The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-09-21
A Story of Charles Dickens.
BY J. T. FIELDS.

Il chanced to be travelling some years
ago." he said, " in railroad carriage
between Liverpool and London. Beside
myself there were two ladies and gem
tleman occupying the carriage. We
happened to be all strangers to each
other, but noticed at once that clergy
man was of the party. l was occupied
with a ponderous article in the Times,
when the sound of my own name drew
my attention to the fact that o CONVEX
sation 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 clergy
man had commenced o conversation
with the ladies by asking what book
they were reading. On being told the
authors name and the title of the book,
he expressed himself greatly grieved
that any lady in England should be
willing TO take up tho 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 as 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 mon
strous stories of his immoralities in every
direction, the volume was shut up and
consigned to the dark pockets of trav-
cling bag. / listened in wonder and
astonishment, behind my newspaper, to
stories of myself, which if they had been
true would have consigned any man to
prison for life After my fictitious
biographer had occupied Himself for
nearly an hour with the eloquent recital
OF my delinquencies and crimes, very
quietly joined in the conversation. OF
course l began by modestly doubling
some statements which had just heard,
touching the author OF Bleak House,
and other unimportant works of q simi-
lar character. The man stared at me,
and evidently considered my appearance
on the conversational stage an intrusion
and an impertinence. You seem to
speak, said, from personal knowledge
OF Mr.. Dickens. Are you acquainted
with hirn?' He rather evaded the ques-
ton, hut, following him up closely, l
compelled him to say that he had been
talking, net from his own knowledge Of
the author in question; but he said he
knew for certainty that every state
ment he had made was true one.
then became more earnest in my in
quiries for proofs, which he arrogantly
declined giving. The ladies sat by in
silence listening intently to what was
going forward. An author they had
been accustomed to read for amusement
had been traduced for the first time ii
their hearing, and they were waiting
to learn what had to say in refutatior
of the clergyman's charges. l was taking
up his vile stories one by one and stamp,
ing them as false in every particular
when the man grew furious, and asked
meif knew Dickens personally. re-
piled, Perfectly we'll; no man know.
him better than do; and all youl
stories about him from beginning to end
to these ladies, are unmitigated lies.
The man became livid with rage, and ask
ed for my card. you shall have it, sale
coolly, and taking out one, presented
it to him without bowling. We were
just then nearing the station in London
so that / was spared longer interview
with my truthful companion; but, if
were to live hundred years, should
not forget the abject condition int;
which the narrator of my crimes was in
stantly plunged. His face turned whit,
as his cravat, and his lips refused *
utter words. He seemed like wilteC
vegetable, and as if his legs belonged t.
somebody else. The ladies became awar'
OF the situation at once, and bidding
them good day. I stepped smilingly
out of the carriage. Before could ge'
away from the station the man hat
mustered up strength sufficient to follow
me, and his apologies were 80 nauseou
and craven, that pitied him from my
soul. 1 lett him with this caution, : Be
fore you make charges against the char
acter of any man again, about whom
you know nothing, and of whose work
you are utterly ignorant. study to be /,
seeker after Truth, and avoid Lying a
you would eternal perdition.'"