The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-22
DICKENS AND HIS CHILDREN.
A Loving Description by Miss Mamie Dickens,
His Daughter.

III OduShocA'
Youths Companion.
l have been asked 10 write a paper for the
Companion on the subject of ''The Child Friend
ships of Charles Dickens" But we have no rec
ord Of any very early friendships, and know
nothing more of his childhood days than what
Mr.. Forster has told us. He was avery little and
a very sickly boy; but he had always the belief
that this early sickness had brought to himself
one inestimable advantage in the circumstance
of his weak health having strongly inclined him
to reading. But he was of a most atfectonate
and genial disposition, and there can be little
doubt that with such a nature he must have
made many friendships.
When money troubles came upon his parents
the poor little fellow was taken away from
school and kept for some time to an occupation
most distasteful to him, with every surrounding
Earring on his sensitive and refined feelings. But
the great hardship, and the one which he felt the
most acutely, was the want of companionshlp OF
boys of his own age. A few years later on we
read, in Mr.. F~orster's life, a schoolfellows de
scription of Charles Dickens: ga healthy-looklng
boy, small but well built, with a more than usual
flow of spirits, inclining to harmless fun, seldom
or never, | think. to mischief. He usually held
his head more erect than lads ordinarily do, and
there was a general smartneSS about him" This
is also a very good description of the man
| have never heard him refer in any way to
his own childish days, excepting in one instance.
When he had been telling the story of how,
when he lived at Chatham, he and his father
often passed Gad's Hill in their walks, and what
an admiration he had for the red brick house,
with its beautiful old cedar trees. and how it
seemed to him to be larger and finer than any
other house. And that his father would tell him
that if he were to be perSevering. and were to
work hard, he might, perhaps, some day come
to live in it. | have heard him tell this story
over and over again when he had indeed become
the possessor of the place which had taken such
a hold upon his childish affections. Beyond this,
l cannot recall a single instance of any aluslon
being made by him to his early childhood. am
unable, therefore, to write anything new on tins
score. But as | should greatly like my first IN
PRODUCTION to the readers of the Companion to be
made through my dear father, | will try and
write down a few "reminiscences of my own, feel
ing that they will be read with interest. belev-
ing, as / do, that in no country are his writings
more widely known or his name more affection
ately reverenced than in the great country of
America.
Charles Dickens believed the power of obser-
walton in numbers of very young children to be
quite wonderful for it's clOseness and accuracy,
and he thought that the recollection of most of
US could go further back than many of us sup
pose. ] do not know how far my W memory
may carry be back. but | have no remembrance
of my childhood which is not Immediately asso-
ciated with him. He had a wonderful sympathy
with children. and a wonderfully quick percep-
ton of their character and dispositions; a most
winning and easy way with them, full of fun, but
full, also. of a gravers sympathy with their many
small troubles and perpleXities which make them
recognize at once a friend in him.
have often seen mere babies. who would look
at no other stranger present. put cut their tiny
arms to him with unbOunded confidence, or place
a small hand in his and trot away with him.
quite proud and contented at having found such
a companion. And, although with his own
children he had sometimes a sterner manner
than he had with others, there was not one of
them who feared to 90 to him for help and ad-
vice, knowing well that there was no trouble too
small or too trivial to claim his attention, and
that in him they would always find mvarying
justice and love. If any treat had to be asked
for, the second little daughter, always a pet of
her fathers. was pushed into his study by the
other children and always returned triumphant.
He wrote special prayers for them as soon as
they could speak, interested himself in their
lessons, would give prizes for industry. for
punctuality, for neat and unblotted copy-books.
A word of commentator from him was indeed
most highly cherished and would set our hearts
glowing with pride and pleasure.
His study-to these children-was rather a
mysterious and awe-inspiring chamber. and
while he was at work nobody was allowed to
enterit The little ones had to pass the door as
quietly as possible. and the little tongues left off
chattering. But at no time through his busy
life was he ever too busy to think of them, to
amuse them. or to interest himself in all that
concerned them. Ever since ! can remember
anything / remember him as the good genius of
the house, and as the happy, bright and funny
genius. He had a peculiar tone of voice and way
of speaking for each of the children, who could
Itlls III bNlbS baltO ~ lttAlANs NhiSi vas
the one addressed. He had funny songs which
he used to sing to them before they went to bed.
One in particular; about an old man who caught
cold and rheumatism while driving in an omnl-
bus. was a great favorite, and, as it was accom-
panied by sneezes, coughs and funny gesticula-
tons, it had to be sung over and over again be
fore the small audience W : satisfied.
[ can see him now through the mist of years,
with a child nearly always on his knee, his bright
and beautiful eyes full of life and fun. l can hear
his clear and sweet voice, as he sang to those
children, as if he had no other occuption i'll the
world but to amuse them. And when they grew
older. and were able to act little plays, it was
the father himself who was teacher. manager.
prompter to these i%nfantine amateurs. And
these theatricals were undertaken as earnestly
and seriously as were those of the grown-up peo-
Pile. He would teach the children their parts
SeDarately-teach them what to do and how to
do it, acting himself for their ediication. At
one moment he would be the Dragon in For
tunio," at the next, one of the seven servants:
then taking the part of a jockey played by the
youngest child, a mere baby, whose little legs
had much difficulty to get into the top-boots-
until he had taken every part in the play.
And before these children were old enough to
act regular pieces the same pains were taken
about any little charade they might ask for, any
song they were taught to sing, each child know
ing well that such pains had to be taken before
his approval could be won. AS with his grown
up company of actors, so with his juvenile com
pany did his own earnestneSs and activity work
upon Uhen ana aHecU each personally: Inc shy-
est and most awkward child would come out
quite brilliantly under his patient and always
encouraging training,
Then, again, at the Juvenile parties he was al
ways the ruling spirit. He had acquired by de
grees an excellent collection of conjuring tricks,
and on Twelfth Nights-the eldest sons birthday
he would very often, dressed as a magician,
give a conjuring entertainment, when a little
figure which appeared from a wonderful and
mysterious bag, and which was supposed to be a
personal friend of the conjurer, would greatly
delight the audience by his funny stories, his
eccentric voice and way of speaking, and by his
miraculous appearances and disappearance.
OF course, a plum pudding was made in a hat,
and was always one of the great successes of the
evening. It would be almost impossible even to
guess how many such buildings have been made
since. But surely those made by Charles Dick
ems must have possessed some special fairy
power, no other conjurer being able to put into
his pudding all the love, sympathy, fun and