Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-02-07

Mr.. Childs agreed to this, under pro-
test, and Dickens gave us an auda-
cious wink, which meant, Put five
shillings On his conscience!"
Young Charles tried his best to lose
the game; but the balls sympathized
with Mr.. Childs and the British lion
was victorious. When Mr.. Childs, re-
lieved of his gambling gains, had re-
tired smilingly, Dickens asked, els 1t
possible? Have l been dreaming?
And yet he is a great man! 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 retired sea captain, and had an
alertness and vigor that suggested
"Heave ahead, my heartles!" This
suggestion was heightened by his rud-
dy, weather-ebaten face, his grizzled,
foam-flecked 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 l had
often thought they were twins-the
same sailor-like face and manner, the
same talent as an amateur actor, but
with no literary ability. 1t was Curl
Gus to study the two brothers, exactly
alike. but one lacking the inspiration
of genius, as If Nature had created du-
plicates 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 Schenerezade, 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 Gad's Hill, We would coax
Dickens to tell us the story of the
woman With the Red Shawl" He
had dreamed of a woman who wore a
red shall, and at night, going home
after his lecture, he had met the iden'
tical 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-
cision, such an undertone of fun, wit
and satire, that it seemed as II 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 coun-
try tavern, originally called "The Jolly
Plow Boy" but rechristened "Sir John
Falstaff's Inn." One night there was
disturbance in the tavern, and we
went over in body, Dickens leading,
to Investigate it. Among a party OF
rough fellows was man with blood
streaming down his fac and he said
that the landlord had struck him
with a pewter pot.
did you strike this man." asked
Dickens sternly.
"Vell, SIR" replied the landlord.
"vether Hi it that mon on the ed With
a pewter pot hit his not for the likes
of me to say, sir; but the himpres.
sion on my mind his that Hi did not"
well, SIR" retorted Dickens judi
cially, whether you hit that man on
the head with a pewter pot it Is not
for me to say; but the impression on
his head is that you did"
Dickens left no memoranda from
which the plot of his uncompleted
novel, The Mystery of Edwin Brood"
could be discovered. But, before
writing this novel, he told me of
plot which he was considering. Point
ing to a building on the bank of the
Thames, he said: "That is our poor
house. A well-to.do overseer put his
father into that house, under an as
sumed name. The old man revealed
his identity to the board of managers,
and they sent him back to his son,
whom they threatened to prosecute for
fraud. Angry, mean and alarmed,
the overseer put the father into a
buggy and drove into the river, here
at this spot. His intention evidently
was to drown his father and pretend
here had been an accident. But the
father chung to him and both were
drowned. The overseer had taken
out insurance policies upon his own
life and that of his father, and dis
ant relatives applied for the money.
The insurance company refused to
oay. Litigation ensued, and the court
lecided that the policy upon the faith
n was void, because he had been de.
iberately murdered, but the policy
lpon the son must be paid. because
lie had not intended to commit suicide.
There are hundreds of such ready.
made plots in British Jurisprudence"
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