Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-07


ems that the
Distinguished Names cen tenary
on American Committee. =, n,D hirth
next year is in part to take the form of a
voluntary subscription from Dickens lovers
everywhere. 1t is his grateful readers
who are behind this Dickens testimonial.
The idea is as original as II is graceful and
practical and within the reach Of all. There
has been formed an international honor
airy committee, which on this side Of the
Atlantic enrolls such illustrious names as
J. Pierpont Morgan, Andrew Carnegie. W l.
liam Dean Howells. ex-President Roose-
Bryan. Prof. Eliot. Adm raj Robley d.
Evans, Charles Frohman, Mayor Gaynor.
Cardinal Gibbons. Bishop Greer, Edwin
Markham, George b. Mcclellan, White
nam. John Wanamaker. Gov. Woodrow
Wilson. Gen. Woodward and others
This committee has prepared what is
known as the Dickens memorial stamps
one and two-thirds, resembling in style
an ordinary private book stamp, printed
on spec al plate paper. ard gummed on
the back ready for aff1xing. The design
was cut on a steel die. bearing a laurel
encircled portrait Of the author. and sur
rounded by the words "a Tribute to
Genius The English stamps bear the
legend "One Penny those for American
use Two Cents Tho stamps arc sold in
sheets of twelve for twenty-five cents.
President Taft will receive the first sheet
sold in this country. and King George
the first one issued in Great Britain.
II is hoped and expected, in view OF the
object of this Dickens testimonial, that
every lover and reader OF the Master s
productions will purchase a single stamp
for each volume in his or her library
whether In paper or de luxe bindings.
and affix it on the inside cover. When
umes that are in existence bearing
Charles Dickens name on the title page
1T IS easy to calculate that in this simple
and unburdcnsome way very large sum
for the Dickens heirs.
The London publishers who purchased
all copyrights from the Dickens estate.
to which they have since regularly paid
special centenary ed ton of his works
they will make free-will contribution to
the fund by supplying a Dickens stamp
in every volume of the edition as q gratu-
itous and graceful offering. Another firm.
whose annual output In the cheaper forms
amounts to 100000 volumes, have an
nounced that they will do the same thing.
1t is expected that certain American pub
fishers will emulate this spirit and come
forward in their turn.
y X
Charles Dickens first saw the light at
Landport, near Portsmouth, February Z,
1872. His
Early Boyhood Trials father. John
of the Great Novelist. e1 osars "H ~
the naval pay Office, but subsequently be-
came a newspaper reporter. The future
novelist went through an arduous boy
hood. He received mere elementary
education. and very early in life was
compelled to fend for himself. He was
for q time an attorneys clerk, then fol-
lowed in his fathers footsteps on the
press, ultimately becoming a shorthand
expert and l'amentary reporter for the
Morning Chronicle. In 1896 he married
Catherine, daughter OF George Hogarth.
the very year in which "Ptckwick' ap-
peared
Dickens was always glutton Tor work
in fact, his productivity was enormous.
when it's constantly high quality was con-
s.dered. In the forty years OF his literary
died in 1S7O-his output will
challenge comparison even with that OF
Sir Walter Scott. In David Copper
field''-the favorite child OF his genius
many of the incidents in his own early
days are almost biographical. 1t Is
stated that the immortal Micawber was
q more or less faithful portYaiture OF his
own father. In all his novels appear these
In ''Nicholas Nickleby''
We have reproduced the seaport Of Ports