The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-02-19
HARD ON DICKENS.
The Late j. ID. LippincOtt's Not Very Fist
tering Opinion Of tho Great Eng
gllsh Novelist.

The Late J. b. Lppincott's Not Very Fist
terins Opinion OF tho Great Eng
glish Novelist.
| The late Joshua Ballinger Lippincott
was full of anecdotes of the most ccle-
bratcd authors of the last fifty years.
Dropping into the great Market street
store one day to have talk with him
about book was preparing, he in
vited me into his private office, and. be-
ing in very chatty humOr that morn
ing, he entertained me for an hour or
more with fund of literary reminis-
cences.
II have seen most of the English and
American authors of my time, said MIR.
Lippincott. chickens was naturally q
genial, good-natlred fellow, but his ear
ly and extraordinary success completely
dazzled him. his head was turned by the
'Pickwick Papers, and it never got en-
tirely straight again. He was not a
gentleman, rs Bulwer and Thackeray
were. but born snOb. No gentleman
would have written American Notes
after enjoying the boundless hospitality
that was showered upon him in this
country. There are some things a gen.
tleman can not do and that one was one
of them. His novels are not so popular
as they were during his lifetime. A
reaction i'm favor of Thackeray has set
in. Thackeray won his way slowly to
recognition and he was all the better
for it. He was tn rty-seven when
he wrote Vanity Fair the novel
which established his reputation. After
that his course was right onward.
Thackeray was less effusive than Dick
ems, but he was more genuine. He was
delightful at private dinner party. but
not so ready as Dickens as public
speaker. The latter was particularly
happy upon sHch occasions. Once. at
q meeting of the Authors Fund Society.
Tom Campbell. the chairman, could
not preside and Dickens was called
upon ut a moments notice to take his
place. He made a brilli'nt imprOmptu
speech which surprised and delighted
all who heard it. Thackeray enjoyed a
good dinner. He was particularly fond
of American oysters and canyas-back
ducks. In fact. he was too much of
club mamie ate too many good din
ners. His literary fame, though less
splendid than Dickens during life. will
probably be more lasting. People are
beginning to think that Dickens char
acters were caricaturcs; that there is too
much cxaggeratiOn in his wonderful
Little Nells. his Micawbers and his Tur-
irI
time, and those who enjoyed his novels
when they were young find it impOssi-
bic to read them when past middle age.
But in spite of his foppery and snObbery
Dickens was fine fellow and did good
by drawing attention to the injustice
and cruelty practiced upon the poor in
public institutions. prisons, almshOuscs.
etc. His novels still sell. but are not 50
popular rs they were. His later works
want the hearty animal life and breezy
freshness that delighted all classes of
readers i'm 'Pickwick' and David Cop
pcrfield.'
Mr.. Lippincott told me how he once
entertained the Duke of Buckingham.
ut happened in this way. When Rob
crt Chambers visited the United States
some years since l gave dinner in his
honor. The Duke of Buckingham
happened to be stopping Mt the Cont
mental Hotel at the time. and hearing
of the affair that was to come off he
signified his desire to me to be present
at a genuine Philadelphia feed OF
course he was invited and sat down. as
he told me aftcrward. to the most ele-
giant entertainment he had ever enjoyed.
There were present at the dinner the
Governor of Pennsylvania, the Mayor
of Philadelphia. and the most dis
tinguished men of the dav to the num-
Der of one hundred. When l next
visited England the Duke invited Mrs.
Lippincott and myself to Stowe, where
my wife remained two weeks. Stowe
is one of the most magnificent seats in
Great Britain, the house two hundred
feet long. the grounds an earthly para
disc. everything on scale of royal
splendor: in fact, doubt whether roy
atty itself has more sumptuous do
main than the princcly Duke of Bucking
ham. l highly appreciated the honor
of being invited to the Dukes seat.
where an English publishers horse
would as soon he invited rs himself.
Philadelphia Times.