The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-30
DICKENS NOVELS GERMAN FAVOR|TES Writers Descendants Fight
 ing for England IN THE ARMY OR NAVY Mrs. Humphrey Wards Soldier Son Injured Hands While Serving in Egypt-Le Queux Irate Over
 Banning of Book
IN THE ARMY OR NAVY
Hv uAyDES CHURCH

London, May S-(SpeciaD-1f Charles Dickens were alive today. one can i'm agine what slashing indictments Of the foes of Britain would be pouring from the pen that flayed Bumbledom And what irresistible trumpet calls to the men of these islands to be up and at 'em would be sounded, both on the plat form and fin print by the author of "A Tale of Two Cities" Meanwhile one hears, ironically enough, that the stories of the great Victorian novelist gre the favorite reading of many Ger man soldiers just as waltz by a Viennese composer-the deathless Merry Widow'-was the feature of this weeks big patriotic matinee at Drury Lane in aid of the American Women's War Hospital
 But if Dickens is dead. his spirit lives in his children and grandchildren who are doing their respective bits for king and country. Henry Fielding Dickens, K C.. the most famous of the novelsts sons and brilliant ad- vocate, is giving readings from his fathers works around the country, to swell the funds of the British Red Cross society, the while the two ot his sons who are of military age are on active service.
 The elder of them, Philip, is the com mander of a torpedo boat and only re- gently returned from the Mediterra- mean. Commander Dickens is, as he ex- presses it. very sick" at being out of the Dardaneles doings. Still, he is doing valuable work in home waters.
 Grandson Is Wounded
 The younger son of h. F. Dickens, who is a lieutenant In the Kensington corps of the London regiment has just come home wounded. His ad1utant wrote to his proud father telling him that his son had been hit and spoke in glowing terms of appreciation of the young mans pluck Twenty four hours later the adjutant was among the killed.
 In all, Henry Fielding Dickens (to whom Harrison Ainswerth, the novelist, stood godfather), has four sons, all of whom fin addition to their others, bears the cherished name of Charles. Their mother, by the way, is French, which should make them all the keener for the cause of the allies. The eldest of them H. C. Dickens, is a lawyer like his father, and the two have more than once been matched in court against each other The situation then, piquant enough In It. self was considerably ennanceo py seN eral lively passages of argument be- tween father and son. It was scene after Charles Dickens own heart
 Mrs. Wards Son Injured
 Mrs. Humphry Ward also has heard this week that her brilliant only son Lieutenant Arnold Ward is in hospita a the front. member of the Hertrord- shire Yeomanry and M. P, for the Wes Herts district, he injured his hands, ap parently pretty badly, during the mill tahy operations in Egypt, where he j. serving. He has been in hospital for ( fortnight, it seems, but is making d rapic recovery.
 Lieutenant Ward has several claims tc renown. Not only is he the son of a fa' nous mother and a distinguished, though less popuarly known father, but he is one of the abest of the younger men in Parliament. And also is fine cricketer, has a pretty gift of writing Greek and