Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
CHRISTIAN NAMES OF 1907"
WAS CHRISTENED CHARLES
JOHN HUFFHAM DICKENS.
He Invariably, Except in Fun in
Letters to Friends. Used His
First and Surnames.

From the London Globe
Thirty-nine years have passed since. on
the evening of June a. 1870. the great
master OF smiles and tears fell on
sleep at Gadshill; and every year the
iaurels that surround the name of Dick
ems grow greener with the Immortality of
imperishable fame. The name of Charles
Dickens is familiar to all the world, but
probably the number of those who are
acquainted with his name in full is some
what limited. There is a wei-known Lon
don firm of booksellers which persistently
prints the noveiist's name in full in con-
nection with every item by or relating to
him which appears in it's monthly cata-
logues. and this little bit of pedantry must
have considerably enlarged the circle Of
those who are aware that Dickens was
christened not Charles alone. but Charles
John Huffman
One wonders how often he used those
second and third names in the course Of
his life. His usual signature, with its
elaborate flourish, which the cover and
half-titie Of the Charles Dickens edi-
ton of the works made familiar to many
thousands of readers, knows them not
In letterwriting he occasionally invented
various playful signatures for himself, ac-
cording to the personality of his corre-
spondent. or the subject of his letter. To
Charles Knight. on one occasion, he was
&c. P. r. James'-a signature quite in
keeping with the text of the epistle: to
Miss Mary Boyle he was joe: to other
correspondents, according to the humor Of
the moment, he might be the "Gaslight
Boy" or The Unwaistcoated One" or
THE Prescribed One or The Miscon-
ceived One
Huffman Never.
One letter to Clarkson Stanfield he even
signed 'Dick," but 'Huffham'' never ap-
pears in his familiar correspondence. and
his b!ographer points out the curious cir
cumsanc that on the few formal occa-
sions when he wrote his Christian names
in full, he dropped the second III and
wrote "Huffam.'' The ep0nymous Huff
ham, it may be noted, was Dickens god
father. rigger and mast, oar and block
maker, who "lived at Limehouse in SUBJ
stantial. handsome sort of way, and was
kind to his godchid." The youngster
greatly enjoyed his visits to his good
natured godfather. who, by the bestowal
Charles, has gained sort of twilight i'm
mortality. The second name. John,
was. of course. the name of Dickens
father.
Boz is one of those pseudonyms of
literature which have become, for a while,
at least. as famous as the real names of
the wearers. Dickens when his pen first
delighted the world. was amiliar to
every one as Boz" but the name would
probably have become as little known by
this time as Sir Walter Scots Malachi
Maia growther." or Peter Pattieson.
had 1t not been enshrined In the title of
his early book, Sketches by Boz The
origin of Boz Is known to most read
ers interested in Dickens 4 younger
brother of the novelist was known in the
foy oir fSpQfiQuS
sion to one of the characters in The
Vicar of Wakefield" and this being pro-
nounced in fun through the nose. became
Bosses, and so Boz, which Dickens adopt
wrote, was a very familiar household
word to me long before | was an author,
and so l came to adopt It:
Tom Hoods Pun.
Before the real name of Boz became
well known. somebody invented and cir
culated the following smart epigram:
Who the nickens Boz could be
Puzzled many a curious eli.
Till time unveiled the mystery
And Bog appeared al Dickens self.
Hood wrote punningly, but ingram
maticaly:
Aren't that ere .'foz' tip-top Teller:
Lots write re we'll but he writes Weller.
One or two of the early letters to inti-
mate friends are signed Boz" but after
the publication of ''Pichwick' had made
the name of Dickens familiar from one
end of the kingdom to the other. Boz
was only occasionally used: although it
should be remembered That the "Posthu-
nous Papers Of the Pickwick Club We're
originally issued as Edited by Boz and
at that date. as G. W. NJ. Reynolds the
unblushing author OF various limitations OF
Dickens. remarked:
1.-The great popularity of the name of
Boz would procure sale for new
edition of Jack the Giant Killer The
novelist, however. occasionally so spoke
of himself later. In letter to his Amer
lean friend, Prof. FELTON,. dated Septem-
her. 1s4a describing himself and his life
and surroundings at Broadstairs, he says:
I'm a bay window In one-pair SITS from
o o'clock to I, gentleman with rather