Evening star., 1934-05-16

where else All rights reserved)
w We HAVE come to the en-
A of the period of constan
wv notes from Charles Dicken
v v to Catherine Hogarth, nov
his wife, and 1t Is pleasan
to take up the story Sgain with
letter Of the old frolicking kind, an
giving a glimpse of Dickens as
father. 1t comes from Greta Bridg
in February, 1898:
We reached Grantham between
9 and II on Tuesday night, and
found everything prepared for our
reception in the very best inn I
have ever put up at. 1t Is odd
enough that an old lady who had
been outside all day and came in
toward dinner time turned out to
be the mistress of a Yorkshire
school returning from holiday-stay
in London. She was very queer
old body, and Sheweu us long
letter she was carrying to one OF
the boys from his father, contain
ing a severe lecture (enforced and
aided by many texts from Scrip
ture) on his refusing to eat boiled
meat. She was very communica-
tive, drank a great deal Of brandy
and water, and toward evening
became insensible, in which state
we left her.
Yesterday we were up again
shortly after 7 and came on upon
our journey by the Glasgow Mail
which charged us the remarkably
low sum of 6 pounds 4 for two
places inside. We ha, very droll
male companion until 7 o'clock in
the evening, and a most delicious
lady's maid for 20 miles who i'm
plored us to keep a sharp lookout
at the coach windows as she ex-
pected her carriage was coming to
meet her and she was afraid OF
missing it. We had many delight
full vauntings of the same kind:
and in the end it is scarcely neces-
sary to say that the coach did not
come and very dirty girl did.
A thousand loves and kisses to
the darling boy whom I see in
my minds eye crawling about the
floor of this Yorkshire inn. Don't
leave him alone too much. Bless
his heart, I would give two SOW
ereignS for a kiss. -
Mourning for Mary Hogarth.
The letter closes with reminder ol
Dickens sensibility to the memory Of
Mary Hogarth, his wife's sister, who
had died, at the age of IT, the veal
before:
1t is not extraordinary that the
same dreams which have constant
ly visited me since poor Mary died,
follow me everywhere? After all
the change of scene and fatigue,
have dreamt of her ever since I left
home, and no doubt shall till re-
turn. should be very sorry to lose
such visions for they are very
happy ones-if i r. only the seeing
her in ones Sleep would fain
believe, too, sometimes, that her
spirit may have some influence
over them, but their perpetual rep
etition Is extraordinary.
Forster in the Life" describes one
Of these dreams in all its phases. AS q
contrast to Dickens own allusion tc
The happy visions, here is an example
of his eye for an actual scene. the
more interesting as it recalls the jour-
1ey to Birmingham to see Mr.. Wrinkle
ST., and the wanderings in The Old
Curiosity Shop" of Little Nell and
her grandfather:
We remained at Stratford all
night, and found to our unspeak-
able dismay that fathers plan OF
proceeding by Bridgenorth Ito
Shrewsbury was impracticable as
there were no coaches. So we were
compelled to come here by way OF
Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
starting at o'clock through cold,
wet fog, and travelling when the
day had cleared Up. through miles
of cinder paths and blazing furn-
aces and roaring steam engines,
and such mass Of dirt, gloom and
misery as I never before witnessed.
In the later years of their married
life Dickens had less occasion to writt
to his wife, and his letters were gen.
orally very long. The two were apar'
only when holidays took one or the
other away, or when Dickens wa!
visiting some provincial town to speal
in public or take his part in tht
famous amateur theatrical perform
anceS.
No Pet Names Now.
AS a rule his letters at such time
overflow with details Of journeys. de-
of foreign places, and ref
erences to friends he has met
Too often, from the public standpoint
of almost a century afterward. they
are matter-of-fact communications
domestically dull. Pet names have
disappeared. Mrs. Dickens Is my
dear Kate" or MY dearest Catherine.
Since the writer is Charles Dickens
there are inevitable exceptions to this
epistolary monotony. February 26
1874. he took the chair at meeting
in Liverpool of the Mechanics Insti-
tuition, and in the afternoon. not
being then so accustomed to public
speaking as he afterward became
dwells with mingled feelings on the
1t is an enormous place, and the
tickets have been selling at
and even guineas apiece. The
lecture room, in which the cele-
bration is held, will accommodate
over 1900 people. 1t was being
fitted with gas, after the manner
of the ring at Astleys. 1 should
think it an easy place to speak in;
being a semi-circle, with seats ris-
ing one above another to the CELL
ing-and will have 800 ladies to-
night, in full dress. I am rather
Shakey just now but shall pull up,
have no doubt. At dinner time
tomorrow you will receive, I hope,
facetious document, hastily
penned after I return tonight, tell
ing you how it all went off.
am lying on the sofa and keeping
myself quiet. It Is pouring of
rain; and has been all day.