The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-09-15
SHADOW OF A NAME.
BARRY PAINe'S TRIBUTE TO THE
MEMORY OF CHARLES CHADBAND.


Cognomen Of One Of Dickens Celebrated
Characters - Wrote Brilliantly. but
Would Not Publish.
At4o'clock on the morning Of Easter
Sunday at his home near Malvern Well
died Charles Cbadband.
With tho name of Chadband, thanks
TO Dickens, the reading world is famil-
iar. IL IL associated with oiliness, hy-
poorisy and self seeking. At the very
sound of the name the reminiscent grin
starts ON all faces. He is a national
joke. But we pay for all our laughter.
and we have paid for the Chadband
Jest. do not mean to say that the un-
happy accident by which Dickens Sc
lected the name of Chadband for his
imposter was the cause of the death of
Charles Chadband IL was not. He died
Of an ordinary discase-consumption,
in fact. But that unhappy accident did
overshadow the whole of Charles Chad.
bands life. II did prevent him from
taking the place and fame to which he
was justly entitled. lt has prevented
the general public from reading one sin
gle line Of his very excellent works.
As his literary executor I have had
no choice but to destroy every line Of
his manuscript, In accordance with his
orders. Not single copy has been
taken, and not one word of his works
that his friends remember may be COM
mitted to writing. l do not easily be-
lieve in the existence of genius, but
believe that Charles Chadband had
genius. Some, far more competent to
judge than am, thought the same As
I watched the last sparks die out in the
big pile Of burned paper it seemed a
pity that so much work and such won
derful gifts should be all wasted for
such stupid, ignoble, maddening rea.
son--because the author had inherited
the name Of character in Dickens.
He was very sensitive. but. unlike
most very sensitive men, he was not
affected or vain. When was first in
troduced to him, he said, laughing.
that he was no relation to the original
Chadband. He reveled in Dickens and
would quote the original Chadband
freely. had known him long time
before I knew that the coincidence of
the names gave him any trouble ut all.
1t was long before l could make out
why he would not publish anything.
He used to give the most absurd reasons
for his reticence, and when driven into
a corner he would say that he was going
to publish, but not yet One night,
when l had just finished long story Of
his, implored him to let me take 1t
away with me to London and see what
could be done. NO." he said. mo
body would publish it," told him that
1t might be refused by five men out Of
six. but that the sixth would afterward
be proud that he had accepted it.
Then, quite unexpectedly, the secret
came out. mo serious work." he said,
could possibly do anything associated
with the name Of Chadband. He sold
It 80 light heartedly that 1 thought he
was once more putting me Off with q
wrong reason, but / soon found that he
was sincere. He imagined reviewers
making tests about his name and owned
that he would not be able to stand it.
joked about his name himself. and 30
did his friends. He defended himself.
That's different" he said. THAT
Ia In conversation, among mon that
know. But could not have some vul-
gar brute who did not know me at all
doing the same thing in cold print It
would present my stuff from the wrong
point OF view. No, the associations Of
the name are too strong. II you are
called Chadband, you are called Chad
band, and there's an end OF it. You
may do what you like in private, but
you can come before the public only al
an intemperate, hypocritical, delicious
ass, and In no other character what
ever.
He would not hear OF a pseudonym
or OF anonymity. II his work succeeded.
the secret would be found out, and he
would be ashamed. II it did not suo-
ceed-and he did not think 1t would
II was not worth his while to add to
the annual output of bad books. why
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