The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-18
WHAT HAS CONF BEFORE

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jeeted into the drama OF Dickens life
two amazing "interludes." The FIRST
InterIude" terminated when the beau
tifuI and wealthy Maria rejected the
youthful and then unknown but bril-
I liant Dickens after three years of
ardent courtship. The astounding Sec
ond InterIude" begun twenty-five
years later. His love for Maria, Dick
ems had always carried deep in his heart.
He was now a world figure. wealthy,
feted by Royalty. Maria, still beautiful,
had married to a staid, sober business man
named Winter. She wrote to Dickens.
The old love famed anew and produced
a series Of wonderful love letters in
Dickens own handwriting. one Of which
literary authorities pronounce the
greatest love letter ever written"
Dickens now cools and wishes to with
draw. but Maria has the compromising
letters.
DUT Maria, remembering that
ID man is but youth grown up,
was not easily dismayed. Having
once disarmed him with her con-
trite illusions to their former love
affair, she decided to take an
other fling at him from a new
angle. as will be seen in the let
tiers which follow. After resting
on her oars for a time, she pur-
sued him as tenaciously as he had
pursued her at No. Lombard
street.
During the next two months
there were no more letters that
she cared to save. although it
seems the correspondence was
kept up, as this next shows that
she had written him at least two
evidently perSisting in her
efforts to make another appoint
ment.
TaviStock House,
Eleventh June, 1855
My Dear Maria:
I answered your last letter, but
one, almost as soon as 1 received
it. to let you know that I should
be out of town that Sunday, and
for several Sundays in succession.
This note of mine must have gone
aStray somehow or somewhere, for
1 posted it myself. 1t has hap
pened on a former occasion-but
only on one-that letter of mine
failed to reach its destination.
How this comes to be missing, I
can not comprehend.
Your account of your little
child is distressing indeed, and
makes me heartily sorry for your
fatigues and anxieties. 1 have
never had any faith in the no
meopathic system and therefore
have never tried it. I am inclined
to think that it is principally sue
cessful with people who have
nothing the matter with them, and
that active diseases where there
is a vigorous action for evil 60
ing on, require more decided
remedies. Still it is individually
successful in some violent cases
even.
I shall be very happy to receive
your little token of remembrance,
y
mind, and have set your baby up
as I hope and trust you soon
will-twenty times stronger than
before. Take care of your baby's
mother, and God bless her.
Ever faithfully yours.
c. D.
A PART from the note of SYM
L n pathy, the platonic tone of
this letter is decidedly marked;
and saying that he was to "be out
of town that Sunday, and for sew
eral Sundays in succession"
sounds like a pretty obvious hint
not to poster him any further.
In urging her suit Maria made
no reference to the powerful
weapons in her hands; possibly
because the thought never oc-
CURED to her; or possibly be-
cause she hoped eventually to win
him by persuasive measures.
Then, too, she was deeply con-
cerned over her baby, which at
that time lay mortally ILL., It's
death, two days later, drew from
Dickens one of the most beautiful
and consoling letters he ever
wrote. 1t was addressed to Mrs.
Winter" for being somewhat cog
infant of his own Importance he
knew she would want to show it
to many people
Tavistock House,
Wednesday. thirteenth June, 1855
My dear Mrs. Winter:
I am truly grieved to hear of
your affliction in the loss of your
darling baby. But if you be not,
even already, so reconciled to the
parting from that innocent child
for little while, as to bear it
gently and with a softened sor-
row, 1 know that that not IN
happy state of mind must soon
arise.
The death of infants is a release
from so much chance and change
from so many casualties and
distresSeS-and is thing so beau
tiful in its serenity and peace
that it should not be a bitterness,
even in mothers heart. The
simplest and most affecting pass
age in all the noble history of our
Great Master, is his consideration
for little children. And in refer
ence to yours. as many millions of
bereaved mothers poor and rich
will do in reference to theirs until
the end of time, you may take the
comfort of the gracious words,
Ard He took a child, and set it
in the midst of them
In book by one of the greatest
English writers, called A Journey
From This World to the Next, a
parent comes to the distant coun-
try beyond the grave, and finds
the little girl he had lost so long
ago, engaged in building a bower