Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-07
DICKENS BIRTHDAY
IS REMEMBERED
BY Mr.. FISKE
IN ARTICLE
Sole Survivor of Coterie of
Famous Authors, Editor and
Critics Tells Personal Rem.
iniscenoes.
UNITED STATES AND
ENGLAND JOIN IN HONOR

/
States and England today, The sole
/ survivor OF the Dickens coterie ~
stephen Fiske. writer. editor ana dra-
matte critic. and he has written an
! article on the great author dealing in
timately with many happenings of his
| life and containing personal reminis-
cences. Mr.. FIskes article is as foll
| lows
Dickens was very happy at Cabs
! Hill. When a boy, tramping with his
iather from London TO Rochester, he
| had stopped lefoTe the pretty house
aud exclaimed There / shall live
v hen ] get to be mani" The fulnll-
ment OF this prophecy seemed 20
Dickens like the happy ending to one
of his own fairy tales. Besides the
place was holy ground to him, for Il
had been trodden by the feet Of
shakespeare and was a resort OF Fall
stan, Polns. Peto. Fistoi and Bar
dolph In the hall painted panel
read, This Is Gadshlll, OF which Sir
joan Falstaf said -" and the quo
tation from Henry the Fourth" fol-
lows.
There was only one other residence
In all England that Dickens preferred
20 Gad's Hin. His favorite walk was
TO Rochester. and he would stand for
hours. viewing the ruined castle; re-
building and repairing II; repeopling
| II with the kings and queens, lords
and ladies who had lived within ita
massive walls one day he said:
III / could snly have this old cas-
| tie 20 1--we IN / would reilt part of II
I OF Lngrt
70 the public on certain days or hours.
Il would not cost so very much.
have made the calculations. But this
Is one Of my dreams that will never
come true!"
While Dickens was lecturing in
America obtained an Interview with
another great novelist. Dis.aeli. then
premier OF Great Britain, and told
him this story lie replied promptly
and emphaticaily. There II nothing
In the kingdom that Mr.. Dickens can
net have " he wants IL. Tell him To
forward a formal request 70 be APP
pointed custodian OF Rochester cas-
tie. and ne shall receive HIS commits
sion from Her Gracious Majesty who
viii be as pleaAed as / am to accede
TO his wishes"
Thus, within a year. the dream OF
Rochester castle would have been re-
allied had not Dickens died untimcly.
Gad's Hin IL a small stone parson-
age. sweet with flowers To the left
OF the central hall--which was hung
with scenes painted by Stansneld for
amateur perf0rmances--wer the re-
ception and dining rooms. on the
right were the library and billiard
room. on side door was the notice,
"This leads TO the kitchen; please
keep closed
Plaoards. labels and signs were pc
culiaritles OF the house. In the sleep
ing rooms were benches lettered IN
black, Foo Trunk" For portman-
teau. Dickens laughed and ne ex-
planned: yes; everything that can be
labeled Is labeled. | used to he the
most careless OF men. and had 10
cure myself as my work Increased.
Now am martinez. Breakfast at
sharp: dinner at sharp. other
wise this Is Liberty HALL"
The room 3est known TO the pub
lie In the library. because OF the Pic
turc by Luke Fieldes. called ihe
Vacant Chair" which has bsoushs
tears 90 many eyes. But. so far as
Dickens was concerned, that chair had
always been va ant. II was for the
accommodation guests He never
used Il. except Go write the most cas-
uul notes How could I write works
IN a library" he oValaimed, with all
those volumes glaring at me and mutt
tering. What Another
The books on the lowest shelf OF the
library were dummies. with titles Sc
iected by such London humorists as
Albert smith, Mark Lemon, Edmund
Yates and Andrew Halliday. Lives
OF the Poets" was $50 thin that there
was scarcely room for the title on
the hack. Five Minutes Ia India, by
an Establishment was In ave poTtly
volumes Eggs on Bacon" caricatur-
cd cooke on LittletOn," Dickens re-
called the authors of an the dummies
and would roll on the floor with Glee
as ne told about them.
Hia important writing was done Ia
large bedroom upstairs or in cha
LOT on the opposite side OF the road,
connected with Gad's Hill by tun-
mel cut through the chalk soil, 80
that Dickens might pass 20 and fro
without encountering the scores ~
"
admirers who stopped before his house
daily To catch a glimpse Of their idol
The chalet was presented 10 him
by Charles fletcher, the famous
French actor. who saw Il at tho Paris
exposltion. II arrived az Gaas liili
in sections. carefully numbered and
boxed. Dickens had the boxes care
lessly strewn over the lawn, and, when
Fletcher arrived. asked him anxiously,
.'why have you sent me this ium-
berg" "Ciell" cried Fechter, hut
have been swindledl They told nae
they would send YOU q swiss chalet
20 write I'M"
never knew any visitor 20 be adj
mitted 10 this chalet. In Il Dick-
ems was as secluded as hospice on
the Alps There was no special v'sw
10 distract his attention from his
work--only the meadows the woods
Of Darnley Park ana the changing
sky. Ho had four regular working
hours. ana no day laboror was more