Evening star., 1899-03-18
THE LAND OF DICKENS
Subject of Illustrated Lecture by MI. a
Suowden Ward.
Many Scenes Reproduced Which the
Celebrated Author Made Famous
by His Writings.

II. Snowden Ward delivered lecture Illus
trated with stereopticon views on THE
Land of Dickens" There was large at
tendance and the lecturer was given
cordial reception.
The first picture thrown upon the screen
was that of Charles Dickens. Mr.. Ward ex-
planned that Dickens first saw the light
FEBRUARY 7, 1912, in small but comfortable
home in Portsea. The day was Friday, and
Dickens often noticed that all through his
life Friday was an important day for him.
His early surroundings, revisited in later
life formed the setting for the vivid pic
ture of Vincent Crummles and his company
at the Portsmouth Theater, and this fact is
indicative of the strong sense Of locality
which Is prominent feature of Dickens
character. His surroundings largely mold
ed and coored his life, and as a result his
characters are always creatures of their
environment.
1t was for this reason the speaker said.
IAN evening could profitably be spent in
the real Dickens land. knowledge of
which. 1t appears to me, throws such
flood of light upon Dickens works.
Continuing. Mr.. Ward in part said:
''One notable fact about Dickens was his
precocity and his wonderful memory of
scenes of his early childhood: but the Ports
mouth scenes in Nicholas Nickleby,' when
Nicholas and the company of Vincent
Crur1mles played at the Theater Royal, are
drawn from later experience and not from
HIS CHliuuoUu TecOileCtlOnS, 1OT III 1911,
when Dickens was about two years old,
the family removed to London.
Until Charles was eight or nine years
old his family lived in Ordnance terrace,
forced to remove to a cheaper house. which
he found at 1S st. Mary's place, more COM
monty called The Brook.
st. Mary's Church.
Near the House on the Brook is st.
Mary's Church, where a sister and two
brothers of the novelist were baptized in
1919, 1920 and 1922, respectively and where
in December, 1921 his aunt was married to
Matthew Lamert, surgeon, VINO was after
ward to appear in +Pickwick' as DR..
Slammer Not far away is the navy yard,
where Dickens father was clerk in the
pay office. and where Charles picked up
many incidents and similes for later use.
Mr.. Giles school, too furnished material
to be afterward woven into stories. Here,
too, he met the half-mad dealer in old
clothes, who was afterward sketched as
Charley in David Copperfeld,' and who
bought David's little jacket for sixpence.
In 1923 the Dickens family removed from
Chatham back to London, and probably
Charles remained behind for a little time
with Mr. Giles, for he records that he was
sent to London alone by coach like ham
per of game. Soon the family removed to
a house in Cover street, no longer existing,
where Mrs. Dickens started the establish
ment for young ladies'. described as Mrs.
Micawber's in 'Copperfeld, and as the
fathers financial difficulties increased he
was removed to one of the debtors prisons,
where many of the scenes described in
'Copperfeld' and 'Pickwick' and Little
Dorrit' actually occurred.
His First Literary Work.
'In 1881 Dickens began reporting in par
lament for the True Sun, and in 1888 he
submitted his first literary contribution to
a magazine. He said:
"'Stealthily. one evening at twilight, with
fear and trembling, I dropped it into
dark letter box, in a dark Office, in a dark
corner up a dark court In Fleet street
This dark court was Johnson's court, which
still stands much as it did then. We know
the emotion with which he found this first
piece of work in print, for he says:
Il walked down to Westminster Hall
and turned into it for half an hour, because
my eyes were so dirnned with joy and pride
that they could not bear the street and
We're not fit to be seen there.
1.-The year 1887 eventful one for
Dickens. In January he commenced to edit
'BentIeys Miscellany January his first
son was born. In March he removed from
house which still stands and that same
month the publishers gave a dinner in
honor of the twelfth issue of PickWick.
May ! Dickens sustained the greatest blow
of his life, in the loss of Mary Hogarth, his
wifes sister, the shock of which so COM
pletely incapactated him that PickWick
was postponed Tor q couple OF months.
Though his own wish was that he might
be buried in the moat under the walls of
Rochester Castle, this burial ground had
been closed before Dickens passed away,
ard could not be used for fresh intermentS
His family thought of a quiet grave in
Chalk churchyard near to which he had
spent his honeymoon and many another
happy day But the national sorrow claim
ed him for Westminster Abbey
Mr.. Ward closed by quoting few words
written by Dickens himself only couple of
hours before his fatal Seizure, June s. 1870,
as follows: Changes of glorious light from
morning boughs, songs of birds, scents from
gardens, woods and fields-Or rather from
great garden of the whole cultivated
island in its yielding time-penetrate into
the cathedral, Subdue it's earthly Odors and
cold stone tombs of centuries grow warm,
and flecks of brightness dart into the stern
est marble cirners OF the building, futtering
there like wings
The Illustrations.
In addition to the Illustrations referred to
a large number of others were shown. The
principal ones were: Queens Head Bor-
ough. Kits House" The George and
Vulture," "The Kings Bath THE Cres-
cent The Landing Stairs of London
Bridge" Mrs. Nickleby's Home in Devon
shire The Old Curiosity Shop" Long
Church" the burial place of Little Nell"
Leather .lsiI Lane" Salisbury Cathedral, -
I,
Dombey,'' The Founding Hospital"
Temple Bar, "Hangingsword Alley "st
Pancras-in-the-Fieds, "The Kitchen at the
Bull "Gadshill Place" Tunnel at Gads-
him" Cooling Church. THE White
f'riar's Gate of the Temple THE Monks
Vineyard 'The Crypt in Rochester Cath
edral," 'Jasper's Gatehouse,' The Chap
terhouse Door The Tower of London"
Westminster Abbey" also some twelve or
fifteen slides showing scenes connected with
Dickens visit to America in 1872
The lantern Illustrations except those re-
lating to America. We're from negatives spe-
cially prepared for the lecture by the lee
turer and his wife, Mrs. Catharine Weed
Barnes Ward. Mrs. Ward is an American
the daughter of former Representative vii,
liam Barnes of Albany, N. Y. and grand
daughter of the late Thurlow Weed
EpwOrth League Gives Reception.
The Epworth League of McKendree M. E.
Church gave reception last evening to the
presiding elder, Dr. Wilson, and to the pas
tor and his wife and the official board. DIR.
III. r. Naylor is beginning his fourth ,,o.r