Year: 1879




The last act OF q domestic tragedy was
concluded in London on Saturday morn
ing by the death of Mrs Catharine Ho-
garth Dickens. The story of her separa-
ton from the novelist must yet be fresh
in the public recollection. Thirty-seven
years ago, when Mr. Dickens made his
first visit to this country, he was ac-
companied by his young wife, and III the
numerous reports of his movements and
of the attentions which he received, she
was sometimes kindly mentioned. 1t was
believed that they were extremely happy
in their domestic relations; nor was it
supposed that one who wrote SO tenderly
of domestic love could fail to love tender
ly to the end. So far as the world knew
the novelist and the wife continued to
live contentedly together until 1858, when
scandal came, and the separation was an
nounced. The old reason was assigned
of incompatibility of temper. There was
a supplementary story of the overfond-
ness of Mr.. Dickens for Miss Georgiana
Hogarth, his wifes sister, who lived in
his family. This Mr.. Dickens publicly
repudiated as grossly false and scandal
ous--as a libel upon the lady's character
and his own. 1t is not at all necessary
to go into any discussion Of this matter.
Mr.. Dickens may have lost his old love
without the influence of a new and un-
lawful one 1t is enough that it was lost.
Incompatibility is sad enough without
the imputation of infidelity.


Society on both sides of the ocean,
however, has made this private and fami-
ly misunderstanding the subject of much
discussion. Mr.. Dickens himself thought
fit to print his own version of the affair,
the sum total of considerable writing be-
ing that as he could not live happily
with his wife and as she could not live
happily with him, it was better they
should live apart. This might be said of
any separation of like kind; but when
husbands and wives talk about their in
compatibility word which we are sor-
ry to say has come into frequent use-lt
by no means follows that the whole mora
lity of the matter has been disposed of.
1t is the duty of those who are married
to live happily together. For the sake
of the children, of good manners, of a re-
lation the sacredness of which must not
be lightly disregarded, marriages should
not be practically annulled, except I'M
der the pressure of the brayest necessity.


IF we consider the scandal Of Mr.. Dick
ems married life from these points of
view, it is easy to see that his home was
not happy one. Mrs. Dickens undoubt-
edly was not woman of genius; she was
a plain, honest, simple Englishwomau,
with her little tempers, perhaps, and may
be with other infrmities of purpose and
conduct AS the wife of her husbands S
youth, as the mother of his children, she
was worth caring for and carefully con-
ciliating If this was utterly impossible
there is nothing more to say; but impos
sible is a strong word There is at the
present time tendency to depreciate the
marriage relation There are new theo-
ries about it, some of them wicked, and
some of them nonsensical. Men occupy
ing distinguished position, whose ex-
ample is therefore likely to be important,
may well pause before they add the au-
thority of their names to please incom-
patibility, which are mere evasions OF
duty and honor.