The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-03-23

come over and get Amy and me. We
have no friends-no place to live. l
never saw relation in my life. Amy
and talk it over sometimes, and were
going to England when we get, big I'm
going to take Amy"
"What do you do here, Charley " |
asked, standing up to 60.
"Well, | fix the wood, make the fire,
and Amy washes the dishes and works.
We take care of Mrs. Keeling" and
Charley drew himself up manfully.
Mrs. Keeling informed me before 60
ing that she had known Mrs. Dickens,
that the latter had died broken-hearted
also that she took the children to keep
them out of the poorhouse, but she did
not know how long she should be able to
maintain them.
In Amboy met a gentlemen who
agreed to write me letter, giving all the
facts he could find out about Charles
Dickens's brother, and the orphaned
children. To-day received the follow
ing letter from him.
"DEAR SIR: I have obtained the fol-
lowing facts: Augustus N. Dickens is the
name of Mr.. Charles DiCkens's dead
brother. He eloped with a school girl
by the name of Phillips, his wife being
perfectly blind at the time. Mr., Dickens
had no children by his wife. Miss Phil
lips had at the time brother in the
British Treasury, and was of respectable
family. She was a cultivated lady espe-
cially proficient in music.
Richard Golden secured Augustus N,
Dickens position in the Land Depart
ment of the Illinois Central Railroad at
81 200 per year in Chicago, by the re-
quest of Charles Dickens. Augusts N,
Dickens died in Chicago while Charles
was in England, and the latter took care
of the widow up to the time Of his own
death. He also sent money to his broth
er here several times. Augustus was
buried in Chicago. He came to this
country on account of the elopement
He ran away in debt and was some-
what dissipated while here. | do not
think that Miss Phillips knew of his hav-
ing wife when they levanted The
knowledge of her position finally preyed
so hard upon her mind that she commit
ted suicide by taking poison.
Augustus N. Dickens was first named
"Boz." long before Charles began to write,
and the latter borrowed the nicl name of
Augustus when he assumed it as his nom
de plume,
Augustus was man of some literary
talent. He had leCtured in Chicago, and
had advertised a lecture in Amboy on
Shakespear. He had handbills printed
and signed himself "Boz," but Charles
Dickens, who had lately been in this
country, and had commented uniavora
bly on American life and society, had
made the Dickens family so unpopular
that not single person attended the lec-
ture. However, the want ofappreciatior
ofsuch a subject by a Western audience
at that time might have had dsomething to
do about the attendance.
You see that there is nothing which
shows lack of affection in his dis
tinguished brother, and that ifhe did not
want to hunt him up here, it was on ac-
count of his conduct to an estimable
wife. Very truly yours,
AMBoY, ILL.,, March 10.
Does it not seem as if something
ought to be done for these children =?
why cannot some childess millionaire
educate them or at least keep the dan
ger Of the poorhouse from them for the
sake of the name they bear?
ELI PERKINS.