Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-11-24
DICKENS ODD CHARACTER.

many Years H.ru. contributes Il pleas
ant story H. tho Detroit Free Press.
concerning the original Of Dickens
fanul- character Of Wilkins Mraw
h,r. He ~ay-: In r.crnt number,
al th,. Detroit f'rr' Pre- there have
arl"hrrd paragraphs "n Tia" asserted
Ii"itItt ut tti~ Immortal character
With ",!' lti"lna- Powell. Il sol distant
literary man. ~tIil rAtant in New
York t!ly "Thrr,' must be- some
lni7takr about ii. was the editorial
comment. after an illusion To- Fur9
trr~ admission that Dickens tnc,,.
at for the portrait of cour7c imNni
unfairly. Indeed, the account of
him, and the specimens, of his con
yrr>atiun given in the Biography,
would -ulllc,. t" prov" TIM. if his
!llu-triui- bat scared y iilial son had
moi left evidence of TIN fact con
c"Hl'rl IN the very name Of the
".;uidr. philosopher. and friend" 81
the Juvenile David Cnpp,.riirld
Ohyiul~ly it Wa formed IN TIM, Way:
linking n words my father. Dickens
changed liz. INTO the third proceed
inI letter =. the into the third she
crrdirL letter r.: the h into the third
preceding letter T.: but. requiring Il
rnu,umant, tried back" three more
letter, and clang"dt furb The rc
suit Is tine word Mycawbtr: but still
more disguise being disircd the y
Wis altered into /. which completely
transformed my father into McaW
Der In all probability tn" rr-cm
blancr of tn" sound of the word To-
that of MacdW. with IT. sug~r-tiv,
nrS, of parrot like fondncss fer
talking. Was al additional recon
mrndation.
That 10y the WaE But while There
Is no doubt OF IT. identify, II can al; q
hr proved that Dickens awaited Inn
self of certain IN'ruliarlti,-, If the
Thunu, Powell aforesaid IN maxim"
up the character MraWhrr includes
both; and hence the tradition
Powell calIIr to America IN lSJi
IL" WAS never Il contributor to The
New York TyIhaJ,c. Dickens letter
Wa written to Lewis Gay lord Clark.
editor If the old knIckcrhocker Mag
aIlnr. who Ito ia" best Of my rccul
lc>tion- and belief published il IN
thar prriw.Iral. whence it WIS copied.
with sharp comments, by Horace
Greeley ami Charles \ Dana. INTO
the Iribnnt Powell hlu-iur,d Il
great deal and threatened Il laN suit.
hut nuthlng came of it. His rApu-
ur' VA, certainly not CAUSED 10y hi,
Calling Cornelius Mathew, the
American Dickens" for that e,l.ripurt
had been applied t. him before not
able IN l.nNrli'e Fable for Critics"
| published in l>iS Matthew, initiated
Dickens etyl" in hi, prose works. and
Wr"t" "Ch?nticlrcr Il Story of
THANKSGIVING. somewhat after the
n.od"l of the Christmas books Pow
I'll praised his ''puilrr Hopkins. as
superior t" Dickens in hl- Living
Authors of America" Inch Mathews
unIUceti"nHi'ly dit not write. though
certain unucl handed ways of his may
have caused such Il SUSPICION iIck
rn~' charge against Powell included
m"r" than th">r mentioned 10y Ak
met. but IL he Is now an old man.
do not car" 10 specify particulars
lii" tW" We're certainly acquainted,
If not Intimate. III England before
lAIl. Powell had some connection
with the press in thcold country. and
one" supplied IN article to It vumn @
contributed oby Wordsworth. Lei; h
Hunt and others. The ihlladrlpd.a
Lii" ii Dickens 10y DR.. Sheldon
Mch"r|ir Wa> mainly based on his
very dah!ous information. His re
srmhIanrr To- Micawhrr has been az
curatrly set forth in a story cntitI, i
"Iaul Cover, printed nlne yea. 5
a :" IN tn" Boston IHfcr 1t was
Powell who first roclaimed the qua, i
identity OF Harold Skimpole with
Iri%h Hunt. a. | had the honor of
informing Dickens in ii letter from
New York, t" which | posses an an
w'r Dickens he had not only ira
drrrd and mali%ncd through many
obscure publications. but also Sian
d'rrd indirectly after his death. But
for that | shonld hardly care to
volunteer these details.