Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-07-24

II Is uOLGWOIIuy ludI Luduy u I4lC
names of clients and firms occurring
in this book against professional en-
tries were by Dlckens later on adapted
for characters in his fctions. The
recovery of this rough memorandum
book was a considerable triumph in
the way of research. Mr.. Robson car
ried it off from Mr.. Wright's collection
for SOS.
Writing of contributions generally
but little familiar, and pertaining to
stagedom, we are tempted to refer in
this place to another precious manu-
script, also secured by Mr.. Robson for
Is guineas. Happily this inimitable
jeu d'esprit has found its way into
print, though never published in the
sense it was devised by its gifted
author, addressing his consistent lit
erary adviser, John Forster, respecting
an amateur performance for the bene
fit of Leigh Hunt, limited to his
judicial friend what he thought would
bring funds to this cause; it was to
be published in the form he had de-
vised, as a history of the trip to Man
chester, poking good-natured fun at
the party of strollers, such as George
Cruikshank, John Leech, Douglas Jer-
rold, himself as "Crummles, the man
ager of the company" and other
'splendid strollers;" his notion being
to write the lively skit in the charac-
ter and phraseology Of Mrs. Camp.
"An Account of a Late Expedition into
the North for an Amateur Theatrical
Benefit, written by Mrs. Camp (who
was an eye-witness), inscribed to Mrs.
Harris, and edited by Charles" The
portion printed of this delectable mar
rative is admirable reading, and
makes one long for more; this was
happily illustrated by the late Fred
Barnard; and it had been Dickens's
original ''happy thought" that Egg,
Stanf1eld, Gilmore, Cattermole, Phiz,
Leech, Cruikshank and other artist
friends should do their best to col
laborate in the Illustrations; the re-
suits, Judging from the fragments,
would have furnished an unequaled
example of friendly pleasantly, and
the merry freaks of men Of genius at
play.
NATURALLY one of the strongest items
in the sale was a complete manu-
script, and one of the few ever likely
to come into the market. This was
The Battle of Life-a Love Story,
written on so quarbo pages, with
numerous alterations, interpretations
and additions In many parts it varies
from the printed version AS all the
Dickens manuscripts available were
left to John Forster, and are now
treasured at South Kensington, the
interest in this favorite Christmas
book received further Incentive; the
only remaining exceptions are the i'm
mortal christmas Carol" and "Our
Mutual Friend" manuscripts still in
the hands of private collectors. Messrs.
Sotheran secured The Battle of Life
for G400. An interesting copy of the
first issue of another Christmas book,
The Chimes, had it's value materially
enhanced by the insertion of four of
the original drawings by John Leech..
plus another drawing by the same
artist-Unpublished This copy
brought G66, and was purchased by
F. Sabin. In similar spirit Dickenss
Sketches of Young Couples had its
value increased in Mr.. Wright's YER
sion by the insertion of Phiz's original
drawings F. Sabin secured this
unique example for G32.
A striking feature among the
Dickens memorials was the prevalence
of unusually memorable presentation
COPIES Some notice of these ex-
amples cannot fail to prove how
genially expensive was Dickens's ma
ture, and many of the dedications are
characteristic Mr. Tregaskis Sc
cured an 1885 copy of Sketches by Boz.
This was inscribed ''To Simon McGil
livray, Esq. From the Author" An
other copy of this work brought 925
los, while Messrs Pearson secured
for 328 the presentation copy Of
Sketches by Boz inscribed to his
friend of the St. James's theater,
81. P. Harley, Esqre., from his very
sincerely, Charles Dickens, Jan'y 18th,
1897"
A copy of the same Illustrations
of Every Day Life and Every Day
People in the original parts was car
ried off for 6 As by F. Harvey friend
of the illustrator, George Cruikshank.
to whose quaint illustrations the
Sketches are indebted.
No more affecting memorial in the
sale than the presentation parts Of
The Pickwick Papers in original num-
bers, inscribed on the Wrappers to
MARY Hogarth, from her affectionate
Charles Dickens" This lamented
young lady was "his wife's youngest
sister, Mary, who lived with them,
and by sweetness Of nature, even
more than by grace of person, had
made herself the ideal of his life" She
passed away with terrible suddenness
May T. 1887, as related by Dickens to
his publisher: miss Hogarth, after
accompanying Mrs. Dickens and my
self to the theater last night, was
taken seriously i'll, and despite our