The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-19

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GAD's HILL
wears. and that before attaining his desire he
had lived in several homes OF decidedly nn
satisfactory kind In his schoolboy days IL
was his delight to wander over the hill maze
famous by Shakespeare Much OF 1t was then
open ground and be used 70 lnger under TIC
trees and dream out those scenes "hich alteT
wards charmed his many million readers
Once his father was walking there with him
and Charles expressed his admiration OF the
oneer old house on the summit. to which the
father replied
"Well. Il you work aud mind your book
YOU will. perhaps live in a house like that.
Then saw, the novelist in a late interview,
the intention was formed IN his mind and the
ownership Of that house became sort Of
beacon light 10 his young ambition. Bat II
IS painful 20 review the experiences that lay
Immediately before him The family was
considering its refinement and tastes, IN
nipching poverty for many years Dickens
has pleasantly touched the improvldence OF
his father in the renowned character Of VII
but - years old, the family was practically
broken up. and Charles had 10 betake him
self 10 severe toll Of pen and brain. His first
location. 10 reappear in his works, was in the
place-Americans would call il block -
known as Furnival's Inn, and an extremely
common place it was There he worked for
a lawyer at thirteen and six" s331 per
week and there he wrote "Pickwick' and
many fugitive pieces
When the proceeds of these enabled him 70
have larger room, in somewhat better
neighbOrhOOd, he still loved TO inger Tor
hours in the old quarter, and finally devel
oped almost mania for rambling In the low
est quarters of London, where ne would sleep
in the cheapest lodging houses and cook his
steak at the common stove. From 1887 70
1910 he lived in a plain brick house on
Doughty street, and when in the latter year
he was able 10 take middle class residence
at No | Devonshire Terrace his relatives
thought it most marvellous rise in the world
In 1870 he removed to TavistOck house, and
remained ill 1850 Each remove marks
rise in fortune Finally he attained the
height of hisambition-Gads Hill The solid
old dwelling there contains fourteen living
rooms, besides the regular offices, and the
eleven acres about it contain gardener
cottage stables, green houses, coach house
and yard, kitchen garden, rare beds ana
partcrres, and lawn tennis ground
The restless activity Of Dickens tempcra
ment found an outlet in planning and i'm
proving. or at any rate changing, the entire
hill tie had a large conservatory built adj
joining the dining room and tunnel made
under the public road to connect the grounds
with a little retreat called THE Wilderness.
In this were two magnificent cedars, much
celebrated 10y visitors, and a little Swiss chalet
presented 10 Dickens 10y bis friend fechter. In
this chalet the novelist had plainly fur
nished room. TO which he would retire TO write
free from all interruption, and there he
penned the last lines he wrote His articles
in All the Year Round and many fugitive
pieces he dictated 10 Il sten0grapher, but
wrote all bis novels and other elaborate
pieces, and pruned, corrected and revised
them with great care While at this work he
smoked a prodigious number Of cigarettes
and towards the last drank altogether too
much sherry When he stopped to think he
usually fell to combing his hair or whiskers
with that once noted pocket comb which cut
such a figure during his first visit to America
and disguised many Of his admirers.
Americans who visited Dickens at Gad's
Hill were usually demoralized by their trip
thither and delighted with their reception
Taking the housetop railroad at Charing
Cross station, the train runs for half an hour
over the roofs Of red tiled houses, and then,
slowly descending to the earth, runs for an
hour longer and these London suburban
trains run at an amazing speed through out
lying villages and by an occasional mansion,
the grounds about which are no doubt very
handsome. but are shut out from the travel
ers view 10y those hideous high walls which
crafty British conservatism. Ahghtins at
Higham station, in Kent, the traveller must
cross the country for two miles or 50, and
most of the way up hill and between market
gardens and orchards, 10 arrive at knoll
fronted by large iirs-and this Is Gad's Hill
Outside the grounds is the dusty or muddy
little villsce-a public" and a few tene
ments The people areof the most pronounc
ed rural English type, broad, heavy, OK eyed
and free BritOns free 10 drink all they can
soak up at "tsppence pint and to rear
their children in ignorance 50 dense that they
can form no conception Of foreigner re'is
ons for visiting the place
Like all English country places, the grounds
are walled in. but the wall has a Dlckensian
moderation compared with most Entering
the large gate, the visitor first sees a square
frame on whica Is an inscription TO the effect
that the house stands on the Gadshill OF
Shakespeare, and a quotation from Henry
~ act scene . This hill was celebrated
for robbers from the very earliest times
Shakespeare made il famous, and il was re
deemed and Dickens raised it to high renown
as a goal Of classic pilgrimage. Through the
large BAY window 10y which he usually sat
Dickens could overlook the road by which the
Canterbury pilgrims passed, as told 10y Chau
Ger. and the spot where Faistaf and com
pany ran away FROM the eleven men IN
buckram.r When Dickens pictures were sold
July ., 1870 everything in the library and
living room Of the novelist remained just as
he had left it, and the visitors OF that day
had the last view OF that sort Now all Is
changed, and new parties are in possession,
but Gad's Hill viii remain as place Of liter
airy renown, like the home Of Shakespear,
and the birthplace Of Burns
The latest visitors to Gad's Hill report thar
il is now completely invested with flowers.
Many additions have been made TO the work
of Dickens in that direction, and in the sea
son there are ross climbing about every part
OF the house. conservatorles OF rare brill
fancy and distracting psrterreS Along the
edges Of the sward are lai &c stone urns over
flowing with tumultuous color, and ali the
rear lawn is bordered 10y blazs of red flow
ers. There are also frs and laurel, ivy and
holly, and around all the inclosing wall a
line Of lovely green plants The lovely sea
son is ali too short in England, but the
wealthy know how TO make the most of it.
JAMES D. FISH,
How He Passed His Life While Serving
the State rs n Convict.