National Republican., 1873-11-15
wAsHIsaroS. d. O.. Aug 10. ts.a.
ANgrDorE or Cm,nLRs DICKENS.

How lie shook Care to Piece. In n Rail.
rend Car.
The following anccdotc OF Dickens, as ro-
lated by himself, contains moral that pco-
pie who arc addicted to slandcr might study
with great profit, and 10 such we advise q
careful reading.
CHANGED to he travelling some years ago,
said he In q railroad carriage between Liver
pool ard London. Bcsidcs myself thure were
two ladies aud gentleman occupying the
carriage. We happeuod to be all strangers
to each other, but ! noticed ut once that a
clergyman was OF the party. l was occupied
with a ponderous article In the Times, when
the sound OF my name drew my attention to
the fact that q conversation was going for
ward among tho three other persons In tho
carriage with reference to myself and my
books. One of tho ladies was pcrusing
'Dleak House." then lately published, and
tho clergyman had commenced u conversa-
tiUn with tie ladies by asking what book
they were reading. On being told the au-
thOr's name and the title OF the book he OK
pressed himself greatly griovcd that any lady
In England should be willing to take up tho
writings Of 50 vile character as Charles
Dickens. The ladies showed great surprise
ut the low estimate the clergyman put upon
au author wh6mtlicy had been accustomed to
read, to say the least, with q 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 tho authors private character, and
told monstrous stories OF his immoralitics In
every direction, the volume was shat up and
consigned TO the dark pockets Of travelling
bag. ] listened In wonder and astoGishnent
behind my newspaper TO stories about my
self which, had they been true, would have
Unsigned my man to prison for life. After
my fictitious blogrnphcr had occupied him
sclf for nearly an hour with an eloquent re-
cital of my deinqucncics and crimes, very
quietly Joined In the conversation. OF
course began by modestly doubling som0
statements which l had Just heard touching
the author OF Bleak House" and other i'm
portant works Of u similar character. The
man stared at me, and evidently considered
my appearance on the conversational stage
an Intrusion and an impertlncncc. you
seem 20 speak,. l said, from personal
knowledge of Mr.. Dickens. Arc you nc.
luainted with hlmi" lie rather evadcd
the question; but following him up closely,
compelled him to say that chad been talking
not from his own knowledge Of the aulhor
in question, but he said hU knew for a cer-
tainty that 0yery statement ho mudo was
truo one. ] then became earnest In
my inquiries for proofs, which he arrogantly
declined giving. Tho ladies sat by IN silence,
listening intcntly tu what was going forward.
An author they had been accustomed to read
for amusement had been traduced for the
first time IN their hearing, and they were
waiting to hear what had to say In refuta-
ton Of the clcrgyman's charges. was tax
Ing up his vile stories ono by one, aud stamp
ing them as falsc In every particular, when
the man grew furious, aud asked mo II |
knew Dickens personally. l replied: per.
fcctly well; no nun knows him better than
do, aud all your storleJ about him, from be-
ginning 10 end, 10 those ladies are unmtl-
gated lies" The man became liyid with rage,
and asked for my card. "You shall have
IT," said coolly, and, taking out one, pre-
sented Tito him without bowing. We were
Just then nearing the station In London.
so that was spared q longer interview with
my truthful companion, but II were to live
q hundred years ! could not forget the abject
condition Into which tho narrator Of my
crimes was plugged. His face turned rs
white as his crayat, and his lips refused Ia
utter words. He seemed like awhite vcgcta.
bic, and Us II his legs belonged to somebody
else. The ladies became aware Of the situa-
tion at once, and bidding. them ''good-by"
stepped smllingly out Of the carriage. Be.
fore | could get away from the station the
man had mustered up strength sufficient to
follow me, and his apologies were so nau.
scous and craven that piled him from my
soul. ! left him with tho caution, "BeforI
you make any charges against the character
of any man again, about whom you know
nothing, and OF whose works you are utterly
ignorant, study to DO o seeker after truth
and avoid lying as you would eternal perdi
tiouh