Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-25
A NEW ANECDOTE OF
DICKENS.
How the Great Novelist Cousronts
One OF His slRndercrS.
From Fields Whispering Gallery, in the Sept.
Atlantic

How the Great Novelist COnfronts
One OF His sIandercrS.
From Fields Whispering Gallery, in the Sept.
Atlantic.
Let me commend to the attention of
my numerous and nameless correspond
ents, who have attempted TO soil the
moral character of Dickens, the follow
ing little incident related to me by him
self, during summer evening walk
among the Kentish meadows, q few
months before he died. l will try To tell
the story, if possible, as simply and nat
urslly as he told it to me:
Il CHANGED to be travelling, some yeSrs
ago, he saic, Sin a railroad carriage be-
tween Liverpool sid London. B-side
myself, there were two ladies with gen
tleman occupying the carriage. We hap
pened to be all strangers to each other, but
l noticed at once that clergyman was
of the party. l was occupied with
ponderOus article in the Times, when
the sound of my own name drew my
attention to the fact that conversation
was going forward among the three other
persons in the carriage with reference to
myself and my books. One Of the ladies
Was perusing Bleak House. then lately
published, and the clergyman had
commenced a conversation with the
ladies by asking what books they were
reading. On being told the authors name,
and the title of the book, he expressed
himself greatly grieyed that any lady in
England should be willing to take up the
writings of so vile a character as Charles
Dickens. Both the ladies showed great
surprise at the low estimate the clergyman
put upon an author whom they had been
accustomed TO read, TO say the least, with
certain degree of pleasure. They were
evidently much shocked at what the man
said of the immoral tendency of these
books, which they seemed never before
to have suspected; but when he attacked
the authors private character, and told
monstrous stories of his immoralities in
every direction, the volume was shut up,
and confined to the dark pockets of
travelling bag. / listened in wonder and
astonishment, behind my newspaper, to
stories of myself, which, if they hsd
been true, would have consigned any man
to s prison for life. After my fictitious
ly an hour with the eloquent recital of my
delinquelcies and crimes, l very quietly
Joined in the conversation. OF course |
began by modestly doubling some state
ments which had just heard touching
the author of "Bleak House" and other
unimportaut works of similar charsc-
ter. The man stared at me, and evidently
considered my appearance on the CONVEX
satiOnal stage an intrusion and an imper-
Thence.
"You seem to speak, l said, 'from
personal knowledge of Mr.. Dickens. Are
you acquainted with himl" ~
''He rather evaded the question, hui,
following him up closely, | compelled
him to say that he had been talking not
from his own knowledge of the author in
question; but he said he knew for Ger
tainty that every statement he made was
true one. then became more earnest
in my enquiries for proofs, which he ar
rogantly declined giving. The ladies sat
by in silence, listening intently to what
was going forward. An author they
had been accustomed to read for amuse-
ment had been traduced in their hear
ing, and they were waiting to learn
what had to say in refutationAOf
the clergyman's charges. was taking
Up his stories, one by one, and stamping
them as false in every particular, when
the man grew curious, and asked me if
knew Dickens personally, l replied,
Perfectly well; no man knows him better
than / do; and all your stories about him
hoo 70 nd 10 adj
unmitlgated lies The man became livId
with rage, and asked for my card.
You shall have it. l said, and cOolly
taking out one, presented it to him with
out bowling. We were just then nearing
the station in London, so that | was
spared longer interview with my truth
full companion; but, if l were to live .
hundred years, should not forget the
abjcct condition into which the narrator
of my crimes was instantly plunged. His
face turned white as his cTayst, and his
lips refused to utter words. He seemed
like wilted vegetable, and az if his legs
belonged to somebody else. The ladies
became aware of the situation
at once, and, bidding them good
day, l stepped smilingly out of
the carriage. Before could get
away from the station, the man had mus
tered up strength sufficient to follow me,
and his apologies were 50 nauseous and
craven, that l pitied him from my soul.
| l left him with this caution: Before you
make charges against the character OF
any man again, about whom you know
nothing, and Of whose works you are
utterly ignorant, study to be & seeker at
ter truth, aud avoid lying as you would
eternal perdition. "