The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-04
what some people imagine it TO be. One

what some people imagine it TO be. One
must have great talent to succeed"
And so the son of the Wizard OF GAGS
hill chatted on. showing that shrewd. com
mon sense all the while which was a charac-
~teristic Of his father in all his business
transactions. II you read any OF the varl-
GUS books that are called "lives'' of Dickens,
from Forster's down, You will conclude
that in addition to being a genius Dickens
WAS q rare business man. Had he been
merely a genius he never would have
profted so enormously as he did from his
writings and his readings, nor would a
genius who was not also a good business
man have been able to successfully estab-
lish a popular magazine such rs All the
Year Round was, and is, as now edited by
Charles Dickens, Jr.
Charles Dickens. Jr., has not at all In
heritsd his father's genius. He says 80
himself. But l could not but think as l
saw him literally up to the elbows in work
that the energy, tact, force and intultive
! capacity for business of his father had GER
tainly fallen to him..
Londoners think n good deal OF the
| younger Charles Dickens, and for reasons
| aside from the fact that he is the son of
I their beloved Boz" In England as in
| America great things are not expected of
| the sons Of great men. So, much was not
he made no p%yetensions to greatness, nor
| does he now. But he has one ahead and
made for himself a fame that is NIL his own,
and that is entirely independent of that OF
his father.
And vet this is not strictly true either.
for tho reputation of the younger Dickens
+! rests to a certain extent on work which
| mhst have been in n sense suggested by the
methods OF his father. If, say, in 1867 or
| 1868 you had asked any London "cabby" or
"bobby' who it was that knew London
most thoroughly they would have told you,
MIR. Dickens" Good judges say hat the
man who now knows London most thor
oughly is also Mr.. Dickens. the son of his
father, who studied the great scity by day
and by night for many Il year.
With a magic wand tipped with genius.
tho elder Dickens touched the dark spots of
| old London and invested them with beau
ties that men who had lived near them all
their lives had been unable to soc or appre-
ciate, aud That they In common with all the
| world then admired for the first time, just
| ns we have gone on admirlng ever since.
| SO it was that Dickens II London became
SO identified each with the other; the Lion
! don of Dickens" is II recognized phrase. IL
I was a London peopled, 80 to speak, by the
genius OF the master wizard. Its dingiest
spots had been rendered bright by his
favor.
The elder Dickens loved London. Wheth-
or or not his son inherited the same feeling
we cannot say, but certainly he loves the
GIClu SAN ~ oAAa hAVsu NANes N
fact. /,
But the London of tho elder Dickens and
that of his son are very different. Even
London il not beyond the ravagos OF the
modern Philistine real estate spectators
and builders. And so the Dickens land
marks have to a large extent given way to
! what is known Ms ''progress."' ChNring
Cross station stan da where "Ihe swan
or Swan and something elae," 70 quots
Coppcrteld, stood, a dingy public" where
young David ~Copnerheld used to get his
alo and bread and cheese, according to
Dickens, The white Hart Inn" where
Pickwiok met the immortal Weller, yielded
way to modern progress n couple of years
ngo. According to the guide books tho Mar
shalsea prison no longer exists, but some
admirers Of Dickens hold thai II does in
the shape OF two buildings in Borough
Southwark, although they, of course, no
longer hold insolvent debtors. And then
tho Kings Bench Prison, whore Mr.. Micaw-
Der spent many nm hour, and Of which he
said;