The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-12-25
DICKENS At HOME.
Tife at Oad's Hill-"IsOx's" Vigorous
Twelve Mile walks.
fEdwin Yates Reminiscences.l


Edwin Yates Remnscencesl
Life at Gad's hill for visitors I speak
from experience-Was delightful. You
breakfasted at 8, smoked your cigar,
read the papers, and pottcrcd about the
garden until luncheon at l. All the
morning Dickens was at work, either in
the study--a room on the left hand of
the porch rs you entered: large room,
entirely lined with looks, and with a
fine bay window, in which the desk was
plsced-or in the chalet, Swiss house
Of four rooms, presented to him by
Fechter, which took to pieces, and was
crectei in 4 shrubbery on the side OF the
road opposite to the house, whore he
had nne view extending to the river.
In the chalet he did his last work, on
the fatal sth of June, using writing
slope. which, by the kindness Of Miss
Hoyarth, is now mine, and on which |
write these words.
After luncheon Ia substantial meal,
though Dickens generally took little but
bread and cheese and glass of ale) the
party would assemble in the hall, which
was hung round with capital set Of
Hogarth prints, now in my possession,
and settle on their plans. Some walked,
some drove, some pottered; there was
Rochester cathedral TO be visited, the
ruins of the castle to be explored, Cob
ham park keys for which had been
granted by Lord Darnley) in all its
sylvan beauty within easy distance. l,
of course, elected to walk with Dickens;
AMI of we set, with such Of the other
guests as chose to face the ordeal. They
we're not many, and they seldom came
twice; for the distance traversed was
seldom less than twelve miles. and tho
pace was COOL throughout. have now
in my minds eye portly American
gentleman in vanished boots, who
started with us full of courage, but
whom we left painting by the wayside,
and for whom the basket carriage had
to be sent.
It was during one of these walks that
Dickens showed me, in Gotham park.
the stile close by which. after fearful
struggle, Mr.. Dadd had been murdered
by his lunatic son in 1913. Dickens
acted the whole scene with his usual
dramatic force had heard something
of the story before from Firth, who is
on excellent raconteur The murderer
then escaped, but Was afterward So
cured; he had been travelling in a coach,
and his homicidal tendencies had been
aroused by regarding the large neck,
disclosed by very low collar, of fel-
low passenger, who, waking from q
| sleep, found Dadd's fingers playing
round his throat. On searching Dadd's
studio, after his arrest, they found,
painted on the wall behind screen,
portraits Of Egg, Stone and Firth,
Dadd's intimate associates, all with
their throats cut--a pleasant suggestion
of their friends intentions.
Generally accompanied by his dog
! (whcn was first with him they were
Turk, q liver-colored mastiff, and Linda
St. Bernard, which Albert Smith had
brought from Switzerland). Dickens
would go along at a swinging pace
sometimes over the marshes famous II
s'Great Expectations sometimes alons
hilly. tramp-infeste1 road 10 Graves
end. skirting Gotham park, and past
! the "Ieather Bottle" whether Mr. Tup
man retired: past Fort Pitt, near which
| DIR. Slammer proposed to take Mr.. Win
kle's life: down miry lanes and ovel
vast stubble fields. to outlying little
churches. and frequently to quain,
old almshouse stanting, | can not re
member where, in green courtyard
like an Oxford "quad.'
They were stiff walks for any one mo-
in full training, rs Dickens always wa!
/ Mt that time, but to me they never
seemed long or fatigning, beguiled a.
/ the time was by his most charming talk.
| With small difficulty, if the subject wcr,
deftly introduced, he could be induccs
! TO talk about his books, to tell how ant
why certain ideas occurred to him. ant
how he got such and such scene o.
character. Generally his excellen
memory accurately retained his ow,
!! phrases and actual words, so that h
would at once correct misquotation
but on more than one occasion have
in conversation with him, purposcl,
nislun.cca from one Of his books, il
order that he might set me right.
One day-a queens birthday, on whicl
had q holiday from my Office, we ha,
spent together at Gads hill. The famil,
were absent, and the house was il
charge Of the gardener, whose Wit
cooked us q steak, and Dickens ha,
taken care to bring the cellar-key wit
him. We rambled about during the al
ternoon, and at night we Went 10 tn
Rochester theatre. forget the play
indeed, recollect nothing but the pres
ence of mind of a large man in grea
baize tunic and pair of buff boots. who
to Dickens Joy, evidently did not fno'
word of his part. He strobe into tn
middle of the stage without uttering
syllable, looked fiercely round, then sal
in stentorian tones, 81 will r-r re -tur-r-l
anon'' and walked quietly off to read u
his part at the wing"