The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-19
THE DICKENS CHILDREN.
THE LTFE or THE BROTHER OFTHH
hJTHOR or PICh UECK.


The Career Of ihe OiiainnI boz" In Europe
aud in Amcricn His Orphans and thetr
Possible futur, on, ~ TO Cure Tor them.
The story III relation to the children OF
CHARLES nicken-'s brother " Boz" In which they
are said to have the poorhouse of Amboy ILL.,,
starring thcm IN the face, is discredted by q
wealthy gentleman In New Yorb, who was an
intimate lrienu Of both Nr. Augustus n. DIX
ems ana lis reputcd wife. lie thinks that how-
ever straitcned In circumstances these chidreu
may be, they have friends who will interposs
between them and the pooihouse. After the
mothers death, he says, the girl Amy, who will
be II yours old In october next, was about to DO
adopted by himself and his wife, but some legal
tcchnicalities stood in the way and she found
home with her brother. Adrian Charles, VINO 10
about 10 years old. in the family OF Henry Keel
ing. II the children desire a home, this gentle.
man will yet adopt Amy and give her home In
his family. The BOY Charles Adrian, he thinks,
must be about old enough to take care Of him.
self.
The same gentleman saws that II Is not true
that tho mother Of these children committed
suicide. The real circumstances Of her death.
he says, are as follows; Mira. Dickens, az she was
called by everybody. suffered from neuralgia and
tic dououreux, aud frequently took morphine.
On the day before Christmas, 1858. her children
went to spend Christmas eve with their cousins.
Mrs. Dickens prepared o Christmas tree for their
return, and her bottle OF morphine being nearly
empty, she req1estod a ueshbor to get a new
supply for her. At about II o'clock on Christi
mas mornin. the children returned anticipating
warm greeting from their mother; but they
found the door locked ard were unable to get
into tho house. Alarmed, they informed the
ueirlhors and tho door was trOl,en open. Mrs.
Dirhens was found dead iu bed On a stand w
the bedside were two MORPHINE bOt,les-ths
newer one empty, and the other containing one
dose Of re drIR f. was inferred That In taxing
tue medicine 10 tho night she had hy mistake
eu.pued The full bottle, instead ot the one con.
tIuiuR tue single dose. into her glass.
love FOR HER CHILDREN.
Mrs. Dirkens's devotion to her chil rem for
hade ans rcaspntbl, theory o. suicide. Never
theiess a runOr cot a0roai, ana some perspns
who h id no acquaintance win Mr.. Di.kens be-
lieyrd mat she had committed suicide. Affer
Mr.. Dick mss death IN administrator was has
Wy apu9lnted, and ABOUT So " was secured for
The eldest son, Bertran,. who ia about twenty
one wears old, Was placed with "a .ut. con, .
ltienu ~ the family. but his WuyWaru disp1-i-
ton soon led him Ia abandon she ,filro, nd
a. out year ago 20 was found empinyed ~
brakeman Of a fleight trAin ON some Western
railroad. The other children went with Ar.
tr. and Nr. Augustus Dickens won tho re-
snect and affection uf their ueiIhburs IN Chica-
20. Mrs. Dickens was cultured, rehn. Il, md
amilblr and an afectiouate wife AMI mother.
Mr.. birklns was somewhat addicted 10 diinhink,
Tut Otherwise ne VS. az excellent htspud lie
msrklble talents. In one respect ne seems 10
nave resembed hi, dis ing.isal "a br Jthcr name
L.. IN his turn for humor. lie WA gloi COM
piny. snd. IKE the great novelist. W.. gwen 10
caflcatuting. lie quickly detected anything
Hroic-qu- ~ persons whom nc met. AMI his l.
ont ior cricaturiuz slcn IersOu@ .i1e ais COM
ptny much sought lie VS. volatile and way
Word. uu. he a'irnde - 4. duties - record
ans report clerk IN me land oiice e TIA" Illinois
Central Nhlroai 20 the ,fti-lacfi In 1t his en-
rl.N,rs, and kent the place by his merit until bis
death. lie was generous to e fault, giving with
Out stunt 10 every resgir WHO approached him.
At the tire king ont Of The rebellion he worked
enerpetically anu effectively I'm the district COM
mittees, getting w subscriptions anu senGing
out men to the Cmoii armies.
CIAPiFs A>p AUGUSTUS.
I, wa fact remarked by Augustus nichens's
friends that Charles Dickens never sent his
hrui her pre- cui ttion copy OF any ol his works.
them with interest, and showed considerable
ability and great fairness la ciiticisin2 them in
conversation with ms lilends. lie awa,s SPOKE
Of Cherries Ia terms Of respect, anu seemed proud
Of his distinguished brothers fame. lie Willingly
admitted the faults in his brothers books, but
whenever one oil his friends vcntufed to rate
lhackeray above the author 81 Iickwick, AL
gustus pluckiiy stood by his brother.
Augustus Dickens was engdgg q lathe business
Of suupiying wines aud other Injuries. rs such
supplies were called, for the army IN the ri nea
previous to his departure from England. lhs
anruut termination u the war with Russia left
him with IA large stock Of these supplies ON ms
disposed Of; tut his creditors hnd so much
fith IN hiI that they sent him to the Crmea to
close up his aifaiis for them. On hi- return to
England no determined 20 90 t. America. and
having taken the " f,riuing fever III bought n
farm near Amboy H., aud aoou. the same tune.
or soon afterN ard, he o. ene1 "A store in
Amboy. Although he was liked ANA re .prcte1, he
failed IN both his f.rnins and nj bookkeeping.
aud then III 'hffd Golden srcufe1 Tor nm
place IN the railroad cOmpany's office. lie di-d
~ pulmonary dis SO arout sc r previous to
the death OF Mrs. Dickens.