New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-07
LETTERS FROM DICKENS,

draft partly III ink partly in pencil of business
letter to Chapman q Hall, and letter to Macrone
the publisher of his first book, the Sketches"
Following these business papers are elghty-six let
tiers and notes from Dickens to Thomas Milton.
Milton was an old schoolfellow who became one OF
Dickenss most intimate companions when they were
both lawyers clerks in London, and was afterward
for twenty-five or thirty years Dickenss legal man
of business He is referred to several times in Fors
ter's biography, but it appears from paper among
these autographs that he quarreled with Forster,
and il is perhaps for this that he makes less
FREQUENT appearance in the Life" than might have
been expected Nine of the letters addressed to him
were printed in the volumes of correspondence
edited by Miss Dickens and Miss HOgarth All the
Others are new The earlier notes addressed TO Nit
ton-"Dear Tom" he is calleu-are not dated. In
arranging them Mr.. Ouvry had the assistance of
Miss Hogarth, and letter from her is inserted in
the collection, in which she explains bow she was
able to fix the dates approximately from the adj
dresses. The letters to dear Tom" begin about
1892 At this time Milton was clerk in the law
Office of Mr.. Molloy, Lincolns Inn, and Dickens
was reporter for The True Sun newspaper, living
with his father in Bentnck-st. The identity of the
elder Dickens with Mr.. Wilkins Micawber is notor-
GUS, and the first note to Milton deals with the
paternal embarrassments. 1t is marked about 1882
or 1888"
TO THOMAS MITTON, ESQ.
Bentnck Street, Friday morning.
DEAR Tom: On waking this morning was informed
that my father (whOm have not SEEM for nc had gone
Quondam wine people viii you have the goodness the
moment you receive this to 90 over to si0mans IN
CursOr street and see him for meand ascertain whether
anything can be done ,,,,
must work tins morning. but tell him, please, shall
be with hn about ski due at 8, If you can come up
fear it is Ekward business and really have no
idea OF the extent OF his other embellishments
CHARLES DICKENS.
the next act in this domestic tragedy"
Naturally he had his share Of the family troubles as the
following note shows As he moved from Bentnck-st.
TO chambers in Furnivars 1883 this must be-
long to the period the previous letcr-thati
10 say his twenty first or twenty-sccond year.
TO THOMAS MILTON.
Bentnck Street, Thursday morning
DEAR TOM ! am prevented IRON coming 0Gt Lhls
when ses you, and which certainly would never have
happened to anyone but myself am Therefore Obliged
TO and goodness sake advance me what you
can possibly spare Till Saturday when Hartland shall
faithfully return it. am desperately hard up and
the smallest contribution will be thankfully received
CHARLES DICKENS
Here are sill more lively suggestions of Dlr.
Mcawber, ana it would seem as If the son had
already suiIe appreciation vi tine humorous side of
tie domestic tragedy"
TO THOMAS MTTTDN.
Bentnck street, ThursIay morning.
DEAR IoM: called On you last night ana went 10 New
Inu seeing the outer door shut made no noise and
dccampcd. viii son come uG here al dinner lime to-day
They all in great tilbnauOH mere, my rather went
some money as Brrr refused wait beyond last even
ing lie sent tie boy home to say he tad been
waIGed "a message OF any kind.
own that present his absence does not give any
great cUsucss knowing how apt lie Is TO get out 0! the
WY when any thing goes wrong As, ho"eFer We 40
shall hardly know what to think ami 1T all events it
Iay c necessary hold consultation, you Will greatly
oOlIge uo 10y complying with my request
CHAELEs DICKENS
TO THOMAS milton.
LincOln's Inns. Friday evening.
,t91d With 1aricnarly to see y0a before leave there
. MD yOa stop UyerUs soon as you return have an
order uy pucbc from my French employer for IS, on
I agent IN ND g Tween %V eeT ' and not Sy e ct
IL until TO-DAY. want 10 give the Governor some
money. and II YEA will let me have mucA yon can
check OF lct iiariland present it-wEIc yUu please.
ChhRLEs DICKENS.
70 THOMAS milton.
Bentinck ST.. Thursday morning.
DEAE TOM: viii you transmit y, bearer until sat
urdgy the cnOruOus sum OF shullnSS Hartland shall
leave It lor yoq until that day need not say I'm
Believe me truly yours, -.,....-
On the back of this note sc!a8 led figures, APP
pareGtly Il calculation of accounts.
TO THOMAS milton"
Monday noon.
DEAR r. NJ: That Condemned Hole is 50 tuI of speca-
tors perNiratiOn that have been unable 10 get 70
near ami n@liDg To hazard my precious person IN
the midst OF the assembled warmluts
WEl my father at the Nu.cam ana will be back
here aDoGt ~, when we will proceed 10 Furniyas iun
Sincerely y0Grs, c. y.
~ o'clocR-I haUc hun ana am wai,inz Tor
you at the Cock Don't be ioag II you eau help H.
The terms npou which Dickens augcd for the
publication of his first book, the " Sketches, by
Boz" ara inperfectly and incorrectly stated by
Forster and the story is told for the first lime in
these autograph volumes Forster merely sad that
.l,, - s,sy..f laos1
was sold TO Maceone for conditional payment of
ESQ. but it appears from a letter Of Ditkcns's to
Milton that MacTone never paid anything for the
copyright; no obtained 1t lay al arrangement de-
scribed below. After the fame Of The young author
had been well established Aiacronc proposed to re-
issue the Sketches" in numbers; and TO prevent
this enterprise, which, u was feared wolld inter
fere with the sale OF "Piciwic" and Oliver
Twist" Dickens and his publishers. Chap
man g. Hal, bought oil Macroue ani took the
work into t,:cr own GandS. Macrone died soon
afterr ard AMI an attempt made to hold Dick
ems liable AZ a partner in the publication of the
"Sketches" ior some of his debts. This claim-lO
winch Forster makes no allusion-s the subject of
the following letter:
TO THOMAS milton.
The Cottage PetGrsham ,ooo
Monday, May 18th, 1880.
My DEAR sra: You wish to Know what my rccollee-
ton is the arrangements asd with Mr. Macrone rel
afiV q SkctcueSs
For the first edition OF first series had three
-four DAYS after the publication 800. never was
partner never signed any agreement 20 be partner
never claimed received one sxpence partner In
the publication OF that work
think Tor the first edition OF the second series had
$50 pounds. but am not certain what the previous
.S So al Pa RGS d sa and
dreamt OF such thing dispute arose between
mysef and Mr. Macrone whether agreement
for q novel, which we had together, was not
understood TO be cancelled between us. AS I
was not actually cancelled, be had the legal power
OF enforcing IT, or claiming damages against me, /
pon the negotiation OF this very Mr. Hansard who
seted for his friend Mr. Macrone, and acted so
strongly tor that my friends and always supposed him
10 have pretty considerable share with the gentleman
IN the profits of my works. gave up TO Mr.. Macrone
fhe COPYRIGHT both series OF Sketches on getting back
lie agreemeni The rest you know First and last by