The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-22
GErom the Londoa Yimes.l


plvino 10 the world the true story oi MS lie.
Mr. Forster was on the mcst Intimate terms
with The great novel st from the spf!S vi
1897 10 the day of Dicks mss death N june
1870. They were men Of about the same aye,
and to no one, probably, did DICKENS cUiuue
70 much Of his inmost nature as w tne nrd at
companion. who now gives us 'i's fe'ofU u
The story Of that career is one OF the deep
est interest To the outer World, Dichsls 10
seen only in the light Of an unparalleled sue
cess; but those who knew hm oetlel tnsn u 'nn ati
that sunshine was che eckered by many ana
deem shadows. Dickens suffered more tnan
ordinary men. and the pathetic part OF HIS
writings was the richer for the khoWieuSe
thus acquired. Doubtless his enjoyment, 100,
was intense; yet, on looking PACK over ,rh, ms
whole lie. 1t Is difficult to resist the thouShI
that it was rather a sad Than happy one.
There was middle period In Dickenss career
when he certainly appears 10 nave eDyo!to
life 10 the flnger-tips, with vlvid anu 'lu-
Cling sense of pleasure, very delightful 10 re-
call. But his childhood was painful, anu his
waning years were overshadoWeo'
THE CLOUD.
ssHe was very little and very siekly boy"
says Mr.. Forster. "He was snnJecL 70 a,taChs
active eX-rtion. He was never good ltlle
cricket player He was never hrst-rae
hand al marbles, or ppg-top, or PRISONERS >
base.n This was at Chat ham. AlerWaru'
when the elder Dickens removed 10 Loiluon,
this small, slckly chiid-then about ten years
old-had q series Of experiences very unhsnai
with the children OF middle.class parents. p'lt
which. while they gave him the most exqui-
siie main at the time. and To great extent
threw cloud over tile whole OF MS sUpSe-
Quent existence, were undouoIeuly ihe svutce
Of his marvellous knowledge VI human ualure,
sts,.t rpytfh
wretchedpess 1t need be no secret now, lot
the fact will do his memory no disservlcp, lhii
the childhood of Charles Dickens was passed
in almost abject poverty.
His father. Mr.. John Dickens, fell into money
dfficulties, and was confined in the Mafsial-
sea prison, aflerward so vlsiaiy uescf,uru "nn ~,
WIittle DoIri,." Every small sum oi money
that could be earned by any member oi lhe
family became OF vital Importance; so The boy
Charles, at about ten years OF aSe--Lha, - "
say, some time In the year l822-Was p'aCeu
in backing warehouse, belonging 10 d us
tant connection of the family named Lameri,
which es, abshment was opened as llVal ~
the famous blacking shop Of Warren, In the
Strand.
Iamer;,s honse was at Old Hungerlord-
stairs and it is tu be found exactly described
in "Dayid Copperted." What many suspect
ed before Is now specifically revealed. me
life of the boy Davi1 Copperheid Is Inc ne o.
the boy Charles Dickens. The ininre mover ST
entered the warehouse of James Lamert IN The
most mental capacity, at q salary Oh SIX OF
seven sbillings q week. His work Was 10
cover the pots of paste black .ng, hls WIN oil
paper and then with blue paper. 10 lie 'heln
round with string, 10 clip the paper Close anu
neat, and to paste on printed laoei. ln Tue
discharge of these duties his companions were
boys of humble birth and uncultnred manners,
and Young Dickens, remembering his happier
chiIihood at Chatham. longing for eGuca'lon
and start in lite, aud fearing that. II his
present employment continued, nc Wou9
sink into the mere dregs OF soc ely, suffered
o degree OF anguish, the memory ol %.'c,! nv
could never shake of at the very height ol MS
prosperity.
STRUCK DUMB WITH HORROR.
In a fragment of autobiography, Whlch
Dickeus wrote in lS47, he said:
.sFrom that hour until this. al which write.
no word of that part OF my chhunood, winch
have now gladly brought TO close, has pass
I'd INV lips 10 any human being. nave no
Aea how long 1t lasted; whether for q year, or
much more, or less. From that hour .llll
This nv father and INV mother nave Deen
stricken dumb upon it. / have never heard
the least allusoa TO 1t. however far of and re-
mole. from either of them. have never un-
lii now impart ii TO this paper, IN any onrst
OF confidence with any one, my own VIE not
excepted. raised the curtain then dropped,
thank God ~
Many portions of this unfinished autobo
araphy were introduced, almost word for
word. two years later into "David Copper
feld.n and the manuscript has now been
largely drawn upon by Mr.. Forster.
HOW THE SECRET WAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
That gentleman thus relates the way Ia
which the revelation was drst made 10 him:
The Incidents to be told now Would prop,
ably never have been known 10 me, OF lndeed
anV of the occurrences Of his childhood and
youth, but lor the accident Of question
which / put To him one day In the March or
April of lS47. asked him If he remembered
ever having seen in his bOyhood our friend
the elder Sir. Dixie, his fathers acquaintance
and contemporary, who had been Il clerk IN
The same office IN Somerset mouse 10 Which
Mr. John Dickens beonged. Yes, he said, he
recollected seeing him at house in Gerard
street. where his uncle Barrow lodged dnrng
an illness. and Mr.. bike had visited him.
h Never at any other time. Upon which lold
J him that some one else had been intended III
the mention made to me, for that The refer
ence implied not merely his being met acu-
dentally, but his having had some juvenile
employment in warehouse near the Strand;
at which place Mr.. Dixie. being With the elder
Dickens one day, had noticed hIm, and recelv-
ed, in return for the gilt Of hall crown, q
yerylow bow. He was silent for several min-
i
O painful Place in his memory; aud u MI
Nike I never spoke of the subject again. il
was not, however, then, but some weeks later,
that Dickens made further allusion 10 my thns
having struck unconsciously upon time oil
which he never could lose the remembrance
while he remembered anything, and the rtcol-
lectio1 of which, at intervals, haunted him
and made him miserable, even TO that hour.
DICKENs'S SECRET :ONY OF SOUL.
Every shortly afierwari, learnt In all their
detail the incidents that had been so par-
fll 10 him; and what then was said TO me
or written respecting them revealed the story
ot his boyhood- The idea of David Copper
field which wds 10 take all the world inlo his
confidence, had not at this time occurred 10
him: but what it had so startled me 10 know,
his readers were aiterward iold with ohly
such change or addition as for the time III ghl
sutlicieLSly Disguise himself under cover OF
his hero. For The poor little lad, with good
ability and most sensitive nature. turned at
the age of ten into tailoring hind In the SER
vice OF 'MurdstUne and Grimby,' aud conscious
already of what made 1t seem very strange 10
him that he could s, easily have been thrown
away a. such an aye, was indee,; hlmseu.
His was the secret agony of soul at hn'inS
himself companion to Mick Walker and Meay
Potatoes and his tears that mingled with the
water in which he AMI they riDSed and wash
cd ous bottles 1t had all been written rs
fact. before he thought of any ether use fer il;
.r,3 1uoc NOT mill several months laipr