The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-11

At the door OF this club and asked me to 60
home and sup. Ghad only Just dinod. and at
frst refused. but. seeing that he was hurt 1
agreed TO 20. We we're tete-a-tete. and from
10 to half past / he poured ont a stream OF con-
versation OF the most surprisingly brilliant
kind" It seems that, in a book given to Bull
wer by Louis Napoleon In 1887. the novelist
had jotted down a prediction that the Gtver
would one day be great in France. basinG his
forecast on Louis Napoleon's devotion to one
idea, and his skill in masking that devotion.
In June. 1882. at Prof. Ovens cottage In
Richmond Park. our author met Dickens. Il
had never seen." he writes. Dickens before.
and thought his look ~singularly unprepossess-
ing. The first unfavorable impression. how
ever. very soon wore of. and / did not detect
anything in his conversation that at all an
swered to his appearance. He talked to me as
we walked around the garden about Gore
House and Count d'orsay, OF whom he spoke
with great regard; OF Holland House and q
wonderful squabble which he had Witnessed
between Allen. Luttrell, Rogers and Lady
Holland. all in bad humor. and all contradict
ing each other. He said that he. too. had seen
much OF Louis Napoleon In those dayA, but had
never perceived anything remarkable In him.
except once. when he gave rather q clever
description Of being had up at Bow street"
In February. 1870. the writer OF this
diary dined with q Mr.. Fender. and.
after the ladies were gone. he found him
self sitting next to Dickens. whom he had not
seen since his return from his second visit to
America. The two fell into conversation about
this country. and the novelist told q very curious
story. He said that. shortly before leaving
Washington. he fell In with Senator Sumner.
who asked II there was any one whom he would
like to see that he had not as yet q chance to
meet. Dickens replied: Yes. I have always
had q great idea OF Mr.. Stanton I should like
to meet Mr.. Stanton" WELL" answered Mr..
Sumner. there is nothing easier. will ask
him to dine. We will have nobody but our
selves. and you can have q good talk" Afew
days atterward. accordingly. Dickens met STAN
ton. at Summers, and they spent n long
evening together. At last, about midnight.
Stanton turned to Sumner and said: Il should
like to tell Dickens that story about the Presi-
dent" by all MEANS" replied the other.
AT least the hour you have chosen Is a
highly appropriate one." Stanton then turned
to Dickens and said that. at the time when the
circumstances occurred which he was going to
relate. he was Secretary Of War. and. Of course.
had a great deal to do. One day in April. 1866.
a Cabinet council was called for 2 O'Clock in
the afternoon. But he was overwhelmed with
work and did not get there till twenty minutes
after the appointed hour. Just as he opened
the door he heard the President say: But this
is not business. gentlemen. Hero ls Mr.. Stan
ton" After the council was over Stanton
walked away with the Acknowledgement and
said to him: well, II all councils were like this
the war would soon be at an end. The Presi-
dent. instead Of sitting on half q dozen differ
emit chairs and telling improper stories, has ap-
piled himselfto business. and we've got through
q great deal Of work" Yes" said the At
torney-General. but you were late. You
don't know what happened" mo-" I an
swered. What did happen7" "All the rest
Of US" rejoined he, were pretty punotual. and
when We came In we found the President sit
ting with his head on his hand and looking
very unlike himself. Atlength he lifted his head
and looking around at US. he said: Gentle
men. In q few hours we shall receive some very
strange intelligence Very much surprised. I
said to him: Sir. you have got some very bad
news No. he answered. I have got no news.
but in Q few hourS We shall receive some very
strange intelligence Still moro astonished I
said: May we ask. sir. what leads you to SUP
pose we shall receive this i%ntelligencef He
replied: I've had o dream. 1 had it the
night before Bull Run. I had It on some
other occasion (which Dickens had for
Eotten). and I had 1t last night This was
stranger than ever. and 1 said: May we ask.
sir. the nature OF your dream2' He replied. I'm
alone-Im In q boat and I'm out on the bosom
Of a great rushing river. and 1 drift. and drift.
and I drift At this moment came your knock
at the door. The President said. But this is
not business. gentlemen. Here is Mr.. Stan
ton" Five hours afterward Lincoln was as
sassinated. This story is told somewhat diff
~ferently in Forster's Life Of Dickens, but our
author believes his version to be the correct
one. because three days afterward he told It to
Prince Christian at the Dean OF Westminsters
and Stanley said: Dickens told me that same
story. and I watched you most ~intently to see
whether you would vary 1t in any particular
but 1t is precisely the story that he told me-"