The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-04


the Poets" was so thin that there was
scarcely room for the title on the back.
Five Minutes i'll India, by an Eng
iishman.' was in five portly volumes.
Eggs on Bacon caricaturcd Coke OH
Llttleton.' Dickens recalled the au-
thorS of all the dummies, and would
roll on the floor with glcc as he told
about them.
His important writing was done In
II large bedroom upstairs or III n chalet
on the opposite side of the road, con-
nected with Gad's Hill by a tunnel cut
through the chalk soil, so that Dick
ems might pass to and fro without en-
counterinS the scores of admirers who
stopped bchorc his house daily TO catch
glimpse of their idol.
The chalet was presented to him by
Charles Fechtcr. the famous French
actor, who saw it at the Paris EXPOSE
ton. 1t arrived ut Gads Hin in Sec
tons, carefully numbered and boxed.
Dickens had the boxes strewn care
lessly over the lawn, ana when Irech-
ter arrived asked him anNiously: "Why
have YOU sent me this lumber?" "Ciel!'
cried Fcchter, but | have been swim
died. They told me they would send
YOU a Swiss chalet TO write I'M
| never knew any visitor TO he adj
mittcd TO this chalet. In 1t Dickens
was as secluded as at hospicc on
the Alps. There was no special Wow
to distract his attention from his
work-only the meadows, the woods of
burnley Park and the changing sky.
lie had four regular working hours,
and no day iaborer was more punctuai
Ills vacations were his lccturing tours.
In the centenary notices too little
has been said of the fact that Dickens
was always Il journalist; first as q re-
porter on the True sun and the Morn
ing Chronicle; then ns editor OF the
Daily News and of Household Words.
and To the end OF his life as editor
and proprietor OF All ;he Year Round.
lie was not mere ngurehcad. His
editorial duties were performed most
conscientiously and--ilas! for its
rarity!-most sympatheticaliy He read
ali the proofs, and would write upon
them should not this revelation be
reserved until nearer the close of the
story" Have omitted this as super
fuous," Better to put this into dia-
loguc FORM When he changed the
heading OF an article urCn a Baby
show at Woolwich" to "Woolwich In
fants," he wrote More taxing" Ills
check was always mailed on the day
Of publication, and was for more
money Than the exact price per word
or page.
on an anniversary of the Henrietta
Yacht Race he asked an American cor
respondent for more intimate ac-
count of the voyage thar the report in
the London Times, saying, Tell us
how it felt 10 lie alone on the ocean
in December; what you did TO pass
the time on such ii little craft, etc"
The article Was sent with an apology
for being much too long, as the writer
had no time to condcnSc 1t.
Not line, not word must be cut"
he replied; Il will give the Henrietta
ploNty OF scaroom.' liz. save the
story eight out Of the sixteen pages of
All the Year Round and told me that
ii mad sold thousands OF extra copies.
He published serials by ether popu-
lar EMBELLISHMENTS, Collins, Charles
Ecadc, Edmund Yates. Anthony Troll
lopc--and paid for them most liberal
~.
The Dickens manuscripts were writ.
ten in blue ink, and this became Il fad
Of what used TO be called the Dickens
school Of writer's" Though he never
mentioned his immortal characters.
aud turned tho conversation immcu-
lately If PccEsniff, or sam Weller. or
Mr.. Dombcy happened To lie quoted, l
vcntured 10 ask him If he enjoyed his
rcations ns mulch AS his readers did.
"Ccrtainly," he said. 81 always have
the nrst laugh and the frs. cry"
Having thus preached II forbidden
subject. Dickens was induced 10 show
me the original manuscripts Of some
Of his novels ana to explain his me-
ihod of composition, There were no
intcrlincaticns. aftcrthougnts. changes
Of expression as in BalzaC's manu-
scripts. If q word or phrase was al
tered, the change was made after. not
above. the first text, nor on the mar
gin. He said that when nc had select
ed ana named "a hero, NJ would jot
down memoranda uboGt nim---"Shall
he lie rich?" The property In chan
cery?" AN old aunt Or uncIe?" In
this. MS in everything else, he was
very mcthodtcal. But his works show
no traces Of these aids To imaslna :
| tlon.
tiads liil WINS only an appanagc OF
! tho large, adjoining estate OF The Earl
| Of Darnlcy, but II carried with it the
! title of Lord Of tho Manor. of which
| Dickens was secretly proud and tho
| Ollie" oil justice OF the rcacc. But he
refused repeated invitations to sub
/ merge himself. like Dis,acli. In the
pGcraSc. The title Of witch he WAS
most proud was Chief" as abhrcvia
| ton Of cditor-in chief" and he was
thus addressed by All his :ntimatcs.
lie would not talk OF his own crca-
tons, but he frcquenty referred Ia
those OF other authors. On n visit 90
Dornley Hall we noticed among tho