The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-06-13


symptoms, il will surprise no one who
knew his constitution TO be told that il
was stroke Of paralysis Tor more proba.
bis apoplcXyJ which carried him oil on
Thursday evening, at the age Of IS. lie
was born on the eth Of February, 1872,
near Portsmouth, England, where his
father, John Dickens, then held al Office
in the pay department Of the navy. John
Dickens was man Of education and lit
crary tastes, and when he retired from his
office on q pension in 1915 he went up to
London and became parliamentary re.
porter for daily paper. Charles acquired
only AL ordinary school education, and at
the proper age was placed imam attorneys
office.
But COnveyancing and he had made
such u very indifferent marriage OF it that
they had separated by consent-iftherc can
be said to be separation where there has
never been coming together" Some people
perhaps may doubt whether the employ,
mCnt 10 which he next turned his hand
was much more COngcniaI or more POctlc
than the one he LEFT. lie broke away from
the law, and following his fathers foot
steps became reporter. In David Cop
pcrficld," which is understood 10 be IN
more than one particular partial rellec-
ton of his own life, We have some ANUS
ing descriptions OF David's troubles in
learning how TO take down speeches in
short. hand. and his still more serious trou'
bic in learning how to decipAer his own
notes.
The true bent Of his genius was not long
in developing itself in contributions to the
newspaper press, md in carly manhood
he became connected with the 7rw9 Sun,
and soon afterwards with the Morning
Chronicle, rs u reporter and critic Of pass
ing topics. Here We might pause u
moment, to say that the training Of Dick.
ems was that OF no venerable university, OF
no literary Coteric, Of no school of society,
and to claim him rs the one great crown.
ing contribution of journalism 10 the
worlds liierature-but this were nar-
row and vainglorious thing in jOurna.
list The vision and the faculty divine
with which Dickens was gifted wOnld have
lifted him into the place he was ordained
to fill, whatever might have been his carly
discipline and associations. Sir Walter
Scott was, like Dickens, designed for tho
bar, and Shakespeare, tradition tells us,
was also an attorneys clerk, after having
Cardcd wool, and hutchercd bcGveS, and
taught the youth Of Warwickshirc to
spell. ..
To his lcgalupprcuticcship and TO his
birth on the margin of Southampton Wa.
ter we owe many Of the happiest Of his
Messrs. DOtlSOn Il FOgg and
Sergeant Buzitl2, and others, and much Of
that familiarity with the sea in all its
moods of tempest and tranquility. which
makes passages of David COpperfiGld re-
lcmblc the marine pieces VI Joseph Yer.
net
Early in lif,-iusl after the publication
of"Pickwick"-Mr. Dickens married the
daughter OF Mr. George lIOgarth, the au.
thor and critic. lie separated from her
in 1858, and rs the event called forth a
treat deal ocill naturcd comment.
Mr.. Dickens private life was singular.
Is unobstrusivc and withdrawn from the
hubble eve. Years AGO his domestic
troubles made his family circle painfully
conspicuous before the British pcOplC, and
censnrc was freely bestowed upon ono or
the other marty tothe deplOrblu COniugal
quarrel by the intimate friends OF either.
lint Dickens lived down the scandal. and
il is n sufficient rellltation Oft. perhaps,
that Ills children have always manifested
fnr him The trndrr,.st affection One of
these n son Las crown 10 mans estate,
an1 il an honorel member Of society
Another il fine wiEe Of Mr.. Charles ca.
Iins author Oc"Aflcr Dark. :" "a Cruise on
Wheels" and other novels. which have
Lrcn nycrsIoL0wcd Inv the greater NOM.
LARRY of the writings Of his brother. Mr.
Wilkie Collins.
In Lodon Dickens lived mostly nj the
Gorrick ClrL, where he filled as large a
MACE M John DRYDEN uscd 10 I'M nj Wits
ToiTrr House There was, Mt one time,
some alarm crco,rG lest he should leave
the Cnrrick in consequence, as il was
whisnercl n; the fact that one of Ills
friends and nublishcrs had been black
LaIIcd there. Int The trouble was COM
nosrd and the Garrick knew him to the
inst His town apartments were comforta.
LIy fitted mn hui were not in the flshionn.
hlr uunrier They constituted the second
floor OF The house in Wellington street,
Strand, the lower part Of which was oc-
cupicd hy the business offices Of III the
Var Rold MnyGlir saw little Of Dick
ems, nor was Bclgravia one of his iamilirr
halnts. We believe he was never pre-