Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-17
Copyright, 1907, by Curtis Brown
LONDON. November I, 1870


Special Correspondence OF The Star
LONDON. November Z, 1907.
WIZ cs es<ss P s las, died nSv1 IN
w n rae - "g oa,% .. of .aa H1%,n
the FngIish-srcakng world
ard a good many of the folk who SPEAK
other languages. too spent much time
trying 10 guess how tn" ~ AT author had
intended that his p+rplexing story should
end And that Suessw"rE has been going
on with more OF l~ss spasm"dic NigoI
ever since.
Many literary Sherlock Hoimeses. in
Guiding Andrew Lang. hav- filed many Il
magaz zine page trying to prove from the
clues left by Dickens what the conclusion
was to have been. Several authors, more
ambitious than discreet. have audaciously
assumed the mantle OF the dead prophet
and finished the book Mediums have in
Vuked the spirit of Dickens himself to
solve the mystery. with results equally
uHconvIncing.
For thirty-seven years the Mystery
has remained the great puzzle of the
literary world. None OF those who have
tried to uuravel it have supposed that 1t
ever could he proved whether or no he
or She had found the correct solution as
planned by the master hand.
1t can be- though, for something has
been rround by a granddaughter of the
great novelist, Miss Ethel Dickens. which
contains the proof that has long been
sought 1t Is a play written by the eldest
son O. Charles Dtckens-Charles Dickens.
the younger. And that play. which Is a
Decentralization Of the unfinished "Mys-
terry" ends as Dickens had intended to end
his battling and fascinating story l have
been extremely fortunate in obtaining
from Miss Dickens herself this account
OF il.
THE play of Edwin brood was written
some years after my grandfatte r's death.
and my fathers chief object il writing It
was to give the ending of. the story as
he had received It from my grandfather :
lips.
My father had long had the idea of
this play in his mind. but ] think 1t was
during his visit 10 America and by reason
OF the extreme appreciation and love of
my grandfather and his works that he
found existing SO strongly all over that
country. that the play was finally written
and written for America
There can be little doubt that as my
grandfather progressed with the story Of
Edwin brood many notifications were
made of the original plot. and this is
clearly proved by the conversation that l
Will speak of presently which took place
between himself and my father some little
time before his death.
He was. l believe keenly interested in
this lis last work. The development of
the story AMI the study of Jasper, whom
he evidently intended to present to us as
an Unmt!gated villain from first to last.
filed lis remaining days with a restless
excitement which, however ruinous to his
own health. gave to the world most
inter, sting and battling enigma, the clues
to the Mystery one is invited to follow
being so numerous and so apparently i'm
possible to fit neatly together in order
to arrive at any definite and satisfactory
conclusion.
My grandfather pursued his usual
method of work during the writing of
Edwin brood that Is to say, after an
early breakfast he would go to his study,
or, IN fine. warm weather. to the chalet in
his garden and there work, or grind away,
as he sometimes called It, until the luncheon
hour 1t was never difficult, I have heard
my father say, TO judge from the ex-
preston on his face whether he had been