The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-02-21

had he been guilty of gambling; that
when he attempted to say his pray-
ers, the two half crowns weighed up-
on his mind and interfered with his
| devotons; he must ask Mr.. Dickens
to take back the money
| Dickens regarded Mr.. Childs very
gravely. Was this a joke or a too
sensitive conscience? Then he ex-
| planned at great length that the GUS
toms of England did not permit him
to take back the half crowns. but
that he would consent to wager
double or quits until the British lion
had won. MIR. Childs agreed to this.
under protest, and Dickens gave us an
audacious wink, which meant. Put
five shillings ON his conscience."
Young Charles tried his best to lose
the game: but the balls sNmpat hiZed
with Mr.. Childs and the British lion
was victorious, When Mr.. Childs. re-
lieved of his gambling gains. had re-
tired smilingly, Dickens asked. lis /,
possible, Have | been dreaming =?
And Vet he is Il great mani He has
done wonderful things!"
None of the portraits published re-
sembled Dickens at the prime of life
and the height of his fame He
looked like a retired sea-captain, and
had an alertness and vigor that sug-
gested "Heave ahead, my heartiesl"
This suggestion was heightened bv
his ruddN weather beaten face. his
grizzted, foam-tlecked hair and beard
and his keen. calm, serious eyes that
seemed to reflect the wonders of the
deep. He had a brother. Frederick
Dickens, who looked so like him that
| had often thought they were twins
the same sailor-likc face and man
ner, the same talent as an amateur
actor, but with no literary ability. it
was curious to study the two brothers
exactly alike, but one lacking the in
spiration of genius. as If Nature had
created pulicates and then decided to
endow Charles, instead of Frederick.
The world knows Dickens as a
writer, but as an oral story-teller he
was even more marvellous. He told
stories almost as constantly as Lin
coin or Scheherezade. but they had a
mysterious popularity. Remember
them-repeat them word for word
and they had lost their magic For
example, when we were a small fam
lily party at Cars Hill, We would coax
Dickens to tell us the story OF the
woman with the Red Shawl" He
had dreamed of woman who wore
red shawl. and at night. going home
after his lecture he had met the iden-
ucal woman, wearing the same red
shawl as in his dream. There was
nothing very remarkable in such an
incident: but, as Dickens told it, the
story Interested, amused and thrilled
us, though we had heard 1t over and
over again.
He talked with such a quaint pre-
clsion, such an undcrtone of run. wit
and satire that ii seemed as if he
might have saved himself many
weary hours by debating his novels to
a stenographer
Across the road, but within the
manor of Gad's Hill and under the
jurisdiction of Dickens as landlord
and as Justice of the Peace, was a
country tavern, originally called "The
Jolly Plow Boy" but rechristened
Sir John Falstanf's Inn" One night
there was a disturbance in the tav-
tfn, ana we went over in a BODY
Dickens leading. to- investigate it,
Among party of rough fellows was
IA man with blood streaming down
his race, and he said that the land
lord had struck him with a pewter
pot