Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-01-07
Charles Dickens at Home.

Charles Dickens was the most de
lightful and genial Of hosts, and had
the power of putting the shyest peo
pie at ease with him at once. He had
a charm in his manner peculiarly his
own, and quite indescribable. The
charm was always there, whether
in his very funniest, or in his most
serious and earnest, mood.
His punctuality was remarkable
characteristic, and visitors used tc
wonder how it was that everything
was done to the very minute. 1t is d
common saying now in the family OF
some dear friends, where punctuality
is not quite so well observed, What
would Mr.. Dickens have said tothis?"
or "Ah! my dear child, | wish you
could have been at Gad's Hill to learn
what punctuallty means" lie was
very fond of music, but not of "classi-
cal' music only. He loved national
airs old tunes, songs and ballads. He
was easily moved by anything pathetic
in song or tune, and was never tired
of hearing his particular favorites
sung or played.
He liked to have music of an even-
ing, and duets used to bo played very
often for hours together, while he
would read or walk up aad down the
room.
There was a large meadow at the
back of the garden in which, during
the summertime. many cricket
matches were held. Although never
playing himself, Charles Dickens de.
lighted in the game, and would sit in
his tent, keeping score for one side
the whole day long. lie never took
to croqust, but had lawn-tennis been
played in the Gad's-lIiil days, he
would certainly have enjoyed this
game. He liked American bowls
at which he used constantly TO play
with his male guests. For one of his
improvements, he had turned 4 waste
piece Of land into croquet-ground
and bowling-green.
In the meadow he used also to
practise many of his readings" and
any stranger passing down the lane
and seeing him gesticulating and hear
ing him talking, laughing and some
times it may be, weeping, most surely
would have thought hun out of his
mind!
The getting-up of those readings
gave him an immense amount of labor
and fatigue, and the sorrowtuI parts
tried him greatly.
For instance, in the reading of "Lit-
tie Dombey," it was hard work for him
50 to steel his heart rs to De able to
read the death without breaking down
or displaying too much emotion. II
often told how much he suffered over
this story. and how it would have been
impossible for him to have gone
through with it had he not kept con-
stantly before his eyes the picture of
his own "Plorn," alive and strong and
well.
His great neatness and tidiness have
already been alluded to, as also his
wonderful sense of order. The first
thing he did every morning, before
going to work, was to make u circuit
of the garden, and thea to 60 over the
whole house, to see that everything
was in its place, neat and orderly.
This was also the FIRST thing he did
UPON his return home, after any alb.
sence. A more thoroughly orderly ma
ture never existed. IL must have been
through this gift of order that he was
enabled to make time, Notwithstanding
any amount of work, to give to the
minutest household details.
Before a dinner-party, the menu was
also submitted to him for approval
and he always made neat little plan
of the table, with the names of tho
guests marked in their respective
places, and list of who was to take
who to dinner, He had constantly