The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-12-12

AN INTERVIEW WITH DICKENS
at the Astor House I'm IS42-Mrs.
Dickens Apology.
Cor. Boston Budget. ]


The first time met Charles Dickens was
In 1912, when, as he said himself, he came
here on business and the Yankees chose tH
make fools of themselves. His business was
to obtain the passage OF an international
copyright law, and failing in that he felt
rothing but bitterness towards the people
who had treated him so Hospitality. He CAT
up at the Astor house, and there i went
armed with "A letter from James w. Gerard,
tue celebrated lawyer, who was prom inent
member of the committee who had received
Dickens, and who had paid the great author
much personal attention. i suppose j
nay have oyerstepped the bounds OF eti-
quette, but | was not aware Of it,
when took with mo Robert II. Elton. who
will be ren,oa,bsrod by old New Yurkers as the
publisher Of "Elton's Comic Almanac" the
preceder of all the funny papers. We were
ushercd with much shoddy ceremony up to
Dickens reception room, where fortunately,
as it proved, there were very few people,
and found Dickens's lolling ungracefully in
chair with several obsequious looking citi.
zens standing about him, while Mrs. Dickens
was looking out Of the window onto Broad.
way. My first impression of the couple was
that Charles was a decided snob, being
dressed as no American gentleman ever
dressed, loaded with jewelry, and that she
was as loud in that particular as woman
as he was as man. He scanned my letter
through his glass, looked at me supercil-
iously, and "WellF came snappishly from
his mouth / was q little taken back but
tried to say something, which something was,
Truth lies at the bottom Of well, Mr..
Dickens"
who's thatg" was his unsmiling response,
pointing at Elton, who was not man to be
easily taken aback but looked annoyed.
introduced him. Dickens did not respond,
but Looked at the letter again through his
eass, and then said
Its not customary, where | came from,
when you have letter of introduction tc
take anybody with you; don't know how
you do it here"
said nothing, and at this moment Mrs,
Dickens came to our aid, and, in very lady:
like and gentle way drew us aside to the
window, volunteering the remark, "Mr.
Dickens isn't very we'll this morning." and
then endeavored to entertain us by asking
questions for fifteen or twenty minutes, when
We took our leave, Dickens barely noticing
us as we departed.
He's hog" growled Elton, when we got
into the street. and l was not disinclined tG
agree with him.
The next time saw Charles Dickens was
dozen or more years ago. when he again
came on business, TO read to the Yankees,
and as his business was pre-eminently sue
cessful he was more amiable. He put up at
the Westminster hotel, and was introduced
by his old and especial friend, Arthur Math
ieson, then residing in this city. This time ]
found Dickens pleasant enough and suffic
emily talkative, but his talk was Charles
Dickens. and nothing but Charles Dickens
He invited us to stay to lunch, which we did,
and during which Dickens talked necessarily
about himself and swallowed bumpers of
champagne until his talk became monoton-
ous and trife maudlin. This, however,
does not take away the fact that he was the
greatest writer Of fiction that the world has
ever produced.