Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-06-12
CHARLES DICKENS, LIE


LBeoA nsvlswI ~
Charles Dickens eldest daughter, IN
her last contribution to The Cornhil1
Magazine, says;
During the years spent at Tavistock
house one of his daughters was for q
time a great invalid, and after q worse
attack OF illness than usual her father
suggested that she should be carried as
far as the study, and lie ON the sofa
there while he was ct work. This was
of course considered an immense priv
ilege, and even II she had not felt so
weak and i'll as abe did, she would have
been bound TO remain as still and quiet
as possible For some time there was
no sound to be heard in the room but
the rapid working of the pen, when sud-
denly he jumped up, went to the look
ing-glass, rushed back to his writing
table, and 1otted down a few words;
back to the glass again, this time talking
to 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 along 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 a curious ex-
perience and 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
as If it would be almost a breach OF con-
tidence 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 earnestness and method
of work. ttess a ..
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 ut5ering 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 a spoon or the clat-
ter of a plate, seemed to cause him real
agony. He never could bear the least
noise when ne was writing, and waged a
fierce war against all organ grind
ers, etc.
In 1855 the purchase of Gad's Hill was
made. Charles Dickens had never been
inside the house until it was his own.
Every year he had some 'fbright idea
or some contemplated wonderful i'm
provement' to PROFOUND to us. And it
became quite joke between him and his
youngest daughter-who was constantly
at Gad's Hill-as to what the next i'm
provement would be. These additions
and alterations gave him endless amuse-
ment and delight, and he would watch
the growing of each one with the utmost
eagerness and impatience. For one
Improvement he had looking-glass put
into each panel of the dining room door,
and showing it to his youngest daughter
said, with great pride: ''Now what dc
you say TO this, Katie" She laughed
and said: swell, really, papa, I think
when you're an angel your wings will be
made of looking-glass, and your crown
of scarlet geraniumsl'
He loved all flowers but especially
bright flowers, and scarlet geraniums
were his favorite of all. There were
two large beds of these on the front
lawn, and when they were fully out
making one scarlet mass, there wa.
blaze enough to satisfy even him. Ever
in dress he was fond of a great deal O
color, and the dress of a friend who
came to his daughters wedding quite
delighted him because it was trimmed
with a profusion Of cherry colore(
ribbon. He used constantly to speal
about it afterward in terms Of the high
est admiration.
| During the summer months there wa
constant succession of visitors at Gad'
Hill, with picnies, long drives and mucl
happy holiday-making. At these pic
MICS there was frequent request to thi
lover of light and color of ''Please let u
have the luncheon in the shade at an,
rate" He came to his daughter on
day and said he had "a capital idea
about picnic luncheon. He wished eacl
person to have his or her own ratiol
neatly done up in one parcel, to consis
of q mutton pie, hard-boiled egg,
roll, piece Of butter, and packet 0
salt. Oe course this idea was faithful
carried out. but was not always the rule
as when the choice of food was put t
the vote, it was found that many peopl
cared neither for mutton pie nor hard
boiled egg. But the ''capital idea" Q
separate rations was always followed a
closely as possible