Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-09-09
4 New AnccdOte of Dickens.
Nov the great Novelist COnfrOnts
GuC OfNis SIanderers.
From Fields Whispering Gallery, in the
Sept. Atlantic,

From Fields Whispering Gallery, in the
Sept. Atlantic,
Let me commend to the attention
Of my numerous and namClcss cor
respondents, who have attempted to
soil the moral character Of Dickens,
the following little incident related
to me by himself during summer
evening walk among the Kentish
meadows, a few months before he
died. | will try to tell the story, if
possible, as simply and naturally as
he told it to me:
II Glanced to be travelling, some
years ago." lie said, 'in a railroad
carriage between Liverpool and Lon
don. Besides myself, there were two
ladies with a gentleman occupying
the carriage. We happened to be
all strangers to each other, but | no
ticed at once that a clergyman was
Of the party, | was occupied with a
pondcrous articlc in the Times, when
The sound Of my own name drew my
attention to the fact that a CONVERSE
ton was going forward among the
three other persons in the carriage
with reference to myself and books.
One Of the ladies was pcrusing
Bleak House., then lately published,
and the clergyman had commenced
u conversation with the ladies by
asking what books they were read
ing. 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 writing Of so
yilca 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 pleas
ure. 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 attack
ed the authors private character
and told monsrous stories of his
immoralities in every direction, the
volume was shut up, and confined to
the dark pockets Ola travelling bag,
listened in wonder and astonish-
mont, behind my newspaper to sto-
rics of myself which, if they had
been true, would have consigned auy
man to q prison for life. After my
fictitious hiographcr had occupied
himself for nearly an hour with the
eloquent recital Of my delinqucncics
and crimes, | very quietly Joined in
the conversation. Ofcourse | began
by modestly doubling some state
ments which had just heard touch
ING the author of"Blcak House and
other uuimportant works Ola similar
character. The man stared at me,
and evidently considered my appear
ance on the conversational stage an
intrusion and an impertironce.
"Nou seem TO speak, ! said, "irom
personal knowledge Of Mr.. Dickens
Are YOU acquainted with him.
Gle rather cvaded the question
but, following him up closely, | com
pclled him to say that he had been
talking not from his own knowledge
Of the author in question; but he
said he knew for certainty that oy
crv statement he made was a true
one. Ithcn became more earnest II
my enquiries for proofs, which he ar
rogautly declined giving. The Iadie
sat by in silence, listening intent!
TO what was going forward. An au
thor they had been accustomed t(
read foramuscment had been traduc
ed in their hearing, and they wer,
waiting to learn what | had to sa!
in rcfutation ofthc clergyman's char
ges. was taking up his stories, on,
by one, and stamping them as falls
in every particular, when the mai
grew furious, and asked if | kncy
Dickens personally. ! replied, Per
fectly well no man knows him bet
ter than ! do; and all your storic
about him from beginning to enc
TO these ladies, arc unmitigated lies
The man became livld with rage, an,
asked for my card. You shall hay
it, said, and dcooliy taking out one,
presented it to him without bowins
We were just then nearing the STA
ton in London, so that was spare
a longer interview with my truthft
companion; but, if / were to live
hundred years, | should not iorgl
the abiect condition into which tn
narrator of my crimes was Instant
plunged. His face turned white q
his cravat, and his lips refused to III
ter words. lie seemed like u willie
vegetable, and as if his legs belonge
to somebody else. The ladies bC
came aware of the situation at ono
and, bidding them good day, "stel
ped smilingly out of the carriag,
Before | could get away from IL
station, the man had mustered Il
strength sufficient to follow me, an
his apologies were so nauseous an
craven, that | pitied him from m
} soul. l left him with this caution
Before you make charges again
the character of any man again, abol
whom you know nothing, and
whose works you are utterly igno
ant, study to be seeker after trut
, and avoid lying as you would etc
, nal pcrdition."