The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-02
Foreign Service

n OND0N, Oct. 1.-While the London
II county council, bent on what has
II been termed the characterization
of London's streets" has found 1t nee
essary to demolish many buildings that
link the present with the stored past
on the other hand, it does its best to
keep alive the historic and literary as
sociations attaching to houses that re-
main by placing memorial tablets upon
them identifying them with the names
OF their former distinguished occu-
pants. BY American visitors especially
it is probable that this latter work will
be for more appreciated than the
changes wrought by the pickax of i'm
provement, for to them the chief charm
of London lies in the fact that 1t Is
such a rich storehouse of literary and
historic memories.
One of the latest houses thus Off
cially COMMUNICATED is No. 1 Devon
shire terrace, Marylebone road, where
Charles Dickens dWelt from 1889 to
1851. The premises are substantially
in the same condition as at the time
of his residence, except that bay win
dow has been added to the drawing
room on the first floor The study in
which so much of the great novelist's
best work was penned, is described by
his daughter Mamie in my Father as
1 Recall Him." as a "a pretty room
with steps leading directly into the
garden from it, and with an extra baize
door to keep out all sounds and noise
always, like himself, the per-
sOnification of neatness and tidiness.
On the shelf of his writing table were
many dainty and useful ornaments,
gifts from his friends, or members of
his family, and always a vase of bright
and fresh flowers" From the same
source there is a description Of 1.-The
little garnet room at the very
top OF the house." which Dickens made
''as pretty and comfortable for his two
little daughters as it could be made"
though the adornment was decidedly
primitive, the unframed prints being
fastened to the wall by ordinary black
or white pins, whichever we could get"
The first pages of "Barnaby Rudge"
were written at the house he had
previously occupied in Doughty street.
but it was completed at the Devon
shire terrace residence. Among other
books written wholly or in part here
were Martin Chuzzlewit," the
Christmas Carol" Cricket on the
HEARTH" American Notes." 'Dombey
and Son. and David Copperfield," the
latter being the last important work
done at Devonshire terrace. Apart
from the fact that here were produced
some of his latest literary triumphs.
the house is of additional interest as
the scene of the brightest and happiest
period ofhis life. 1t was the first home
of most of his children and the meet
ing place of the most famous people
of the literary world. He left it with
regret because it became too small
for his family, and took possession of
TaVistock house.
Almost of equal interest to literary
pilgrims is No 81 Wimpole street, on
which a tablet has recently been plac-
ed recording that it was once the home
of Henry Hallam, the great historian,
who lived there from 1919 to 1870.
Yet ii is not because of it's association
with the author of the Constitution
al History Of England" that the house
claims most attention. A more pathet-
ic interest attaches to it as the home
of the historians eldest son, Arthur
Henry Hallam Tennyson's dearly be-
loved friend. 1t is this friendship
which has been inInortalized in that
sublime poem, In Memoriam," where
the house is referred to in these sad
and touching lines:
Dark house, by which once more 1 stand.
Here in the long unlovely street,
Doors, where my heart was used to beat
SO quickly waiting, for a hand,
A hand that can be elasped no more.
Arthur was eight years old when
his father went to live in Wimpole
street, but it was while he was at
Trinity college, Cambridge, between
1928 and 1892 that he and Tennyson
became such fast friends. He was only
twenty when death overlook him with
tragic suddenneSS on the continent.
Young as he was, he had even then
produced works which presaged for
him brilliant literary future But
even had he lived to fulfill the expec-
tatons entertained for him, it is
doubtful if he would ever have writ
ten anything that wot have caused
him to be remembered nearn,a so long
as he will by his friends poem. His
father felt hts loss keenly and spoke
or himself as one whose hopes this
side the tomb are broken down for
ever More sorrows, however. await
ed him in Wimpole street In 1887
his daughter Ellen died there, and
three years later his wife passed away.
Shortly after this latter event he left
the hOnSA which an11foinnd