Smyrna times., 1874-03-04
ms ella 10 e o as.
Was Dickens Insane2-- Marriage and
Men of Genius.


An ingenious and graceful critic, comment
ing upon the story of the separation of Dick
ems from his wife, which is now a social theme
OF absorbing Importance, advances one or two
theories that deserve consideration. This
writer, in replying to some Of the views sx.
pressed by the Herald, says S." Charity con-
strains US to put different Interpretation upon
the great nOvelist's action. We cannot lcok
upon 1t as q wanton freak of nature made
giddy with the fumes Of fattery and seeking
the communion of Q more congenal soul.
The writer advances his belief that Dickens
was not perfectly sane man that . his
temper became S0ured aud bis brain affected by |
two causes, bodily ailments and overtasked men.
tai sneI gsS, He was Hrunted Man aud his
spectrs was the Spirit of Unrest" After al |
ludIDg to the physical ailments which distress |
sed Dickens, this critic argues that the "un-
conRenial traits that Dickens fancied he dis |
covered In Mrs. Dickens character were but |
the reflection of his own clouded vision, and
In casting her aside he was unconsciously re- |
peating the part of David Coppsrfeld, who, |
In putting of the love that Agnes bore him,
was blind and knew not what he did.
The reserve with which Mr.. Forster treats
the domestic relations Of Dickens leaves the
held open to every variety of specuations.
We presume that the whole question will pass
into literary history as cause ceie6re, to be-
come the topic of endless treatiSes and discus
sions, like the Mau in tho Iron Mask, the in
sanity of Burke, the authorship Of Junius,
the reasons for the separation of Byron from
his wife, the true relation between Swift and
, Stella, Addlson's peace Of mind after his mar
riage with a confess, and the cause of Shakes
pcare's leaving his wife his second best bed
, We have a whole literature of the calamites
Of authors, going back to the time of Socrates
and Job. Dickens only adds a new chapter to
It, new and deeply interesting to US because of
his Wonderful noraOnalifv Authors of ranown
have LETT their wives without exciting much
interest in the world. Bulwer is a famous ex-
k ample, especially as Lady Bulwer wrote novels
about her husband satirizing him. But Bul
wsr held no such personal influence over the
people as to make his domestic experience at
all a matter of common interest Nor did he,
like Dickens, call upon mankind to Judge be-
tween him and his wife, and cruelty stamp
upon her his will. These are reasons which
make the case of Dickens peculiarly interesting
to us as a social question, and it would be an
immense relief to be able to accept as an ex-
cuss that given by our critic-namsly, that
| Dickens was insane.
The plea Of insanity, like the famous plea of
an alibi, which the elder Weller regarded as
an unfailing legal expsdient, is nearly always
advanced in cases like this. When a man of
genius inspires the love bestowed upon Dick
ems by millions it is hard to form another opin-
ion. We have heard OF a critis who is in the
habit Of avowing with amusing gravity the
to general proposition that all men are insane
more or less that genius and crime and vir-
tue are only so many forms of insanity. Buckle
to startled many readers when he attributed the
extravagance and singer Of burke in his latter
days, and especially concerning the French
Revolution, to insanity occasioned by domestic
to misfortune. In fact, We might pursue this
plea so far, and into ths lives of so many men
:. Of genius not only in letters, but in statesman
ship. war, art, mechanics, that it would loss
'0' its effect. Bacon's acceptance of bribes, Dry
denis change OF religion, Swift's behavior tC
to Stella and Vanessa, JOhnson's edd custom;
and beliefs about ghosts and wings and Scotch
men; ROusseaus treatment OF his children
Voltairs' quarrel with Frederick, Mirabeau
book on his Embassy to Berlin, Frederick tn,
ley Greats Invasion Of Silesia, NapoleOn's inva
sion of Russia. Peter the Greats daily life ant
q conversation, Shslley's baseness towards hi
FIRST wife, Byron's behavior on twenty occa
on >ions during his career, Moores earlier poems
Walter Scots business ambitions, which let
to his ruin Landor's sad misadventure il
In Bath-all OF these may be attributed to in
and sanity with as much reason and with as man
serious arguments gathered from the phenom
sna of life as the relations of Dickens with hi
Wife II we bring ourselves to the question
what divides madness from insanity we fin
it quite impossible to answer, or, at least,
answer in such a way that we can admit tn
plea as an extenuation Tor the admitted selfish
nsss Of Dickens, and indeed for any manifesto
OsO' tion of sclfshness on the part Of mankind.
and There is another question about which muc
has been spoken and written, and great de;
more thought-namely, rs the literary cha
acter suited to the domestic sphere2" Hi
to tory is 6lled with so many ruins of the hearth
ncy. aud homes of literary men that prudent fathe
'sn si would do well to give their daughters to me
who, like Jack Csde could neither read M
write, and held scholarship to be an abomin
ton and sin. Is it not possible that literstu
is a mistress so jealous that she will not rsspe
the bond Of the altarp Does not the dream
hens ing fancful writer fashion an ideal mistress
ethereal and perfect, such " a phantom OF d
light" as Wordsworth says, that the most a
mirabla wife in the world would become di
appointment Why do we see marriages Ill
70. 70 those of Gothic and Scott and johnson al
Burns-convenient enough in board and lod
ing, but imperfect and unsatisfactory Nj
il not be that marriage in these case came fro
lie" impulse and not debsration2 Certainly,
far as temperament and appreciation co. the
great men were as lily mated as Dickens. L
1. =. difference is that what they accepted as
bond aud the most sacred bond that can ex
between two Of Gods creatures, they lega
regarded as duty, and obeysd to the end
burdensome marriage is weary loa
That man and woman are to be pitied who 9
one in this union and in whose hearts love q
confidence have no home. But let US on
rest q new philosophy or religion upon q
Per- sentiment of natural pity, some of our 10
ish people do, aud admit that marriage
neither sacrament nor an ordinance of Co
Scripture, nor even bond before the Ia
ike q mortgage or bail piecs,-let US OF
concede that because Byron tried of his wit
mathematics and primness and preferred Gu
h. to cioli; that because Dickens found bis Cat
rine :" aniable and complying" but stu
Boss and ungenial, therefore they could dism
them--and we have chaos and license VIII
as TO we should have virtue and protection and 10
flIs. If we pity the men of genius who wake
even from msrried life 10 End themselves wedd
Ton. not matod-lst us pity still more the won