New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-16
BOSTON.
MR.. FIELps's "REMINISCENCES OF DICKENs-MR.
CRANCHs MARGARET FULLER ODE.

Atlantic Monthly will not I've ready for the public untll
thc middle Of next week but your correspondent has
tempted the publishers TO permit him TO fitch from the
advance sheets for the benefit Of TRIBUNE readers some
Of the most interesting paragraphs Of Mr.. James T.
Fclds fascinating paper Dickens and apart OF MT T.
r. Cranchs ode, which prominent feature OF tne le
cent birthday commomoration Of Margaret Fuller Os'oh
MI Fields calls his article Some Memories Of Charles
Dickens" and il gives gmpses of many phases OF the
great humOrts personal character which have not pen
touched upon by any other writer. Beginning WIN
reference to Gad's Hill and Mr. Dickenss life there, MI
Fields continues with this pleasant gallery OF o"p'no'
pictures; ,..,,..
"In his own inmitable he would trequenn..Iy
relate 10 friend il prompted stories of his youthful
days, when he toilng on INC hCI IT, o, ~
Chronicle passing sleepeSs hours a. So f On t1
road in post-chae, driving day tnG niSht IRON pomt
70 point to take down inc Who We're accustomed
10 hurry him the road that he might reach LONDON
lantern he was writing out for the press as he flew over
the ground the words he had taken down in shorthand
oe cr his DAYS Of training, when in rain and
sect ana cold dashed along scarcely able TO keep the
s na S S5 ST hard r@ %oR % hs
practice as reporter, Kept at ms grinding
seven uineas week. large sheet was started at this
period o. hi, life, in which all the important speeches
reference. Dickens engaged this gigantic journal
Mr. stanley had spoken at great length on the condition
o. Ireland 1t was very long and eloquent speech oe-
cupN1nc many hours in the delivery. Eight reporters
sent in 20 do the work Each one was required
report trcequarter of an hour then to retire. write
out his portion and to he succeeded by the next Young
1itAfIS was tcIlltI 10 lcdd On WIN llt ~
also fell "a his lot when the time came round to report
the closing portions of the speech On Saturday the
whole was given to the press and Dickens ran down TO
morning hal scarcely dawned, when his father
who "a OF immense energy, made
his appearance in his sons seeping-rOom Mr. Stanley
dis ltsGcd with what he found In print, except
the beginning and ending Of his speech Gust what
Dickens had reported that he sent Immediately to the
office and obtained the sheets Of these parts of the report
He there found the of the reporter, which, accord
ing 20 custom written ON the margin. Then he re-
qcsted mat the Young man bearing tne name OF ckehS
should be Immediately sent for. Dckens's father, al
asiow Win he prospect o hIGpsoe foOi10 IN ei ne
the country and brOU ght him back to London In telling
Tie story Dickens said; 81 remember perfectly to TINS
day the aspect OF the room was Shown INTO,
and the two gentlemen in 1t, Mr., Stanley and
To me, out noted theI evident surprise AT
the appearance OF young man While we spoke To-
OF the room. Mr. Stanley told he wished 10 90 over
the whole speech and have 1t written out by me, aud
rnud tsn innedialv He tried To- indnce me to sit at
desk but at that time the House of Commons there
was nothing but ones knees 10 write upon and had
formed the habit Of doing my work in that way With
Out further pause he began and went rapidly hour
after hour, 70 the end often becoming very much eX
cited and frequently bringing down ms hana with great
NO writer ever lived whose method was more exact
aty wa. more marked than those Of Charles Dickens
He never shrked labor, mental or bodily lie rarely
declined if the object good one, taking the chair
at public meeting, accepting charitable trust
Many widows and orphans OF deceased literary men
have for been benefited by his wise rsteeshp or
counsel, and he spent great portion OF ms Time per
looking after the property or the poor whose III
terests under his control He was, as has been
inmaed one of the most industrious Of men, and mar
Vicious stories are told mot by hInSeD OF what ne mas
accomplished given time in literary and social mat
His studies were all from nature and life and his
plated writing Hard Times, he arranged with the mas
or OF Asteys circus TO Send many noh b peG md tf &c
oeCupying his thoughts. ne could Danish himself
to France for two years to prepare Tor that
great work. Hogarth penciled on his thumbna1l
striking face in a crowd that he wished TO preserve;
Dickens with his ranscendent memory chronced IN his
mind whatever OF Interest met ms eye OF Ieaeeo 5s ear
any time anywhere Speaking OF memory one day ne
said the memory of children was podgions; II Was
he was dclneang the character Of Mrs Ppchn he had
in his mind old lodging house keeper IN an Enghsh
mother when he but two years old After the BOOK
written he sent it to his sister who wrote back AT
painted our clearinghouse keeper and you were but two
years old at that tlme Characters ana incidents ,Nr mt
when occasion required No subject OF human interest
was ever indifferent TO him, and never day went by
that did not afford him some suggestion TO be utilized IN
the future"
The essay refers to Mr. Dickenss intrinsic knowledge
of animals and sympathy for them and there is nothing
better the scraps Of his letters scattered through the
article than the following in regard to particular dog
which he noticed in Washington during his American
reading tour:
he first night Dickens read in the Capital this dog
seT said he got good place before the reading began
and paid strict attention throughout He came the sec
the ON the third night he appeared again
with another dog, which he had evidently PROMISED 70
imposition being unmasked, the other dog apologzed by
howl and withdrew. His Intentions doubt, were of
the hest but he afterward rose to explain outside with
such inconvenience TO the reader and his audience that
they were Obliged to put him down stairs"
This paragraph again is exceedingly charming:
He was passionatey fond of the theater. loved the
light and and flowers and the happy faces Of the
audience accustomed to say that his love OF the
fheater never failed and, matter how dull the play,
he was always careful while he sat in the box 10 make DO
sound which could hurt the ieelngs OF te aetors, OF
show any lack Of attention His genuine enthusiasm TOT
Mr. Fechters acting was most interesting ne oye 70
having strOlled little theaer there night He
Sas making love to a woman Dickens said, and he so
which enveloped her. that they rod in aurer ether
IBy heavens said TO myself a man who can do TINS
IAN do anything never saw two people more purely
peT also continued lin which he presses the hem OF
ihe dress Of Lucy IN the Bride OF IL some
Ihny wonderful. The man has genius III HIM winch Is
Life behind the scenes was always fascinating
study to Dickens. One Of the oldest sights green
room can present, he said one day, SIS when they
he promper calls together all the women the ballet
and begins giving out the names sn Cr Se ly
poor pay by the extra Ptance their children will re
IgeSi seven and ten Mrs. b., how manyr and
ol until the required number is made up The people
who 90 upon the however poor their pay or hard
their lot love too well ever to adopt another vocation
81 their free-wiI. mother will frequently he In the
wardrobe children in the pantOmine elder sisters IN the
pallet, etc"
close my clippings with two paragraphs which more
directly illustrate the humorous element Of Mr. Dckenss
character:
writing from Western city in 1863 he says: The
motel here dreary institution. But have an impress
siOn must be in the wrong one and buoy HyseH up
with a devOut belief in the other over the way The
awakening consciousness this morning Oh lopsided
bedstfad facing nowhere, in holding nothing but
sOuF dust terrible than the being afraid % go
to he'd last night To keep ourselves up we played whist
idoube durnnyJ until neither OF ms could bear 20 speak
10 the o;hcr any We had previously supped ON
atougl ell isltm.rc, named builO ~ESt do yOat hnk
Of "A fowl dc pOuletP Pacific Dc SiayF or eel
sryg' or 'murange with crraini Because all these
in off asked the