Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-03
Micawber His Grandfather.

M1cawber His Grandfather. =.
"Of course Mr. Micawber was my
grandfather and Mrs. Nickleby my grand
| mother, and many people associated
Horace Skimpole with Leigh Hunt. When
| Hunt complained of it my father wrote
| and assured him that if he had copied
him it was quite unintentional, and a
little later he induced Lord RUSSELL the
premier, a great friend of his, to award
Hunt a pension of goo year from the
literary fund"
Mr.. Dickens recollections of his god
father were slight, as the last time he
saw the poet he was only eleven. More
over he left England some years before
his father died. but kept an active cor
respondence with him almost till the day
when the great novelist died suddenly
June 10. 1870. at Gad's Hill.
Left Home at Twenty.
When he was twenty years old. Mr..
Dickens left England to seek his fortune
in Australia. He did not know then that
forty-ive years would pass before he
would see England again. and that he
would never again see his father
The last time 1 saw my father" Mr.
Dickens recently said, was in Padding
ton station. He was seeing me off to
Australia. | was only a lad then, and he
told me he was coming out to see me
and see how got along as a sheep raiser.
He said he was coming soon as he fin
iShed Edwin Brood the book he was
then writing. But the novel. as you
know. was never finished, and that was
the last time ever saw him.
Il never dreamed that more than forty
years would pass before | should see Eng
land again, and when 1 returned there it
was like foreign country to me. IT.
deed, I may say that America seems al
fhnr,
for America is much more like Austria
liza. But l visited the old home and the
scenes of my boyhood, and after all they
were not much changed
Was Twice Married.
Mr.. Dickens was twice married. His
first wife was killed in a runaway during
his first years in Australia. OF his Sec
ond wife. his manager said last night
that little is known, and Mr. Dickens sell
dom referred to her. He leaves two
daughters, both by his first marriage,
both Of them now in Melbourne, where
Mr.. Dickens had his home.
Many mtsfortunes marked Mr.. Dickens
life in Australia. First, there was the
death of his first wife in the runaway,
and in later years he lost practically all
destroyed his ffocks, which were worth
about 100000
May Take Body to England.
Mr.. Dickens is also survived by one
sister. Mrs. Charles Edward Perugini of
London, who was Kate Dickens, the
youngest daughter Of the novelist Mr.
Glass cabled to Mrs. Perugini last night,
and, pending Instructions from her. no
arrangements for the funeral of Mr..
Dickens will be made. 1t is believed that
she will order the body shipped to Eng
land for burial there.
Henry Clews, who was a friend of Mr..
Dickens, made know for the first time
last night that several wealthy men had
met few days ago for the purpose of
raising fund in TINS country to relieve
the destitute condition Of the heirs of
Charles Dickens in England and else
where. Mr. Clews was one of the prime
movers in the movement Alfred Dick
ems knew nothing about the project, but
shortly after his arrival here it was pro-
posed.