Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-02-16
CHARLES DICKENS.
Appreciation Of the Great Novelist by
a Devoted Disciple.

IHpPT0ciatioh OF the Sroat NoNoist D)
Devoted Disciple.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
In this, the centenary year of hii
birth, II Is indeed most gratifying tt
the tens of thousands of the admirers
of the great novelist to note the spon-
taneous wave Of enthusiasm that Il
sweeping over. the civilized world. And
| II all the nice, kind. pleasant things
and all Of the favorable criticisms thai
have been and which are now being
said about him could be put into book
form, what a big volume 1t would
make, and what interesting reading II
would be!
Nearly all of our papers, secular, re-
ligious, social and literary, as well as
all Of our leading magazines, are CIV
ing US, by gifted writer's. the most in
teresting and complimentary things
with reference both to his writings
and to his peculiarities and character
istics
The writer painfully realizes the fact
that any attempt at anything like lit
erary criticism on his part would be
sheer egotism, so he will discuss very
briefly, from the viewpoint of a lay
man only, his impressions of the books
of Charles Dickens.
Even a list Of Dickens numerous
characters would require a lot OF
space.
My brother and myself read Dickens
together, a fact that has given us url-
speakable satisfaction, and we are
seldom together but that we discuss
several of his many characters.
All, but Dickens was indeed Won
derful delineator of character! My
own experience with Dickens has been
that his characters are so clearly
drawn, 80 vividly painted, that an in
delible impression is made upon the
mind.
I've read books by the score. and in
q few months the characters become
dim and indistinct. Not so, however,
with the characters Of Dickens. They
no more get them mixed than we con-
fuse our friends when we meet them
on the street.
Again, Dickens wrote OF the past, OF
his present, and almost with the pen
of prophecy he wrote Of the future.
His characters are all around US to-
day. We meet them everywhere.
Again, Dickens played upon every
emotional chord Of the human heart
with the consummate skill Of a mas
musician who played-upon a harp
Of thousand strings.
Quite recently an eminent scholar
OF my acquaintance, In response to a
question, informed me that approx
mately rs per cent Of the books that
are written die natural death In q
few short years. But Dickens wrote
imperishable books and his place In
literature is secure for all time.
Is it not strange that one can find
all around us today multitudes of peo-
pie who have not the slightest ac-
uuaintance with the works Of Dick
ems. What a pity that It Is so. There
Is yet something stranger still, and
that is, to find a number Of scholars,
So called professional men,-so-called
who are not even on speaking terms
with Dickens!
For average people who haven't read
Dickens there may be found some eX-
cuse But for the man who has en-
ioyed educational advantages there Is
no excuse, and we can't help having
for him a feeling slightly akin to con-
tempt. A man may call himself edu-
ca.ed, he may be the possessor OF a
half dozen diplomas and medals, and
yet who has failed to make himself
familiar with standard works, and es-
pecially the works Of Charles Dickens,
his education is, to say the least. de-
fective and incomplete.
AS stated at the outset, no literary
criticism is herein attempted, for to
dc so would require ability time and
srace. If, however, the perusal OF this
short, desultory article may awaken an
interest in or in any way influence
even one young man or woman to read
the intensely human books of Charles
Dickens, the writer will be amply re-
paid and more than satisfied.
w. S. Gordon.
Yorkville, S. c., 2-13-12.