The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-02-12
CHARLES DICKENS, LIFE
Amang His Children ~ Remembered ~
His Eldest Daughter.

His Eldest Daughter.
Book Reviewi
Charles Dickens eldest daughter, in
her last contribution to The CornhiIl
Magazine, says:
During the years spent at Tavistock
house one Of his daughters was for a
time great invalid, and after o worse
attack OF illness than usual her father
suggested that she SHOULD be carried as
far as the study, and lilo or the sofa
there while he was at work. This vas
Of course considered an immense priv
llegc, and even if she had not fel5 so
weak and i'll AS she did, she would have
been bound to remain as still and quiet
- possible. For some time there was
no sound to be heard in the room but
the rapid working of tho pen, when sud
denly he jumped up, went to tho look
Ing glass. rushed back to his writing
table, and iotted down a few words:
back to the glass again, this time talking
70 his own reflection, or rather to the
simulated expression he saw there, and
was trying to catch before drawing it in
words, then back again to his writing.
After little he got up again. and
stood with his back to the glass, talking
softly and rapidly for a long time, then
looking at his daughter, but certainly
never seeing her, then once more back
to his table, and to steady writing until
luncheon time. 1t was q curious ex-
perience and a wonderful thing to see
him throwing himself SO entirely out of
himself and into the character be was
writing about. His daughter has very
seldom mentioned this incident, feeling
g It it would be almost breach of con-
ndence TO do so. But in these reminis-
cences Of her father, she considers it
only right that this experience should
be mentioned, showing as it does his
characteristic earncstness and method
of work.
After a hard mornings writing. when
he has been alone with his family and
no visitors in the house. he has come in
to luncheon and gone through the meal
without uttering word, and then he
has gone back to his work in which he
was SO completely absorbed. Then.
again, there have been times when his
nerves have been strung up to such a
high pitch that any. sudden noise, such
as the dropping Of spoon or the clat-
ter Of plate, seemed to cause him real
agony. He never could bear the leasi
noise when he was writing, and wag Il ],
fierce war against all organ grind
ers, etc.
In 1855 the purchase of Gad's Hill " )
made. Charles Dickens had never leen
lnsiAe the house until it was his own
Every year he had some bright idea
or some contemplated wonderful i'm
provement" TO PROFOUND to us. AMI it
became quite a joke between him and his
youngest daughter-who was constantly
at Gad's Hill-as to what the next inn
prOvement would be. These additions
and alterations gave him endless amnsn.
ment and delight. and he would watch
the growing Of each one with the utmost
eagerncss and impatience For one
Improvement" he had looking glass put
into each panel of the din;ng-room door.
and showing it to his Youngest daught ar
Baid, with great pride: wow what do
you say to this, Katie.' She laughed
and said: swell. really, para, | thin;
VIII n you're m angel your wings vii b,
made OF looking-glass, and your crown
of scarlet gcraniums'
He loved all flowers Int especially
bright flowers, and arlet geran INNS
were his favOrite Of all! There were
two large beds Of these on the from
lawn. and when they were fully out.
making one scarlet mass. there was
bla7o enough to satisfy even him. Even
In dress he was fond OF q great deal o.
color, and the dress Of a friend who
oamo &c his daughters wedding quito
delighted him because it was trimmed
With q profusion of cherry colorel
ribbon. ne used constantly to speak
about it aftcrward in terms Of the high
est admiration.
During the summer months there was
. constant SUGGESTION Of visitors at Gad's
Hill, with picLics, lorg drives and much
happ! holiday making At these pic
aics .h3re was Q FREQUENT request to this
lover O. light and color Of please let MS
have the luncheon in the shade at any
fEto." He came to his dau yhtcr one
dry end said he had "a capital idea
about picnic luncheon. He wished each
person to have his or her own ration
neatly done up in one parcel, to consist
OF a mutton pie, hard -hoiled egg, a
roll, piece of butter, and a packet of
salt. OF course this idea was faithfully
carried out. but was not always the rule,
as when the choice Of food was put to
the vote, it was found that many people
cared neither for mutton pie nor hard
boiled egg. 3nt tie capital idea" of
separate rations was always followed as
closely as possible.