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

possibly could to avoid going through
the ordeal. This feeling must have
been natural to him, for as early as the
"Old Curiosity Shop" he writes,-
"Why is it we can better bear to
part in spirit than in body, and while
we have the fortitude to act farewell,
have not the nerve to say itP On the
eve of long voyages, or an absence of
many years, friends who are tenderly
attached will separate with the usual
look, the usual pressure Of the hand,
planning one final interview for the
MORO ", while each we'll knows that
it is put poor feint to save the pain
of uttering that one word, and that
the meeting will never be! Should pos
sibilities be worse to bear than Ger.
tainties?"
So all who love him, aud who know
the painful dislike he had to that word,
are thankful that he was spared the
agony of that last, long Farewell.
Almost the pleasantest times al
Gad's Hill were the winter gatherings
for Christmas and the New Year,
when the house was more than fnll, and
the bachelors of the party had to be
put up in the village. At these
times Charles Dickens was at his gay
est and brightest, and the days passed
cheeriIy and merrily away.
lie was great at games, and many Of
the evenings were spent in playing at
Eyes and No." Proverbs, Russian
Scandal, Crambo Dumb Crambo-in
which he was most exquisitely funny
and game of Memory, which he
particularly liked.
On New Years Eve, there were
generally other guests beside those
staying in the house, and the New
Year had to be welcomed with due
honors. Just before twelve o'clock,
everybody would assemble in the hall,
and Charles Dickens would open the
door, and stand in the entrance, watch
in hand.
How many of his friends must
remember him thus, and think low
ingly of the picture as he waited,
with half-smlle on his attentive face,
for the bells to chime out the New
Year.
Then his voice would break the 81
lence with "a Happy New Year to us
aIl!' and for many minutes there would
be much embracing, hand-shaking and
good-wlshing, and tho servants also
would come up and get hearty shake
of the hand from the beloved "master."
Then sometimes there would be
country-dance, in which the host de-
lighted, and in which heinsisted upon
every one joining.
He never allowed the dancing-and
real dancing it was, TOTO flag for
an instant. but kept it up, until even
he was tired and out of breath, and had
at last to clap his hands, and bring it
to an end. His thorough enjoyment
was most charming to witness, and
seemed to infect every one present.
One New Years day at breakfast,
he proposed that we should act some
charades, in dumb show, that evening
This proposal being met with enthusi-
asm, the idea was put into practice at
once. The different parts were as
signed, dresses were discussed, prop
critics" were collected, and rehearsing
went on the whole day long.
AS the home-vistors wera all to take
part in the charades, invitations had to
be sent to the more intimate neighbors
to make an audience, an improptu
supper had to be arranged for. and the
day was one of continual hustle and
excitement, and the rehearsals were
the greatest fun imaginable.
A dear old friend volunteered to un-
dertake the music, and he played de-
lightfully all through the acting.
These charades made one of the pleas
antest and most successful of the New
Years evenings ever spent at Gad's
Hill.
But there were not only grown-up
guests invited to the pretty, cheerful
home. In a letter to a friend Charles
Dickens writes,--
another generation begins to peep
above the table once used to think
what horrible thing it was to be q
grandfather. Finding that the caam-
ity falls upon me without my perceiv-
ing any other change in myself, l bear
it like a man."
But as he SO disliked the name of
grandfather as applied to himself,
these grandchildren were taught by
him to call him "Venerables." And to
this day some of them still speak of
him by his self-invcnted name.
Now, there is another and younger
family who never knew "Venerables,"
Lut who are taught to know his like
ness, and taught to know his books
through the pictures in them, as soon
as they can be taught anything, and
whose baby hands lay bright flowers
upon the stone in Westminster Abbey,
every 9th of June, and every Christ
mas Eve.
For, in remembrance of his love for
all that is gay in color, none but the
brightest tiowers-and also some OF