The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-04
This in R eturn for
Laughs ltHad From
Dickens.
.DESCEN d ANTS
IN BITTER WANT
Five Granddaughtcrs Of Famous
Novelist Must Work and Strue-
gle to Exc Out Bare Exist
cncc and Save Themselves
From Humiliation of
Poorhouse.
Special Cable to Tho. Times Di.pa,cA.


London. February 3.-Wcdnesday.
February Z. will be the centenary OF
the birth OF Charlen Dickens. a man
Who sent q laugh and q tear around
the whole world. II is sad 10 rcaltzc
that for hvo delicate nard working
women. the unmarried daughters OF
that great sen3us's eldest son the world
to-day provides only the tear. 1t Is for
the admirers of Dickens, who sympatn-
izc with their struggles aEains, i'd
vcrsity, pluclSny faced. TO provide the
smile.
Schemes were started In England last
year with the object OF placing Dick
cns's Srarddaughtcrs beyond fear Of
absolute destuutlon, but have not met
with the success that might have been
expected. When America Joined tn
the good work its promoters rcjoiced,
for with such assistance, they felt that
the task would now surely be ac-
ccmpiishcd. But although America
might well cnoosc any circumstances
to associate herself with this labor OF
love. the question may naturally he
asked. why shuuld rich country like
England have practically failed by
herself? The answer is simple: the i'm
precision got about that no member OF
tho Dickens family really needed ~
sistancc when 1t is told how one OF
these granddaughter worked for Ave
years as domestic servant. IL will po
easy To realize how false that i'm
preston was. The fac; !s the plain
truth of tho case never hus been Told
in England or elsewhere.
Left Pcnnilcss.
II IS for these five unmarried daugh-
tcrs OF Charles Dickens, Jr.. and tor
them only, that assistance IS sought
F.tl
tic temperament. and nad not the
slightest commercial sense, died fifteen
years ago. His printing business had
tailed and he left = widow IND five
daughters absolutely penniiess. FOR
come time before his death nv had
been receiving under family arrange
ment $40 tS2eu) year from his tain
er's estate, a sum which thc novelist
LEFT for the benefit or one of his
sisters. On the death of Charles Dick
ems. Jr., this became tho property OF
his brother. H. +. Dickens. prosper
ous berrister. who allowed tho WIDOW
or Charles to enjoy it as long snc
lived. On her death, II. r.. Dickens
look possession OF the properly.
OF the seven daughters OF Charles
Dickens. Jr., two married. Tho only
son was no help. but supported HIM
self. So the widow and i've daughters
faced the world on 5000 II year. The
girls Immediately began or continued
TO work. Two attempts were made to
secure a civil pension FOR the family.
The hrst failed OH account OF The false
impression, which latcr or was again
destined TO work evil, tlilt assistance
was not needed. Tho second was sue
cessful, the widow getting $500 year.
which ceased at her death. several
years ago, il WAC revived about eigh-
teen months ago, four OF The Ave uu-
married daughters being allowed sl25
a year. The nfth Who had a little
typcwritinS business, refused to take
any share of IT,.
Work md Struggle.
Year after year since their girlhood
these i've women have been working
and struggling. They We're handicap
ped by delicate health and the lack of
training to make bare living. The
time had come when thsy began To
realize that their earning capacity
must como to an end before long, but
it never crossed the mind OF one of
them 10 plead in their grsndfather's
great name In an appeal TO the public
10 relieve them of their necessities
They had the natural shrinking of their
class from an appeal to charity so long
as they could work. Then a year ago
Sir Frank Ncwnes conceived tho Idea
of a Dickens stamp, and a warm appeal
was made TO the public &c take this
means of coming to the assistance Of
the needy
AT this point an unfortunate thing
happened. Tho barrister H. T. Dick
ems, informed the public that no mem.
bers OF tbs Dickens family were in
neccsStous circumstances, and that
much annoyance had been caused to ali
the members of the family by the sun
position that such was the case. At
that moment, four of the five sisters.
whose ages range from tbirty-hve 10
fifty. were making IL bare living.
One was a kindergarten teacher: the
second was keeping little children s
home; one was out of work altogether
and was seeking position, and the
fourth was secretary Of the National
Health Society. The fifth was the one
who mad the small typewriting bust
ness All hvn suffered from delicate
II salth. and the typewriter girl had had
two brcakdowns from overwork, and
her doctor warned her that she must
take six months OF absolute rest. as
that was the least time in which she
could secure any benefit, hut il was i'm
possible for her TO follow such advice.
UncIe's Peculiar Attitude.
Tho attitude of Barristcr Dick ems to-
ward his nieces is hard to understand.
Ono may charitabiy suppose that he IS
not commanding such fees et tho bar
as would enable him TO help them. but
1T Is impossible to suppose that he dld
not know of thu true situa ton of his
nieces. To them at least the Dickens
stamp came as glimpse OF heaven,
and they frankly rejoiccd at tho pros
pect that q scheme originating entirely
outside OF their own initiative might
give thom some ilttle help, to enable
them to put something into the littfe
business which two had established