New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-01
WHAT JASPER DID.
The Mysteries of Ed1cin brood.
From The London Times.

From The London Times
In article entitled The Mysteries of Edwin
brood" in your issue of to-day, the writer, spec
uIatng on the various theories advanced as
solutions OF the mystery, ventures to say:
"Ncr do we attach much importance to any Oh
the hints Dickens dropped. whether to John For
ster, TO any member of his family, to either
OF his illustrators. He was very anxious that
his secret should rot be guessed, and the hints a.,
which he dropped may very well have been III
tentionally misleading
l know Charles Dickens was very anxious
that his secret should not be guessed, hut It
surprises to read that he could be thought
him.
The "hints he dropped" to me his sole Illus
trator-for Charles Collins. his son-in-law. only
designed the green cover for the monthly parts,
and Collins told me he did not in the least
know the significance of the various groups IN
the design; that they were drawn from instruc-
tons personally given by Charles Dickens ana
the outcome of a request of mine that he wou.q
explain some matters the meaning Of which |
could not comprehend. and which were Tor me-
his illustrator, embarrassngly hidden
instanced the printers rough proof OF the
monthly part sent to to illustrate where he
particularly described John Jasper wearing
a neckeTchief of such dimensions to go twice
around his neck; called his attention to the
circumstance that had previously dressed Jas
per as wearing little black tie once around
the neck, and asked him If he had any special
reasons for the alteration of Jasper'S attire,
and, If so, / submitted 1 ought to know. He,
Dickens, appeared for 6 moment to be discon-
certed by my remark, and he said something
meaning he was afraid he was getting on too
fast and revealing more than he meant at that
early stage, and after a short silence, cogitatng,
he suddenly said, Can you keep a secretP i
assured him he could rely on me He then said
II must have the double necktie! 1t is neceS-
sary, for Jasper strangles Edwin brood with it.
| was impressed by his earnestness, as, in
deed, 1 was at all my interviews with him
also by the confidence which he said he reposed
in me, trusting that I would not in any way
refer to it. as he feared even a chance remark
might find it's way into the papers and thus
anticipate his mystery; and it is a little
startling, after more than thirty-f1ve years of
profound belief in the nobility of character and
sincerity Of Charles Dickens, to be told now that
he probably was more or less of a humbug on
such occasions LUKE FILDES
have no Intention Of limiting that Dickens
was a ''humbug" as Mr.. Luke Ffldes appears
to think. But his Renaissance Of a spoken re-
Dickens said. Jasper is going to strange
Edwin or even If he said Jasper is to stran-
gle Edwin" with the black silk muff1er, did
Dickens mean that Jasper strangied Edwin sue
cessfuly? l have no doubt that he did strange
Edwin, ''at least as far he was able" But
IF he actually succeeded In expelling Edwin's
vital principle, what did Dickens mean by in
structing Mr.. Collins to draw the design at
the foot of the cover Of the novel? Here we
Jasper opening the door of vault, the rays
of his lantern reveal a young man who Is most
certainly not Helena Landless in male costume
he resembles in particular the description of
Helena; and his costume is not that of Datchery,
whom Mr.. Cunning Walters takes to be Helena.
Nor is he Heena's brother. He resembles the
Edwin brood shown in the sketch at the top of
the cover, and resembles nobody else in the
novel. If he is not Edwin, who has been in
the students Of the cover of his romance.
a. LANG