The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-03-20
Reminlscenoes Of charles Dickens.

"reminiscences or Charles Dickens.
Mamie Dickens in the Holiday Number Of the
Youths Companion.
His ~punctuality was a remarkable
characteristic, and visitors alw avs used
to wonder how it was that 3~yerythin 6
was done to the very minute. 1t is 0
common saying now in the family OF
some dear friends, where punctuality ia
not quite so well observed, what
would MI. Dickens have said to this?'
or "Ah! my dear child. | wish you
could have been at Gad's Hill to learn
what punctuality meansl" He 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 q song or tune, and was never tired
of hearing his particular favorites sung
or played. He liked to haze 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 q large meadow at the
back of the garden In which, during the
summertime, 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 croquet,
but had lawn-tennis been played in the
4 Golrs us1l laws he would 0afrfuTnIv
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 g waste piece of land into a GRO
background and bowling green. In
the meadow he used also to practice
many of his reading and any strang-
er passing down the lane, and seeing
him gasticulating 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 reading
of Little Dombey, it was hard work
for him to steel his heart as to be able
to read the death without breaking
down, or displaying too much emotion.
He often told how much he suffered ov-
err 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 heye
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 go over the whole
house, to see that everything was In its
place neat and orderly.
This was also the first thing he did
upon mis- return home, after any abb
sence. A more thoroughly orderly
nature never existed. 1t must have
been through this gift of order that he
was enabled to make time, notwith-
standing any amount of work, to give
to the minutest household details.
Before a dinner-partv, the menu was
always submitted to him for approval,
and he always made a neat little plan
of the table with the names of guests
marked in their respective places and
q list of who was to take who into din
ner. He had constantly some bright
idea" or other as to the arrangement Of
the table or rooms.
He had a strange aversion TO saying
goodi-ibS, aud would 10 an thing hs
possibly could to avoid going through
the ordeal.
In a letter to q friend Charles Dickens
writes:
Another generation begins to peep
above the table. / nee used to think
what a horrible thing it was to be a
grandfather. Finding that the calamity
falls upon me without perceiving any
other change in myself, / bear it like !
man."
But as he SO disliked the name OF
grandfather rs applied to himself, these
/ grandchildren were taught by him to
call him @venerables.n And to this
day some Of them still speak Of him by
his s~elf-invented name. Now, there is
another ard 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
anything, and whose baby hands lay
bright flowers upon the stone in West
minister Abbey, every 9th of June, and
every Christmas Evo.
For, in remembrance of his love for
all that is gay in color, none but the
brightest fowers-and also some Of the
gorgeous American leaves, sent by a
friend for the pnrpose-ara laid npnn
the stone, making that one spot, in the
midst of the vast and solemn building,
bright and beautiful.
In q letter to 'PIorn, /" before his de-
narfura for Australia CharIps Dickens