Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-03-11
DICKENS.
| His.Separation from His Yyife-An Anecdote
| of Lincoln Told to Dickens by Stanton.


From the New York Heralds Review of the Third
Volume of Forster's Life of Dickens.
Mr.. Forster leads us to the time of
Dickens separation from his wife by q
delicate analysis of the novelist's char
acter, Despising society and failing to
find in his home those satisfactions
which the true home life demands, a
tone of restlessness became apparent
about 1857. If Dickens had any social
tendencies it was for those beneath
rather than those above him in life.
This is attributed to defects of temper
ament coming from early trials and sue
cesses. Mastering fortune and fame he
did not attain remuneration and self
sacrifice. Until Copperfeld was
finished his life was in his books. His
friendships were with the creatures of
his rich and marvellous fancy. Com
bined with habits of singular precision,
method and order, he had an impatience
of nature, rushing at enjoyment with
out counting it's cost. After cooper
field" his imagination seemed to fail,
to want spur. While his subsequent
works embodied creations of character
and humor as fine as in his earlier days,
-Marigold, Lirriper, Pip,-he had lost
the old free and fertile method So far
as Mr. Forster noted, "there came
from time to time intervals of unusual
Impotence and restlessness, strange to
see in connection with his home" Old
pursuits were laid aside for new occu-
pations and excitements,-po political adj
dresses, private theatricals, readings,
strolling wandering ways" craving
to find some means by which life might
become easier This craving called
from Forster the remonstrance of friend
ship, and to one of these entreaties we
find Dickens, in 1857, saying sadly, 81
have no relief but in action. [ have
become incapable of rest. I should
rust, break and die if spared myself
Much better to die doing" Other let
ters breathe strangeyearnings At one
time he wished to live in the Pyrenees
for six months. Thenhe has an idea of
Switzerland, above the snowy line, in
some astonishing convent" cam al
together in disheveled state of mind
notes of new books in the dusty air. y
"Why is it, he cries, that a sense
comes always crushing onme, as of one
happiness have missed in life and one
friend and companion [ have made p
Again the " serious idea " as winter
on the top of Mount st. Bernard, with
the monks and dogs. Another time his
fancy flies to Australia, only he will
"The old days the old days !" he
means, "shall ever, Iwonder, get the
frame of mind back as it used to be
then % 81 feel that the skeleton in
my domestic closets pretty big one. .
Then came the sorrowful avowal
hot altogether unexpected, says Mr.
Forster, but ." a great shock never
theless." "Poor Catherine" writes
Dickens-Catherine being his wife
land l are not made for each other,
and there is no help for it. 1t is not
only that she makes me uneas and I'M
happy, but that | make her so, too, and
much more so. She is exactly what
you know in the way of being amiable
and complying but we are strangely
assorted for the bond there is between
us. God knows she would have been a
thousand times happier if she had mar
ried another kind OF man, and that her
avoidance of this destiny would have
been at least equally good for us both
[ am often cut to the heart by thinking
what a pity it is, for her sake, that 1
ever fell In her way" Nothing on
earth could make her understand me or
suit us to each other. Her tempera-
ment will not go with mine" "What
is now Detailing me / have seen steadi-
ly coming since Mary was born, and
know too we'll that you cannot, and no
one can help me-" Again another let
ter g: "Ihe years have not made it
easier to bear for either of us it,; and,
for her sake as well as mine, the wish
will force itsefupon me that something
might be done" And again: Il
claim no immunity from blame. There
is plenty of fault on my side, [ dare
say, in the way of thousand uncer-
families, caprices, and difficulties of
disposition but only one thing will
alter all that, and that is, the end,
which alters everything"
This was in 1857. In 1853 Mr.. Dick
ems and his wife lived apart. "The
eldest son went with his mother, Dick
ems at once giving effect to her express
ed wish in this respect; and the other
children remained with himself, their
intercourse with Mrs. Dickens being
left entirely tothemselves." They never
met during the remainder of their lives.
She had lived with him quarter of a
century and had borne him ten chill
dren. She was the wife of his youth
and his fame. Before he died he coolly
wrote these words about her in his will:
81 desire here simply to record the
fact that my wife, since her separation
by her consent, has been in the receipt
from me of an annual income of $500,
while all the great charges of numer-
Gus and expensive family devolved
wholly on myself" The man who dis
missed his wife, and wrote these words,
was the creator Of Agnes, and the
sweet, beautiful story of love and devo-
ton which that fanciful life contained
1t is not for us to look deeply into the
hearts of men like Dickens, and Bryon,
or Shakespeare rather to take from
their lives the inspiration of genius.