New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-13
cnARLES DLcKENS lr HOME.

CHARLES DICKENS Al HOhE'
ATTRACTIONS OF GAD'S HILL.
PERSONAL ErCoILEcTIoSs or a FAMILIAR VISITOR
SUMNER AID WINTER ENrEHtAiSNENI'-
SOME FAvoGTE Dogs
From The GcntiendHs Magazine.
, ro,r recollection, OF Dickcus-onc of the most
i,tcrostinc of mcn-will h' received with welcome;
| knew him very intimately, ana saw great ut.'I
Of him: indeed may feel sort OF pride III say mi
that he had particular hlchdShp lor me- anu
showed il IN many substantial WAYS
Nnv. 1s n, has been dead some eleven years, !
yill first Try 10 recall wat ne was i!hr. i"''S
never was man unlike professional writer.
tuIl virv energetic figure; brisk IN movement 70
head well set on; face rather bronzed or Slhnuihl
keen bright. searching eyes, and mouth "H'cil
- mi nj Eek preston though hidden behind WHY
IoouStaehc and griIllcd brard. rms tn frchch
,,,;,t.rs remark that " he WAS moro like one of the
olJ Dntch admirals we see IN toe picture galleries,
than q man of letters conveyed an admirably true
" lie had. indeed. much of the quiet, rcsolqte
manner of command Oi captain OF "a snip, no
trod along brshly he walked; rs he listened MS
searching eyes rested on |ou' ana iHc otiCli'
,,,..s n, his face quiycrrd. much those In the
,icitr,tcly formed nu-trs ot dog do. There was u
curI or tvo in mis- hair at each side winch WAS chdr
acteli,tc: and the iaunty way he wore ms lli'Ie
morning hat rather on one SIDE, added To tn' cuGcl.
Hut when there was anything dfolI suggested "a
delightful sparkle OI lurking humor hegau 20 kIhuc
and spread 30 ms mouth. 50 that, even IcIoTe nc
uttered anything, you ieIt That something l't'slsl
drolly and what il not so common. rcllshed an
"ihcr mans story 50 heartily. man OF ms great
reputation and position might have CHOSEN "hht
company he pleased. and would have been welcome
m the highest circles; INT hc never was 80 hlPPE
a., with one two intimate friends who understood
him who were In good spl ~ or IN good huh"t'
lie was always grateful, rs II were TO hear a good
thing ,t...s.
described. II j, . snug Old r,d-hrck houSc-quaml,
too--with a bcilry in TIA" root httle lawn ~
front; - cosy porch. bow windows. II was Old
fashioned and snug and yet modern ana moAcTh-
ilcd-aS the great plltc-glIss WintoWS set IN Inc
sound old bri,kwork seem 10 evidence. Nothing
was more agreeable than run down inr a lew
d4,,- or even irum Saturday till Monday, arranged
AT the Office in hearty. CHEEKY style there was
no resisting Even here, his accurate. business Ike
mo lc wuuld be shown; the hour and Tram hNrl, or
a leaf torn from his little book AMI the n"morHn-
dun written down Tor guidance. Ills daY WIS
mapped out: there was haste, but no scramble
Then came the meeting at Ch1IIng Cross StatIon,hc
hosting up IN good time. IL was plta@ani 10 note
Inc ,irrp respect of the guarl--much more than
conventional greeting 10 q iaWluar passenger ol
importance / do not recall anything more delight
mi than one OF these holidays. %.
Nearly oppositr his gate was the old " fal~,ah
Inn" So often described. Here. ~ tins charming
circle with thclpca'aut gardens ana nowcrS t9' NJ
tie OqUet-grOuud-d recent acGuIrlIni-tach ulE
went by like an hou--Can ! srr him lying on th'
grass cnioying its calm, or standing about IN ms
rcsolutc fashion and attitude. Never indeed, was
there a more apprrcIatIvc listener or one that vel
coined story more cordially. Many walk We
took along those Kent, IA lanes, IN sun ANA ~ snow.
tachcd To the housc-a recent purchase. OF which
ne was rather proud, and which he humorou,ly
styled his estate ] recall cricket match here
! 90" the Hlgham Eleven" against como other
compctitOrs-which drew attendance of villagers
| and Others. lie treated IL with grave sOlcmnty
| that was amusing, and enjoyed the proceeding
pitchcd chairs arranged. flags dying We even got
! up sort of eager enthusiasm. Our host himsrl I
oiiiciated as marker ! sec him IN his
! white jean coat and his gray hat
| set n little on side, his double glasses on,
! going cou,cicutousy through hi, work. scoring
! down "byes,' and "oycrs' and runs; at times
! ing Well run! we'll EunE Tbs he kept up the
whole day. He was rather partial 10 1t. There
were plenty of cooling drinks on the ground, a Cas,
Of beer tor the crowd and some wOndcrfl cup. Tor
| which he had some special rcceipt-as he had Ior
everything else. remembered this too seductive
drink to my cost next morning, for the day OPP
| pre- isyely hot and everyone was athGst.
| One Christmas time, when he was preparing some
| new Readings, he devised pleasant entertainment
for his ncighbors and guests in the shape of sort OF
! rehearsal or experiment with, think. a" BarboX
| Brothers" and "Mugby Junction" The snow
was very deep, and 1t not the night for distant
| journeys but all within a measurable distance y
| assembled. His house overlooking at the time
| aud numbers were blllctcd away with much in
genuity Among them was Mr.. Otway, then mem.
| Der for Chatham. Even tho dinner table had Il
| develop into side tables. but all WAS Jovia and
merry. After dinner his desk was arranged, and hC
| read but fancy he was not so pleased with Bar
| box Brothers as with his other public perform
| ances. After dinner we had small plays il
which he exhibited singular clevcrness viz. that
guessing subject fixed on when he was out of the
| ROOM in half a dozen questions. ! have often sceI
| this performed, bnt never IN 80 mastery tylc
Tor 1t is test of character and proves power o
getting ut the essence of things His selection q
subjects 10 puzzle others when their turn came wa;
| charactcrisi ic3lly ingenious. The Lantern in :
| Railway Guards Hand; " The Powder used in the
| Gunpowdcr Plot" I'VE got as far rs Guy Fawhcs
| but no further. He told that he piqncd himsrl
| on n former occasion on great triumph the dis
cOvery of regular poser: / o Boot on the oil lei
Of a Position.
| dogs There were always three or four great dog,
! prancing abOut-Linda. one was namcd-Great 81
| Bernard dogs and others. lie appreciated dogs an,
unlers God their ways aud tine nature better THAI
| anyone as we see from his writings. | rccocc
his sort of comic grief as he related his visit /,
| the we'll known Monastery OF ST. BcrnaId--Whcn, ii
answer TO his eager inquiries 10 the wing Of l
IN the snow by the dogs, the good monks had in
| formed him that, like many twO-toUtcd creatures
| they enjoyed a reputation they scarcely deserved
| and rather followed the monks than were foOwe'
| by thcm. There was little Waite fOX-nOSe,
| POmeranian belonging TO one of the Young ladies'
and which he had chrlstened by the name of tn
| landlady in " Box anu Cox" Mr.. Bouncer for I'm
like all iandadics she had diseiis Tor her lodi gers
| At one time | Offered magnificent Spanis
| maStIil.-onc of those aWc-lusplring buil-cUlnrc
creatures with great coal black snUut we some
times meet stalking with dignity through the street
This | made him present of, and IL WAS accord
ingly dispatched 10 Gads Hill, aud he was muc
pleased at the idea of receiving it. The ANNA
spent the night at our house, slnifying his prcsenc
| occasionally by long melancholy baying. | ha
suudry misgIvIngs. as these beasts of fer0cou
kind and are or were used in their own country fC
| the amiablc occupation of hunting down escape
WAS his name-thOugh affecting n surly reserve
| everyone else. was sagaclous enough To show grc3
| affection to the master OF the house. Things weT
| on very well for a time: when tavorte kitte
| admitted Ia the drawDg-room and mnch pette
| one dav uuaccountably disappeared. Search ".