New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-12
THE ORIGINAL MICA WBER.


SOME NOTES on MIR. JOHN DICKENS.
Percy Fitzgerald in The London illustrated News
This fresh and divcrting character was, as we
know, modelled directly from nature: ana Dlch,
ems, indeed, might have a'swerc4Eas 2alh u nv
father" sam was threatened with colInlt'al
il he did not point his parent out Dut every
one can point 10 Mr. John DlcHchI ,i ltaho''
OF the Gallery the original OF TINS sketch.
IL used TO he said that Mr.. Micawber was a
caricature. much ovcrdrawn. not resembling a r
thing Likely TO encounter IN ne ne
truth is, the portrait was an exact copy, any
ii anything, fell rather short OF the "rigih5ai'
The delightful portion of him was not Ms ouI'
fantastic speeches and quaint formulas 80 NUN
as the character, exhibited chiefly in ODD Views view;
of pecuniary transactions: the essence uc,,5
that an obligation could be satlshcu uy forth
and flowing phraseOlogY, ard the setting io urh
in a stately style his own Indebtedness d. 'ho'7
he proud of it. ,o ,,o lpoy
reveed In such llourishines, ana ms llo. nS I'm,
peculiarities were exhibited when ne loli n i ~
self seated his desk. In one or t"o Pr,n -
his letters Dickens, the son. has hoFa GIiH a ,o
isfic snecch or two of his sire. which might nave
been approprately put into the mouth OF MI
Micawbcr These patcrnal 4t'Sianc"s '"e ~"
rclished hugely. and even reveed III. N.
Wessrs CONWAY Noel autograph dealers in BIZ
mingham, have few relics Of this amusing per
s Snrlssaue A stTed oThso Written by young
Charles for the Theatre Royal Back Drawing,
room. It's date Is 1888 so IT Is fairly claimed a
%r, re '1 1 eSsi esu 81 lie was then only twenty
one years old 1t is even more interesting from
the fact that Mr.; Micawber' or Mr.; John D mex,
ems the sire took part in the little piece that
of The Great Unpaid, vino Wds " discovered At At
table on opening scene. Inc "rea' Gilpdlu
was, of course the Duke of Venice, under gro
tesque conditions
CHrab. PUSHES in and SAYS " Ruin! Confusion ~
q. U-what charge can warrant such IL gross III
trusion!
Brab.- Warrant
g. U-Youre not warranted
ynaItu uniSa
Ten ,lrs having mad Ss n prSper P 2Sw
Brab.- Ston my daughter
S:T-whO has dom S- 1i.l
C'T-Can the man H. ana now command silence:
What can YOU say, Sir In your own uri'hce'
Music wait till Ee comes In, and music s'opsJ
MFR. Dickens, senior, presented this scrap to a
friend. one Mr. Hayden. III the year lo42, lndorslhS
il with much solennty. This page IS from an
unpublished travestie, written 10y Mr. chari ii'
Dickens for private performance IN s own i"i Is
us35, and il il in his own handWTltlhg' iie
Great Unpaid was your humble servant John
Dickens, Alphington. . June, ls42.1
i have never hitherto seen a letter OF 'he Ifal
John Dickens TO put beside one of the racy epists
given in the novels BY a rare chance, however,
one of these documents lately came ihI my FL,
sion Nothing more "characterlstlcai, as ElIt
has it, could be- desired, and am certain all lovers
of Boz" will welcome with pleasure the epls'oiary
specimen of this choice character
"a Edwards street Portman SQWr
ii February isic), 1887.
Gentlemen 1t has occurred TO me- That at a mo H
M S YOUR "bginS assistance If ncony.nent or
inconsistent with Your arrangements VIII you 90 nv
the enclosed iii for $50. due 7ih April. with fore
sM,ings The amount of the interest. aud let me- have
on any other footing than that Of an aCt OF oDhs
ton conferred me, and assure You ll,usn SUN
IN amount, its effects to me are matter, OF gray coz
sideration because anything that shonlt occasion my
absence from my dslieS IN 'he ""'ie'' "0"''
productive of fatal effects.
apply to You in u moment Of difficulty and icel II
70 be So but; GeeofG I hoT r aT mysc if You
confer favor upon tht i1Insr Mi1"ou' qua i,S
r rsss Sny s%is '2 Ycn may f disposed
do not enhance it when say that the favor
would be signal obligation conferred on.
Gentlemen, your Obliged and obGdiSni ieTyani;x
Messrs Chapman and Hall. join DlChENH'
This is a richly characteristic production, and
has the true Micawberian favor. There Is moth
ing better in the novel than the proposal OF the
bill. The writer, it Will be seen, owes me hrin
four pounds and he asks them TO DO Inn the
favor to deduct this sum from the rather problem
attic bill, and then-what is the point OF the
whole" let him have the balance, El0 Is. =
q delightful method Of dscharging his debt and
incurring Il new and more substantial one. \
moment of some difficulty, ana the W Ealr
fatal effects" are equally characteristic. Notable,
too, is the hint as TO the paper IN question mol
being likely ITO be met, or taken up nor ne
more significant hint that their inter,
ests are DOuHu up WIN tH"'c vi my en-
This seems to have had its effect for We find the
nlinatcly calculated interest on the bill" lore
elllings ALTERED in another hand and i'll a
different ink TO IS Id \ pleasant touch Is the
iteration of the point of Inconvenience TO them
selves, as Though this the only Objection that
could reasonably be presented by the finn, who
would otherwise. he assumed, he eager 10 honor
his paper. The displayed flourish at the close
signal obligation conferred Oh. GeatlcmcE your
obliged, etc. was lavOrite form OF Mr.. Mlcaw-
berS. The letter liz indor>ed Oh the back, john
Dickens, Esq, in the writer's own hand which
seems mysterlous-t looks a. though IL had been
returned 10 him.
Fond as we are Of Dickens curiOs, ] doubt if
there could be found any more quantity attractive
than this letter OF Mcawber- Dickens. As IL hangs
framed IL seems TO have sort Oi vitality, 10 have
flesh and blood. We hear the rolling accents and
fiOurishcs, the appeals and explanations to Trad
dies and Copperileld " That BILL Sir. will not be
met" has "a new Significance
believe there are no letters cXtant from Dickens
TO his father But The same firm OF autograph
dealers are Ill possession vi small scrap. dated
about 1888: IL will tell you further particulars
OF this inquiry when have received tsc) your
swer. have scarcely "a moment 20 spare, and can
only add best love from Kate and the children to
you, mother, and Augustus, and hope that mother
reached home in stietY.--A icctlonatcly yours,
Charles Dickens" This fragment was pricci one
pound, but assured that HAD II becn
plete it would have been worth good deal of
money
There is likeness of Dickens perc in Mr..
kittOn's interesting Pen and Pencil collection.
where he Is portrayed as lull-!accd digniiicd-
looking gentleman When Micawbcr was put
on the stage many years ago, I'll" part rem
dered with wonderful roundncSs and racy humor
by Mr.. Rowe long since departed. The familiar
Ally SOper's Tread had suggestion of this