Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-17
GAD's HILL AND CHARLES DICK

Mr.. Bailey, OF the DaabNry Eelos, has recently
visited Gad's Hill, the residence of Ch.rles
dickens 1t the time Of his death, and writes the
following interesting particulars OF his trip:
Inc zap was now ready, and a. once set
out for Gsd's Hill.
All the way from the city no the road IN this
place where he who took hold of human natrre
as 10 man has yet done, moved and had being
pictured . myself the home and the Surrouu 4
iDgs. No place on the footStcol OF our Hea.epiv
Father Is 50 fair as England, and this man who
so loved the beautiful in nature, and had s1ch
Keen appreciation OF human aid In its develop
ment, must have selected the 0rapiast worF-
shop. We mounted along up the nil. the driver
che NtfG mug tobacco, and swapping at ragged
sebOOi eLlIdl en- with tie whip, and with a face
screwed into an expression of laudable reyer-
snee, was stTaining my eyes for the beautiful
There were plenty of helds, soping ID the elst
sId turning bilious ia the rays OF the sun: there
were struggling hedges, broken aud de saairIug:
there were pastures, brown aud uneven: there
were beggsrs on the road, crowned with rags
protected by dirt, and oh! - helpless and fOrlorn
IN Their misery. But there no groves, no broad,
shady avenues, no vine broIdered cottages
TO white and hospitable manor houses. we
mounted further the ball; tue rain ssltter,
few drops over us, and fhe wind lms n D ana
sung dsmslly as Ii ed over. Sudden tue
uITeT paiied up IN front Of a plain, white
waved building, with the name OF Fslstl It over
the door, and pointing with his whjp across an
opposite wall. said
"Mr. Dickens lived there, sir"
IL Was the second floor OF a brick hnrSa
which lcomed over the wall There wa. n
cornice about the rCoF, which feeblv slOaei
wsfd the Wal. a cheap Gu 0o's surmoupsci
TIE ridge; low don mer windows set nslr t0a
caves; two blV windows, clumsy aud sum, wi IA
q Diadie WINDOW with Wings clmpIet> tle
front.
felt discouraged with the ges,t uovelis.,s
taste when got down ..Jm the trap. Ihunted
up the landlord OF the FalstAf-the veTitabls
Inn where the ragged cap'a n once ma-shalted
MS L, nc most, ard found him dealing deadly poison
breasts and red Checks, were on the verge OF
the grave. It ives necessary that should secure
sfaVor before could gam admission thrOus n
the gardener, TO the house. Charles Dickens,
IT. was Low the occupant, and although he was
IN London, still an entrance 10 the placa was
represented as being very difficult to obtain. 1
was told that was sure 10 fiud the gardener a,
the Falstat. He was a little man. and when
OF duty would be found there. was sure 10 find
hlin there now, as gardening was light. l
asked the lnnkeeper for the gardener, but he
was lot there. 1 then spoke OF nv Grand but
the innkeeper shook his head in a doubtful
ana encouraging way. then mentioned the
name or Spong, and his face immediately
lighted up. He said he would go with me Il the
gardener. We started mp the road, by the gate
in front of which stood carriage with q slrip.
ing in livery on the box, to whom the innkeet-
er addressed the inquiry II MIR. Chares Dickens
was at home, ard receiving an answer in the
negative, but that he was expected down the
next day with party of friends TO play cricket
we passed along to the end Of the front wall
and down lane 70 the gardeners house. A
call from the innkeeper brought the gardener
forth, also lite boy in dresses, who wanted 70
see what was mp, and the host of the Falstaff
explaining my erTsnd, left, and the gardener
took me under his wing 10 show me ab 5ut
wish to make slight depression here for
the benefit OF those OF my readers who NAV
come after me. According to representation
this gardener was a sot ana N IN who could
smusge visitors into the grounds through the
influence of the Falstaff landlord who fSd his
appetite. found him TO be a little fellow, but
intelligent and perfectly sober, and l Judged
from what l could hear, and from cloceIy OBJ
serving him, that visitor had simply to hunt
him mp quot via the Fslstaf), express his desire
and be shown over the place in an intelligent
and courteous manner. subsequently smeita
fee for the host of the inn across the way, but
not IN time TO be OF any advantage to him.
We passed into the garden by gate from the
lane, and found two huge mastiffs chained near
agreeable. We went by the front of the house
ard around TO the opposite end, where was a
conservatory. Out OF regard TO our guide I
stopped TO admire the flowers and plants OF
tccm this structure Is the room where the mas
ter of fiction died.
The gardener soon passed into It. It's
small room to contain the particulars of such a
tragedy. Its walls are covered with panelIef
paper, brown in color. 4 billiard table sits ia
The center. Ii is well not 10 give away 70 too
much grief. II is dang rous, am told. 1t was
dining room when he died. He was sitting AZ
the table To ore of these hearty dinners ne 50
much enjoyed. The gaTdener-then new in the
place-was in the conservatory tying up some
plants. There was a sudden cry and a move
ment, unusual and exciting. The gardensrleft
his desk, ran INTO the room and saw his master
prone on the floor He hastily lifted him IN
and placed him on the lounge at hand and there
he died. The ceiling of the kitchen below stIi
bears the stain OF his purgng, ard an tine
Whitewash srperstitious and industrious
houeEeeper can apply does not rub il our
1t is 10 longer a dining-rcum. It ia a billiard
room; ana over the spOt where this man fell,
ttruck in death, the excited player trends, anu
cores Thus are The Solemntie3 of death, ami
the memory OF the last struggle of the great,
perpetuated.
We passed back through the conservatory TO
the garden in the rear or the house, which ia
fOurisbing, as Dickens himself planted it Here
Is a little board in imitation OF tomb stoue an
Douncing the death, and COMMUNICATING the
virtues or DICK, raven, Whose history il re-
ccrdcd in the preface TO Barnaby Ridge
Thence TO the front of the honse, and in at the
entrance, where several grandchildren, and one
or tho2e goed-lookiug nursery maids whom
Dickens loved TO picture, were frolicinp A door
at the night as We entered led into the library of
the author. II stands to-day Just as he left IT,
The shelves, the books, the furniture Before
me only window at the font is his desk, and
Pressing the leather of its upholstery. lean
ing upon the desk, and looking ont at the trees
and shrubs, and wall beyond, Charles Dickens
cOnjured up bis pictures and transferred them
to paper. Here are the books he studied, aud
here also liz sample OF that RIGHTEOUSNESS which
contributed so largely to his success. The inside
of the door by which we entered is divided into
shelves TO correspond with those about the
walls, and the shelves generously stocked with
dummy volumes whose titles are satires on can
temporaries, and jokes upon his friends Among
these titles are "The BOOKS OF Moses & Son,U2
vols: Of We Minutes in China, I" vols; Goats
Live3,n tx vols; "WiSdom of our Ancestors
VOL; "Paxtons Boomers" Twas Shakespeare's
Father Merry? Had Shakespeare's Uncle a
Singing Face" xiii vols, etc.
In the front yard is the entrance to q tunnel
which dips under the road and comes out again
IN the opposite grounds, adjoining the Falstaff
where In summer house he did a large share
OF his later work. In passing over here the
gardener called my attention 20 the fact that
the trees and shrubs were planted in pairs. It
was hobby OF the great master of fiction TO
have two OF each kind of every plant shrub ann
bush. He probably inherited the eccentrictty
from No1h.
The gardener was devoted to the late Mr.
Dickens, and has cherished up every scrap o.
writing which passed between them. He showed
me the notes. Dickens never prefaeed the
communications with his servant with an az
cress. 1t was simply The shrubs which YIr
Maekay spoke of, Brunt, are now" etc; or,
81 shall 20 into the city tomorrow, Brunt ami
WILL" etc. don't think the gardener noticed
the abrgptness.
He called the present master of Gals Hill
governor, and always spoke reverentially OF the
Novelist as "the old gentleman" 1t 1unds
strangely 70 hear so youthful aud viyaciOus A
wIlter, whose memory will always be green
with ne, denominated "the old gentleman. He
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