The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-11-29
DEATH OF MRS. DICKENS.

The last act of domestic tragedy was
concluded in London on Saturday morn
in. By the death OF Mrs. Catherine
EloSarth Dickens. The story of her
separation from the novelist must yet be
fresh in the public recollection. Thirty
seven years ago, when Mr.. Dickens made
his first visit to this country, he was ac-
companied by his young wife, and in the
numerous reports Of his movements and
OF the attentions which he received, she
was sometimes kindly mentioned. 1t
was believed that they were extremely
happy in their domestic relations: nor
was it supposed that one who wrote so
tenderly Of domestic love could fail to
love tenderly to the end. So far as the
world knew, the novelist and his wife
continued to live contentedly together
until 1858. when scandal came. and the
separation was announced. The old
reason was assigned of incompatibility
of temper. There was 4 supplementary
story OF the oecr!uniness Of Mr. Dickens
for Miss Georgiana l!osarth, his wife 5
sister, who lived in his family. This Mr..
Dickens publicly repudated as grossly
false and scanda!ouS-as a libel upon
the latlie$ character and his own. 1t
is not at all necessary to go into any
discussion Of this matter. Mr.. Dick
ems may have lost his old love without
the influence of 4 new and unlawful one.
Il is enough that it was lost. Incom-
patiblity is sad enough without the i'm
putation Of inidclity.
Society on both sides of the ocean,
however, has made this private and
family misunderstanding the subject Of
much discussion. Mr.. Dickens himself
thought tit to print his own version of
the affair, the sum total of considerable
writing being that as he could not live
happily with his wife, and as she could
not live happily with him, it was better
they should live apart. This might be
said of any separation of q like kind;
but when husband and wife talk about
their incompatibility- word which We
are sorry 10 SPY has come into frequent
use-it by no means follows that the
whole morality of the matter has been
disposed of. 1t is the duty of those who
are married to live happily together. For
the sake of the children, Of good man
nerS. of relation the sacredness of
which must not be lightly disregarded.
marriages should not he practically an
nulled, except under the pressure Of the
gravest necessity. A man of irritable
nerves, Of peculiar tastes, of exacting
habits. of fixed notions, may find it hard
work to live with wife who frcts him.
who crosses him, who does not under
stand him, or who, perhaps, understands
him too well. But all this does not by
any means excuse the sundering Of ties
solemnly adopted in the presence of God
and the world. A conscientious and
high-minded. or even merely kind
hearted husband, will seek to make bad
better will bear and forbcar. will he
gentle and pititul, even though he may
be sorely provoked, and will sacrifice not
few of his own preferences and par
tialitics for the sake Of peace and to save
the good name of his household, But it
is unquestionably true that men Of genius
are too often selfish, and labor, under the
! hallucination that this world was created
and is carried on expressly for their
| benefit. If Mr.. Dickens was petted by
the public. and fetcd and tlattered, and
in early life met with an astonishing
| literary success. such q fortune may have
exercised a ;,amagin. effect upon his own
character. There is evidence enough.
even in the collection of his letters re-
Gently published. that he was man
difficult to please and particularly fond
of having his own way. Little traits of
his character peep out which are not
altogether lovely. lie n..y liate been 4
man of the highest honor, and his attec-
tons were undoubtedly strong; but we
suspect that no one ever lived more reSo-
lutely bent upon having his own way. or.
, we may say, his own ways, of which he
had many. lie must have been positive
about little as well Is about great things.
I Without much strength of language, he
may be set down as ecccntric-quitc as
much So, VIC think, as his friend Mr..
! Lauder, who also had domestic difficult
! ties. If we were writing Of any man
-mailcr .han .l.e .,.tl.o.' ,.f ALE iaie OF
. Two Cities, we might describe him as
/ fuSsy. He had not i little Of the par
ticularity and pertnacity which the
world, reasonably OF unreasonably. at
tributes to old maids. He speaks in his
letters very sweetly of those who served
npo4 his staif. during his raad,,ng tours,
but it may be violently suspected that
they did not have 4 good time OF it.
/ If we consider the scandal Of Mr..
Dickens married IL. from ths-e point>
of view. ii is easy to see why his home
was not a happy one. Mrs. Dickens un-
doubtedly was not a woman of genius
she was plain, honest. simple English,
woman, with her little tcEpcrs, perhaps,
and may be with other iniirmitiCS OF
El,rrnso and Unnd"rt. IS the vile oI
her husbands youth, rs the III pthcr o!
his children, she was worth caring fal
and carefully conyiliatinr If this was