Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-08-28
How Dickens Dictated.

You were an amanucnsis fCharlcs Dick
ems, We're you not? ?"
"lcs; | did shorthand work for Mr.. Dick
ems for eighteen months did not take die
tations for amy of his novels, only his filgi-
tive pieces. He dictated to me most of his
articles in All The Year Hound. He was a
very clever gentleman to those under him.
He always treated me very well indeed.
Most people seem to think Dickens was O
ready writer. This is by nomeans the case.
He used to come. into his office in st. Catha-
rne street aboutS o'clock in the morning
and begin debating. He would walk up and
down the floor several times after debating
sentence or paragraph, and ask me TO
read il. would do SO, and he would in nine
cases out OF ten: order me to strike out GER
tain words and insert others. He was gen
orally tired out by II o'clock ,and went down
to his club on the Strand A very singular
thing was that he never dictated the closing
paragraphs of his story. He always finished
it himself. | used to look in the paper for it
and find that he had changed it verv great
ly from what he dictated to me.
Dickens had very odd habit of combinr
his hair. He would comb it hundred
times in day. He seemed never to tire of
it. The first thing he did on coming into
the office was to comb his hair. IhaVe seen
him dictate sentence or two, ard then be.
gin comblng. When he got through he
! dictated another sentence. He was very
careful about his writings He wanted
| every sentence to be as perfect as possible
before. letting it go to press dickens
was All odd fellow regarding the company
he sought. l have known him, while / was
employed by him, to go down to The Seven
Dia!s, about the worst place in London, and
sleep and eat there. He roasted his herring
where the rest did, and slept with the
poorest. He loved low society He never
seemed so happy as when seated in poor
cotlrc-honse with crowd of the lower
classes talking around him. He never
missed Il word that was said, and was the
closest observer lever saw. Nothing escaped
him. The most minute mannerisms were
noted aud stored away. When was work
ing for him he was at the zenith of his
fame. just before his death; and even then
he loved these careless, rollicking rounds
among the poor better than hightoned
dinner
WAS he as great drinker as he has the
reputation Of being?"
Il never saw him drunk myself have
| sceii him several times eXhiarated, however.
He only drank the best wine, but he drank
that very freely. Sherry was his especial ia.
vorite, and he never refused glass of fine
old sherry. He was an Unsuitable cigarette
smoker, and when debating to me always
had Il cigarette in his mouth. He was q
very spruce man, too. He brushed his coat
frequently, and changed his collars several
times in day. Hc was every bit as hum
orous in hisspeech as in his writings. When
he was in particularly fine humor he could
keep you laughing by the hour with his
witty talk. He was not one of those men
who are above those they employ; he chat
ted as freely with me as any member of his
club on the Strand. Dickens was undoubt
edly the best after-dinnerspeakeri England.
/ heard him at Whitehall once, the occasion
being an anniversary ofthc British Museum,
There was an enormous crowd hardly
standing room, and he kept them in one
continual roar He was "a fire actor, and
this added to his wit, made him irrestibly,
funny. He was great eater, not an epi-
cure, but gormand. He ate, and ate, and
cared little for the quality so there was
enough before him m"-GmreH Dumas in
Louisville Courier.