Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-05-11
"REMINISCENCES OF DICKENS.



His Love of Mischief
One day Millie and | were standing on
the balcony of our house when Dickens
came sauntering by. On seeing us he
promptly struck an attitude, with one
hand pressed to his heart, and the other
thrown out aloft, as he spouted dramati
cally:
"'Tis my lady tbs my Lowell Oh,
that were glove upon that hand, that
I might touch that cheekr'
(Which of us do you intend to be
Juliet to your Romeop" inquired Millie.
whichever you choose, my little
dears" he answered. touching his hat
airily and strolling on. Next morning
we were there again as he passed, this
time with merely an ungracious How
dol" He was weaving his ideas, and
naturally was bored by interruption.
Afterward, when his face bore this alb
stracted look, always pretended not to
see him. 1t saved him the trouble of be-
ing obliged to recognize me, did not en-
croach on his composing mood, and alto
gether pleased him. was horribly
afraid of him sometimes, and told him so
once, greatly to his amusement.
Seeing him then. calm and solemn as
the Sphinx, it was difficult to imagine
the amount of mischievous fun of which
he was capable. To give an example.
We were on the pier one evening, having
been amusing ourselves by dancing a
quadrille in a railed-off space which
Dickens had named the Family Pew, be-
cause it contained seats on two sides. He
was in high spirits, as he enjoyed being
here at dusk, where he escaped the scru-
tiny of the Gaping throng." He con-
descended to perform on his pocket comb
and piece of paper, while Fred whistled,
the two thus doing duty as ''band."
After our caperings we strolled toward
the end of the little pier, to watch the
tide ripping in under the fading light.
The scene had become weird and uncanny,
the night seeming to drop suddenly down
without a star or moon; the only light
lingering phosphorescent CLEAN on the
crest of the waves
All at once the spirit of the hour-a
demon of mischief evidently-seemed to
take possession of Dickens. He flung his
arm around me and whirled me with
him down the inclined plane of the jetty,
toward tall upright pole fixed at the
extreme end. To this pole he chung with
his other arm, while he informed me in
theatrical accents that he intended to
hold me there until the wild waves over
whelmed us.
"Think!' he cried, mounting every
word. Think of the sensation we shall
create! Think of the road to celebrity
which we are about to tread-no, l
mean, not exactly to tread, but to
founder into!'
I hin, TO Lot
while l struggled desperately to free my
self.
LET your mind dwell on the column
in The Times, where will be wildly de-
scribed the fate of the lovely Emma
P, drowned by Dickens in a fit of
dementia Don't struggle, poor little
bird! you are powerless in the claws of
such kite as this child!'
The last glimmer of light was now
gone, and close to us was the dark
mystery of the surging water, very black,
very cold, and above all coming nearer
very rapidly. With horrid plash it
dashed over my feet screamed out:
"Oh! my dress; my best dress, my only
silk dress will be ruined!'
He was not softened in the least by this
tragic appeal, but continued ranting non
sensically and painting with his exertions
to hold me, and with his suppressed
laughter. Then gave wild shrek.
Mrs. Dickens! help me!-make Mr.
Dickens let me go. The waves are up to
my knees!"
'Charles!' Mrs. Dickens called in
frantic accents. "1ow can you be so
silly? You will both be carried off by
the waves (then falling from pathos to
bathos) and you'll spoil the poor girls
silk dress.
"Dress!" shouted Dickens with scorn
Talk not to me of dress! When the pail
of night is enshroudng us in Zimmerman
darkness, when we already stand on the
brink of the great mystery, shall our
thoughts be of such vanities? Am | not
immolating brand new pair of patent
feathers still unpaid for? Perish such
low born thoughtsl In this hour of
abandonment to the voice of destiny,
shall we be held back by the puerilities of
silken raiment2 Shall leather or prunella
(whatever that may be- stop the bolt of
fater' The sudden parenthetical change
from high flown rant back again to
ordinary accents was most ridiculous
Here l succeeded in struggling out of
his grasp, and fled to my friends, almost
crying with vexation, my only silk
dress clinging round my saturated limbs
and leaving watery track as stumbled
Tril,