New-York tribune., 1874-03-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
-. ,rr or nICKENs. Won. mn

le a
nos and places both the subject of the memoir and
- I;,cranher in a more engaging light There IS
-, % Forster and more of Dickens, which rs de-
;aod cain TO the reader. Indeed, the author vrtu-
.nv admits that he has made himself too prominent
in the scene and even offers apology for the IN
discretion. Ii was his purpose, he informs us 10
mako Dickens the sole central figure III the nara
tive of his life tell the story as tar as possible IN
his own words, and with tins view, the letters adj
dressed 10 ohmsef during period of three and thirty
vears afforded the most appropriate material. No
other letters could have had the same interest and
accordingly no other letters were used. "Of the
charge Of obtruding myself" says Mr. Forster, " to
which their publication has exposed me, can only
sav that studied nothing 80 hard TO suppress my
own personality and have TO regret my i'll success
where supposed had even too perfectly succeeded
But we have all of frequent occasion 10 say paro-
diving Mrs. PcaChcms remark, that we are bitter
bad iudces Of ourselves Mr.. ForsteT's eXplana-
tion is certainly frank and ingenious, and its sim
oerity is attestod by the fruits of repentance that
arc visible throughout the volume. II is, indeed,
an imperfect biography of the great novel
list copious in the description of incidents, it is
frugal in revelations Of the man IT presents but
slender clue 10 the inner nature Of Dickens there
is often an air of caution and retcence, as il there
was something to couceal; and in the relation of
events many Of a trivial and msuggestye character
have been selected, rather than those which are
significant Of personal qualities and which may he
regarded as symbols no less than as facts large
space is devoted TO the criticism of Mr. Dickenss
writings as well as the history of their production
but there is little novelty in the discussion; ana
most readers VIII find it both superiluous and weaI
some.
Mr. Forster dwolls at considerable length on the
introduction Of Leigh Hunt in Bleak House III
the character Of Skmpoc. The fact is candIdly
admitted but the remarks in explanation afford no
manner Of excuse. Dickens was On terms OF cordial
NOT 70 say afectionatc, intimacy with Leigh Hunt.
lie was familiar with the foiblcs of the light
hearted. sell-compacent impccunious, sunshiny old
poet But his use of them point his satire was an
oneuee against good manners which was heightened
rather than excused by the piQuancy OF the carlca-
ture Mr. Forster suggests that the error was one
of thoughtlessness, not of nkiudness But even
he Is forced 20 acknowledge that there was radical
wrong in blending the airy, sparkling talk OF a
friend with the odious qualities of Skimpole; and
Mr. Dickens's attempt to set himself right with
Leigh Hunt which is here quoted, is the sballovest
kind of sOphIstry.
The author seldom neslects an opportunity Of
illustrating Mr Dickenss love of rdiculinC AmcIi-
cans. and among others gives instance described
by him Of the behavior of a party Of four monde
scripts Of that race at the opera in Rome The
dote Is amusing, though it is pure invention. If
jndged by the language that is put into the mouths
of the barbaIans which is no more American than
ii is japanese. "All the seats are numbered arm
chairs aud you buy your number at the pay-place
and 40 10 il with the easiest direction the ticket
itself We were early, and the four places of the
Americans were on the next row behind us-all to-
geihcr After looking about them for some
time. and seeing the greater part of tho
a q. III.
wait in a cafe which is part of the theater,
one Of them said, 'Wasl l dunno-I expect
we amt no call to set go nigh to one another neither
will you scatter Kernel, win you scatter sir p
I'pon this the Kernel scattered some twenty
benches off; and they distributed themselves for
earthly reason apparently but to get nd of one
another all over the pit. AS soon as the overture
began in came the audience in mass. Then the
people who had GOT the numbers into which they
had scattered had TO get them ont and they
understood nothing that was said TO them aud could
make no replylbut 'A-merican' you may imagine
the number Of cooked hats il took to dislodge them
Al last they were all got back into their right places
except one. About an hour afterward when Moses
iMOses in Egypt the opera was invoking the dark
ness and there was dead silence all the house.
unwonted sounds of disturbance broke out from
distant corner of the pit ana here and there beard
got up 10 look What is il meow sirP sald one of
the Americans to anOther;-' some person to
be getting along, again streeem' WAL SIR he re-
piled 4 dunno But l xpect tits the Kernel sir, a
holdin on! SO it was. The Kernel was ignomini-
ousy escorted back to his right place. not in the
least disconnected, and III perfectly good spirits and
temper"
long visit of Mr.. Dickens in Paris IN 1856
forms the subject of an agreeable episode, which
may be considered one Of the most attractive por-
tions of the volume. He found himself quite at
home in French society. His time passed among
artists and in the exercise of his own art His
associates were writers, painters actors, musi-
clans and when he wanted recreation from his work
he found at the theater Since his last residence in
Pans. his name had become better known and he
was received with many hatteriug attentions. lie
was now i'm fact. a decided celebrity. "Chuzzlewit'
was translated in the daily feuilleton. He received
proposals for the translation Of his collected novels
and tales into French. Before he had been a week
in his new abode AIRY Schefier, " frank and noble
fellow as be calls him. had made his acquaintance,
introduced him to several distin guished Frenchmen,
and expressed the wish 20 paint him. He also
surrounded by many of his English friends who had
come over for the Art Exposition. Wilkie Collins
Edwin Laudseer, Charles Leslie and Thackeray
were often with him. Macready left his retreat in
tie country 10 make him visit of several days. At
Pans for the time was the home of Robert LyttOn
of the BrowniDgs, the SartoIises and others whom
he cared for He was frequently entertained at the
Scribes, of whose belongings he gives "very hand
some and pleasant" accOunt-a charming place in
Paris, ue estate in the country, capital carriage,
handsome pair of horses. all made" as he says,
"by his pen" Ore of the guests the first evening
was Auber stOld little elderly man, rather pet
ulant in manner" who told Dickens he had once