The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-15
Dickens First Love.

Dickens's first serious love affair Is a
subject that must be interesting to every
body. Like everything OF Importance in
his youth it is minutcly described In his
writings. lie was no more than 10. so the
time was about 1881 II was so great a
passion that, as he tells us, for a period
OF four years IL excluded every other
thought. After FIVE and twenty years, as
he told his friend, Forster. he could not
think OF the episode without pain. Il
never can see the face or hear the voice
without all the old scenes being called
up
Now comes the interesting question.
Whose was this face and voice. and who
was this prototype OF Dora and Mrs.
FinchlnE--who was this youthful love OF
the 30's when Boz was not 20 years old ?
We can indeed, only speculate. but the
speculation is very close 70 certainty.
Some years ago well-known firm OF au-
tograph dealers. who o;i-e mad for sale
the first receipt for the ''Pickwick' copy
money. were in possession OF a number OF
early letters OF Boz writes at this time.
They were II IN number. and were ad
dressed to friend named Henry Kolle. a
clerk In a city bank. The young men be-
came very intimate. walked and rode to-
gether. and IL was TO Koile that Boz con-
tded his first contribution to magazine,
In a letter that Is OF extraordinary inter
est. f' as.
The two friends used to frequent the
house OF n family named Beadewell. whore
there were two attractive sisters, TO one
OF whom Kolle became attached. The
other was the object OF Dickens's affec.
ton Before 1888 Kolle had married
Dickens was not so fortunate. His suit
was opposed by the pnrents--notaby by
the mother AS would seem from the fol-
lowing letter the courtship was carried
on clandostnely: "As | was requested In
a note received this morning to forward
my answer by the same means as my first
note, 4 am emboldened To ask YOU n you
will be so Kind IS to deliver the incosed
for me when you practi e your customary
duet this afternoon"
This letter Is undated. hut Il Is clearly
written when both were bachelors. the In.
vorcd kolle practicing music with his
fancee, the poor youth Charles forbidden
the house. II Miss Beadnoll was like Do.
ra. as Is said she must have been a fas
cirating little creature: and this story
quite accords with that OF the ncticiou,
maiden. The dlsaereeable Miss Murd.
stont who kept guard over Dora, may
have been suggested by the hostile nam
ma.
Years later Dickens went 20 call on his
old fame. lie saw the stuffed Jip I'm th,
hall and the interview 80 revived the olo
feelings that not long after he began tn,
touching episode OF Dora. These feel
inss were. of course. Independent of IN,
rather grotesQue ones which the changot
appearance and flighty behavior OF tn,
heroine produced. And the embodiment
| OF these he reserved for a later story
Little Dorrit when HIS once fascinat
I tT- Dora became Flora Finchlng Som,
| cynics have dealt rather harshly with Boi
| Tor thus ridlculing what should have beer
| sacred TO him. but they forget that he ha,
already enshrined all that was tender an,
romantic In the history In the exauisitel,
| attractive Dora. He was fairly entitled I,
| present this other view OF the matter. -
! Percy Fitzgerald Ia Harper's Magazine.