Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-07-15
CHARLES DICKENS'S NAMES
"Doz" His Only Pseudonym for Lit
crnry Purposes.
(From the London Globe)


"Doz" His only r'eudonym for Lit
crory Purpo.es.
Vs., ., ,,,o, c,o,o,
ThirtT-nine years nave phsHed since on
the evening OF June - lo'o' 'nc great
master of smiles ana tears leil on
sleep nj Gadsh'li' anu ever! year the
laurels that surround the name OF DICK
ems grow ereener Win tne ''h''or'a'''E
OF imperishable iaine Inc name Oh
Charles Dickens is iamiilar 10 an inc
world, but probahlN the nu'nner OF 'hose
who are acquainted with ms name III
full is somewhat limited lhcre IS
w"li-Enown London hrin OF BOOKSELLERS
which persistenty prints the hoVN'S'
name in full IN conhec''oh WIN every
item By or relating TO MN ~hich appears
In its monthly cataloRF' ana thls niue
bit Of pedantry must have CONSIDERABLY
enlarged the circle OF those WHO are
aware that Dickens was chrlstened not
Charles alone but Charles john HUFF
ham.
one wonders how often ne used thos"
second and third names IN the course o'
his life. His usual signature with H'
elaborate flourish. which the cover ana
half title Of thu Charles Dickens ed'-
t'on OF the WORKS made familiar to many
thousands O. leaders. knows them not
In letter writing he occasionally invent
ed various playful signatures for him
self. according TO :he personality or his
correspondent or the subject of his let
ter TIC Charles KNIGHT on one occasion
he was &c. +. p. James'-a signature
quite in keeping with the text Of the
epistle; &c Misc Mary Boyle he was
Joe" to other correspondents. accord
ing to the humor OF the moment he
might he the ''GasliGht Boy" or THE
unwaistcoated One" or THE Prescribed
One" or THE Misconccived One" One
letter to Clarkson Stanneld he even Sign
ed "Dick;" but " Huffham' never ap-
pears IN his familiar correspondence; and
his biographer points ont the curious
circumstances that on the few formal
occasions when he wrote his Christian
names In full he dropped the second III
and wrote 'Hunhnm The eponymous
Huffman, n may be noted, was DICKENS S
godfather. risger and mast. oar and
block maker. who 'lived Mt 1imehouse
In a substantial, handsome fort Of way
and was kind to his Eodchild." The
youngster greatly enjoyed his visits &c
his good-uatured godfather, who, by the
bestowal n ms name at the font on the
infant Charles has gained a sort OF
,,,r ' ~. -.
D,s,.,,, 49,.
,,,,, -,
,,.,,,.. 49,. o.,
while at least es famous as the rea
names Of the wearers. Dickens, whcr
o.. 49,, n.n 49,. 49,. ~.
amman -.
little known by this time as Sir Walter
SCOTS malachi Malagrowther" o,
Peter Pattieson" had 1t not been en-
shrined In the title ~ his early book
Sketches by Boz" The origin Of Bo;
Is known to most readers interested II
Dickens A younger brother OF tho nov
elist was known In the family circle as
Moses, IN facetious allus'on to one o.
the characters In the Vicar II Wake
field" and this being pronounced in fur
through the nose became Bosses and 81
Boz, which Dickens adopted as his earl,
pen name. Boz" he once wrote, wa
a very familiar hossehold word to mi
long before l was an author. and 40
came TO adopt IT,"
Before the real name OF Boz became
we'll known somebody invented and cir
culated the following smart epigram:-
Who ,he Duckcns "Ro," co,,,a ha
ru,z,ed MANY n cur,ou. al,
TIN ,i,ns un,,.,,.d tho n,,..,.r,.
Ava "poz" .nre.,oa ,s D,o,.,, ,.
Hooo wrote puhhlngly though ungram
matlcaliy'-
Aren't that ERE "Doz' a t,n,on fo,,ero
Lot, write well hut he write. Weller
ohc OF '"o OF the carly letters to inti
mate iiienos are sigheo BOZ but eftc
the puphcnuon OF 'flchwick' had mad
the name OF DICKENS faln'har from on
ehd OF inc Kiheoo'n 10 inc other BOZ
was only occee'ohel'y used although
shoulo De reneiapercd thnt the "Posthu
nous Papers OF inc I1ck"ick Club
were originally issued as "Edlted b
BOZ ana at that GATE as g. W. N
Reynolds the uhpiushing author OF vn
rlous limitations or DICKENS, remarked
Ihe srea' popularity OF The name o
1909 wouio procure sale for ne'
ediuoh OF Jhck' the Giant killer. tn
"oVen''' no".Ne'' ooc's'oha''y 30 spoh