The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-01-15
CHARLES DICKENS.
"Reminiscences of Him by One of His
Daughters-Not a Grandfather,
but "Venerables."

Daughters-Not a Grandfather,
but "venerables."
Mamie Dickens says in the Holiday
Number of the Youths Companion: His
punctuality was a remarkable charac-
teristic, and visitors used to wonder
how it was that everything was done
to the minute. 1t is common saying
now in the family of some dear friend.
where punctuality is not quite so wei
observed. what would Mr.. Dickens
have said to this?" or "Ah! my dear
child, wish You could have been at
Gad's Hill to learn what punctuality
mean.r' He was very fond of music,
but not of classical music only. He
loved national airs, old tunes, songs,
and ballads. He was easily moved by
anything pathetic in a song o. tune,
and was never tired of hearing his par
ticular favorites sung or played. He
liked to have music of an evening, and
duets used to be played very often for
hours together, while he would read or
walk up and down the room.
There was a large meadow at the
back of the garden in which, during
the summer time, many cricket-matches
We're held. Although never playing
himself, Charles Dickens delighted in
the game, and would sit in his tent,
keeping score for one side, the whole
day long. He never took to crCquet,
but had lawn-tennis been played in the
Gad's Hill 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 waste piece of land into
croquet-ground and bowling green. In
the meadow he used also to practice
many of his readings; and any
stranger passing down the lane, and
seeing him gesticulating and hearing
him talking, laughing, and sometimes,
it may be, weeping, most surely would
have thought him out of his mind!
The getting-up of those readings"
gave him an immense amount OF labor
and fatigue, and sorrowful parts tried
him greatly. For instance, in the read
ing of Little Dombev." it was hard
work for him to steel his heart so as to
be able to read the death without break
ing down or displaying too much emo
ton. He often told how much he had
suffered over this story, and how it
would have been impossible for him to
have gone through with it had he not
kept constantly before his eyes the pic
ture of his own "Plorn," alive, 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 go
ing TO work was TO make a circuit of
the garden, and then 60 over the whole
house and 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
creature never existed. 1t must have
been through his gift of order that he
was enabled to make time, notwith-
standing any amount of work, to give
to the minutest household details. Be-
fore dinner party the menu was al
ways submitted to him for approval,
and he always made a neat little plan
of the table with the names of the
guests marked in their respective
places and list of who was to take
who in to dinner. He had constantly
some "bright idea" or other as to the
arrangement of the table or rooms.
He had a strange aversion to saying
good-by, and would do anything he
possibly could to avoid going through
the ordeal.
In a letter to friend Charles Dick
ems writes:
Another generation begins to peep
above the table. | once used to think
what horrible thing it was to be
grandfather. Finding that the calam-
ity falls upon me without perceiving
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
children were taught to call him "Ven-
cradles" And to this day some of
them still speak of him by this self-in-
vented name. Now, there is another
and younger family who never knew
"Venerables, but who are taught to
know his likeness, and taught to know
his books through the pictures in them
as soon as they can be taught any
thing, and whose baby hands lay bright
flowers upon the stone in Westminster
Abbey every 9th of June and every
Christmas-Eve.
For, in remembrance of his love
for all that is gay in color, none but the
brightest flowers-and also some of the
gorgeous American leaves, sent by a
friend for that purpose-are laid upon
the stone, making that one spot in the
midst of the vast and solemn build
ing bright and beautiful.
In letter to ''Plorn' before his de-
parture for Australia Charles Dickens
writes: 81 hope you viii always be
able to say in after life that you had a
kind father And to this hope each
one of his children can answer with a
loving, graceful heart, Amen.