New-York tribune., 1909-07-03
LEIGH / Mt.
Il Vindication Of His Character by
His Family Doctor.

Did Dickens make faithful portrait OF LelEh
Hunt when he drew him in the character OF
Harold Skimpoe? The question has bee" re
,ived in the columns Of THE London Nation"
bv Mr. Henry W. Nevinson who answers II hy
printing for the first time letter on the SUB
tect from the late Dr. George Bird, Hunts H'e0-
icaI man Dickens himself has told us what he
thought Of the well remembered hgure in Bleak
House" In letter which was published IN
"Harpers Magazine" some three years ago he
says:
7 I1Iii proceed to speak if / had only reao h-iiL
and not written him. suppose ne i - ,icrlis I
nave @ , EeIg is ast6nshing don't think it could
the Mkehfss 80 10 Ike himself 1t is so awfully
i"JSs trat I make a bargain with myself never 70
do 50 any IN It is an absolute Iepro-
d1ction Of real man. O1 course h@yS 40, "ffl ffa
fact; but IN ali else il is the life Itself
The time came when the novelist sought to
make neace between himself and Hunt but lhe
association of his friends name with the cHal
acter in the book has, Of course, persisted. Dr'
tzird who knew Hunt in the later years OF ms
life regretted this, and in his OLD age oecIoe"
~ mt his observations on the matter IN "i'1Iiie'
- - T,,na 1sqs he sent the following letter to
.gurts eldest grandson, who with MISS M
Bird. the doctors sister recently emu U7'''' -
20 Mr.. Nevinson for publications
r., Mr. walter Leigh Hunt. in, .,,, az ,,ou
know IN your Keen desire 10 leihCfJ ~ tttacLs or
imp mp. ther l sympaJhIZe because ma al
Ways felt the deepest respect anu .r ug tniIk 81
the man well as the writer. ',cr,nn nf /
-, ~ hear MS name without an cHlol!uIl " l
y 80 nften Ionged 10 put III prnt my own per -
sonal recollectOns touching the ZION
me- n U vifhheid any public expression because OF
nay rsjn to his descendants, but nave felt
,..f ana grief
Mated | have done my utmost py Wolu ol tiiOu It
especially win literary men u 'H0 u"'' w F
things III theI proper light. . + - ,bf. mis-
10 speak plainly, the source Cf most oI tS IIlS ,I
repTe sentation was other than ms WlIe. @ MIS-
Leigh Hunt. In my opinion she was nleid-iJCS ,
household. When hlst knew neI; az dpoGt 49, ' 'ri,,I
was an intemperate woman and sQd9eh from nI4lh M
not know One day he said to me: isn't polue
Of brandy day, which hear you haDe ave orqered sred
abstention from spirituous drinks Going one DAY
into her room gn HG9 bdds6 EGKeS der oFf 6e bed IT'S
milk my DEAR said Mrs. Leigh Hunt and ne ac1
&c! SffPtd @ the cs5Bat e with what
iiiS Saturaiy this state of things domes
tic disorganization and embarrassment with trades
men and to giving ceaseless notes of hand. On one
9GeasP The ' led to Mrs Hunts bor
rowing and begging from friends There is a pain
Vol udda H. o 1 1 b f dfe ddor efd b dae Rg
enGe enG Tbornton m letter is given DIV Macauiay,
beleve) demonstrating with Mrs. Leigh Hunt on
her applications for money and for keeping her
I believe I am the only contemporary Of Leigh
Hunt who could testify 70 these facts concerning
his wife and for the sake of Leigh Hunt I put
them on record before I pass away l attended
professionally Leigh Hunt Mrs. Leigh Hunt his
beloved son. Vincent, and others Of the family.
AS to the iamentable Dickens caricature which
arose out Of the borrowings, | don't how that
is TO be remedied. No doubt Dickens did put Leigh
Hunt in the pilory He afterward repented and
made sort Of retractation. but the injury he in
ficted remains. alas! to this date. ] am glad to
write these few words to vou Leigh Hunts eldest
grandson as ] know you take adverse criticism TO
heart.
I am dear Walter Hunt faithfully YOURS.
GEORGE BIRD. NJ. y
tNow in my eighty-secCnd ys.~i
Mr.. Nevinson adds that from his conversa-