrote a little for Household Words, and received
some kind notes its editor but when in the Winter
of Gs he came 20 Philadelphia, where were then liy
ing, thought he must have forgotten me and SORROW
fully enough resigned myself TO the prospect of merely
seeing him twice at the readers desk- friend
brought me word that he remembered me well, and
would he glad to meet me. went on an appointed day
to his hotel with my daughter ardent young Pick
wickian found indeed that he had not forgotten me-
nor any of the circumstances Of slight acquaintance
He mentioned after another all who were present on
that memorable dinnerparty-recallcd laugable Incl
dent occasOned by the extreme deafness of one OF the
guests the joint connection OF the punch. He
was very merry it ALL till in my wonder at his mem
DRY mentioned how long ago Then he shook his
head with comca seriousness, and said, mo impos-
sibe say IRE years. say than five years"
"But NJ. Dickens" protested, what shall do with
my big daughter here ~
al can't tell about that, but hold to the five years."
Again found him genial, simple, and companion
able unlike ordinary great men, that the old feeling
me- the old difficulty Of realizing that 1t was
Charles Dickens talking 10, and other told
him Of it, and asked Are you quite sure it you-hat
you have not been somehow changed in the cradle of
the deepT" He laughed at the poor little joke, so
gracously merry he, and declared himself ready to
swear the best of his knowledge belief hewas
he Yet after leaving him felt strange misgivngs lest
had too little realized his greatness, had said things
ought have said and left unsad things ought TO
have said. But cOmfOrted myself with thinking that
his many visitors and abOrs left him little time 10 notice
any shortcomings OvergOings OF mine. afterward
saw Mr. Dickens several times. Through his Kindness
we heard all his readings and before he left America
received kind from him, closing with God bless
you"
He had before spoken to very pleasantly Of my re-
ports Of the readings in The Philadehia Press and in
vited me TO write for All the Year Round. What all
this was to me, at that time, he could not have
guessed-I can hardly tell then in sad, depressed
state of mind, from ilhealth and nervous prostitution
that dreary stranded condition, when looks ones
day as past on Opes life failure. Beside his life
mine should have seemed perhaps, yet more ptifu
failure-but somehow it didn't He did not overshadow
and sHe in that way-s genius did not SO exhaust
all the oxygen from the air around him. He was full OF
generous inspiring sympathy, and despised 40 smallest
work. If well DONE When, in reply TO question as to
what had been doing since he last heard from me,
said with exceeding sense of literary insigncance,
"Oh Mr. Dickens have not done anything worth con.
sdering have been writing for children principally
have only fed the lambs" | shall forget the
earnest way which Ne replied TO this-"I hope You do
not think lightly of that work. You could not have been
more nobly employed" How often have
thought Of those generous words, with
a God bless him." Doubtless if every Onelto whom in
some way he had impaired such hope and courage could
have cast flower his coffin, the day of his funeral,
that grave in the old Abbey would have overlooked in
roses and vioetsn daisies from green lanes sprigs of
hawthorn and the "ivy green" rosemary for remem-
brance" pansies for thoughts" "lilies of all kinds,
the fower-de-luce being one"
In the Autumn, after | first met Charles Dickens
gathered from the grave OF Keats at Rome, bunch OF
field flowers, which seemed in their INTENDED growth
and pale hues, TO repeat the words Of pathetic dseou
agement they half concealed. Here lies one whose
name was writ in water" plucked at the same time,
from the grave Of Shelley halfbown rose, delcately
tinted yet wearing in its deepest heart corduB-
passionate glow of color These have treasured ever
since but with them now laid tenderly away Is little
bunch of flowers, by Charles Dickens on the night
when he read DGrd Coppertetd 1t may seem foolish,
but these hueess whered things are more precious
than rubies TO me and my daughter They were from
the first sweet with the memories Of David, and Dora,
aud poor little Emly-they sacred to memory
dearer and sacred still
After Mr. Dickens returned to England wrote several
times for All The Year Round yet, though he acknowl-
edged my contributions with the utmost Kindness felt
that the personal he TO them slight as it was,
was too much for TO impose on him. could always
see some marks of his revision and knowing that every
thing offered must come under eyes keenly critical
as they kindly, could not do my best skeched
ont many things for his paper, but finished few He
liked distinctivey American topics. Sh one felt Obliged
20 study English tastes in the treatment His philan-
thropy If he would have allowed TO use in connection
with him. word tainted with cant that he hated it
did not fear take Aboriginal direction In letter,
dated Christmas Eve 1S6s-after informing me OF the
publication of little story, he says: al rather doubt
THE Poor Indian subject of interest to the public.
The wretched creature must pass away When he comes
the point Of stopping steam and scapng engineers he
must be RENTED TO that equal sky where there are no
such relaxations."
The last words OF the last letter ever received from
Mr. Dickens 81 am happy to report myself quite
well, and always faithfully your friend" would put
no especial emphasis that word friend" traced by
his cordial, liberal hand. know well / claim
nothing on the ground OF most unequal friendship,
which gave much in unconscious generosity and
could receive little in return but the humblest heart
to whom the benefcent genius OF Charles Dickens
brought happiness and courage has the right to mourn
as a friend for a friend certainly claim no more.
am one among thousands and tens of thousands Thank