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CHARLES DICKENS--Ti.    
e    "5  
/3-__-.~_ His Works, Iiifused With the Great Spirit' of Love and Charity are Still Rcild llfhr`011§llilhl§_f
*"'." ‘ao A 1
I .;,'t*h0usaius» Beforquie i>nu0rm=.wher@ it isrubiiciy Rem at-'rni§`iSé'as0n of iheiitear-“Hel Being Dead ireiff speakers.”     ' '
custsrnasi ya vvetieiinown
public man once laid that: "Char-
les Dickens. to a didnt extent, made t-ir keeping of Christmas what it
ie.” There in little q‘oubt that the Maetet~Authar's Christmas stories
inlueed into the Wor d that _Christmas spirit which in to prevalent to-
day-the Spint of Love and Charity. Charles Dickens' works are as
popular today as they were fifty
years ago. Branzhea of the Dick-
ens' Fellowship Society are established ln many towne on both aides
of the Atlantic. and their members hip in increasing yearly. Charles
Dickens will never be forgotten. The millions of his readers speak
for that, and he will be always especially remembered .nf Christmas
tl'Y\€.
MORE than onc hundred and ten
ycnr.~s had pusscd since _ (‘hzti‘lf.»s'_
ore than hulf at century since ull
 V' Dickeiis situ' the light, and it is
\ " ni
. im R* in
/
~ . .
?°~ imp Q ..
:i :ff minister Abbe-y. \'f_'t thc magic of
“f i'_ Charles Dickens si`ill tuiiches our
` " ` livss, and the niunhood of the
' _ whole Atiglo-Suxoii race is covered
‘ hy thoso hours of our boyhood
,' when wi- laughed nt Sain Weller,
_ hated Joiius ifltiizzlcwit, and
\ (`ai‘ker, loved little Null, trembled
ut Quilp. fitncii-ll ourselves Nichol-
‘ X al., Nicklcliy, I-nviud David Copper-
O
/
. 8
_ .np
:it was left of the great heart
nd briiin wa.; deposited in West-
li-te».tod I’eiksbit'f and cried over
tic suffgings of Oliver Twist.
_ 'I' 'I' 'U
.\ir. Sit-vciison once said that
“yoiingsicrs love deop draught!!
that warm their blood and stir
their piilscs.” lt is this that Char-
lna Dickens gave us over and
field. longer to possess a Grip.
I ' : _
r _
' ~ over again. A great writer once
..` Si I “ ._
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i I/ i.-ti-il in :lic lows-i' ilciihs ol' ,lilo
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iid to another When I feel my
hge cref-ping upon me, I always
take down a volume of- Charles
Dickentuflt is like a draught at the
fairies' well. Beforel have read a
dozen pages Ieonld persuade my-
self-provided uo looking-glass was
near-thnt.l am once again n
youngster, the red blood flowing
bravely in my veins, the lovellght
dancing In my eyes." V
'D 'I' 0
Charles Dickens knew all his
characters. Ho knew the common
people of the town in all the lights!
and shadows of their existence.
He nas never ut liouie in thc draw-
ing-room, but in the street he was
:t magician to whom all secrets
were known. Charles Dickens had
the key to the street. Ile was ot’
the people and lived among them.
He listened to their wants and
sorrows, saw them in their dwijll-
ing plzit-es. nllcvintcd their distress,
and then produce-il them in his
u-oi-ks. liis sympathy for the poor
:ind the iieglr-cu-tl, and thc desolate
:iuil more i=.=pi'ci:illy for children
was n passioii. \'r'ry fvw of thc
\\'t»;i|tli_v \\‘uultl 'cvvr ltlivt' krio\\'ii ul'
how lunch wrong :ind sorrow", limi'
iiiucli :ilso of liitlilon nolilt'itr=s.~' ox-
l
iti- of our i.:r<-iii citfcs, limi iioi
his rim-p f~i-ling innii of tlii-
pi-oplo tom-lit-d their hearts :intl
tniiirht thi~in that thi-so follow-
l‘r1,n,turi-s had :ilso fcoliiigs and
liopcs, iluiitaniiitit: sympathy and
hvlp. _
-l- 'I' 'I-
Chfirlcs Dickens its at child-
lover is unique, "I love those little
people," he says in the “Old Citr-
losity Shop" "und it is no slight
thing when thi-y who :ire so fresh
front (ind, love- ns." Ilia ex-
purienco in his own child-life, his
childish hunger, :ind his experi-
ence of the hlacking biisiiicss,
throughout his worlcs one finds
tltat he never forgot that period of
his life, and ht" never ceased to
sympathize with suffering child-
hood. llis portraynl of the suffer-
ings of Paul Dombey, thc intense
interest displayed in the unrequitt-
cd love of little l’aul's sister to-
wards bcr ntistoro father; fire
dreams ot little Pip in "Great Ex-
pectations." frlendless and hams-
lf-ss Joe in "Bleak Ilouao” and.
above nil, his little cripple Tiny
Tim. Full of pathos and childlike
simplicity and tenderness, yet hc
could hurl fierce denunciation at
criminals and the instigators of
crime, against cruelty and wrong.
Ile can make its shudder as well
ns well as laugh and cry.
'I' 4' 4'
A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS
STORY AND ITS LESSON
The lesson that Charles Dickens
conveyed to the world in his
“(‘bristnias Carol" will never bn
forgotten. llis delineation of tho
bard- hearted Scrooge in the first
portion ol the Carol, his beautiful
conception of the visits of the
Three Spirits-Pact, Present and
l~`ntura-and the conversion of
thc miserable, tight-fluted man to
the genial and generous one, is a
beautiful Christmas story and
lesson. Let me quote a fcw
lineiiz- `
Oh! But he was a tighbflsted-
hand at the grindstone. Scrooge? ii
squeezing, wrenching. grasping
at-raping, clutching. covetous. old
sinner! Hard ond sharp as flint
from which no steel had over
struck out generous fire: secret,
and self-contained. and solitary as
an oyster. The cold within liini
froze his ol1l'f<~ntiires. nlpped his
pointed nose slirlvnlled his cheek,
ntiftcned his gait; made his oyos
red, his thin lips blue; and spoke
nitt shrewdly in his grating voicc.
A frosty rims' was on his ltr-ad. and
on his eve-rbrowii and his wlry aiiln.
Ile carried his own low tenipern-
turf' 'always about with him: he
iced his office inthe dog-days; and
dldn't thniv it one degree at (‘hrist~
mas.
I-ltsriinl heat and cold had little
iiifluence on Scrooge. N0 \varni'lt
could warm, tio wintry v-'-'-st_hci'
chill him. No wind that hliw wus
blitcrcr than lic, no falling snow
was more intent upon its pu/rposr-.
no pvlting ruin lr-ss open to cn-
trcnty. l"onl weather didn‘t know
when' to have him. The heaviest
rain, and snow, and hall, and slnct,
could boast of the a'ilvitntago over
him in only one respect. 'l‘hc_v
often “came down" handsomely,
and Scrooile never did.”
Nobody ever stoppi d him in the
street to stty, with glailsomc looks.
\'i'hcu will you come to see me?"
"My dear Scrooge, ho\v are you?
No beggars Implored him to best-
ow a trifle, no children asked him
what it was o'clock. no man or
woman ever once in all his llfo
inquired the wny to' such and
such a place of Scrooge. Even
the blind mens dogs appeared to
know him: and when they saw
him coming on. would tug their
owners into doorways and up
courts: and then would wag their
tails as though they said. “No eye
at all is better than an evil eye,
dark master!" ~
4' 9 'I' _
'And, again. after the visit of the
Spirit of Christmas Past, and the
thawing effect it has upon
Scrooge. the great Master teaches
Scrooge fthe World) another less-
on in the Spirit of Christmas
Present: --
'Thc Ghost of Christmas Present
rose. -
"Spirit," said Scrooge sub-
missively, “(.‘ouduct nie \vhe.rc
you will. I wont forth lust night on
compulsion. and I learned u lesson
which is working now. Ton-ight, if
you liuvo aught to ti~iii_~lt inc, let
ine profit liy,il."
“'l‘oucli my mlm!"
Scrooge dill :ts hc was told. :ind
lit-ld it la.-it.
llolly, iiiisteloo, rod bert-les, ivy,
tiii~kc_vi~a, goose. gziiiic. poultry,
lti'.'i\\'ri, iiiieait, ~plg:~‘. snlisagcs, oyst-
i»r.~'. pics, piiddiiig.»~, fruit :ind
piitirli, ull vaiiisliell liistohtly. So
did -thi; room, the fire, thc rudd_v
glow. thc hour of night, :ind they
stood in the ci-ly streets on Christ-
iiins iiiortiing, whore `f0r the weath-
ri' wus scver<') the pi.-nplc made n
rougli. but brisk and not unpletui-
tint kind of music, in scraping the
snow from the pavement in front
of their dwclIlngs'; and from the
tops of their hoiiseti, whence it was
delight to the boys to see it como
plumplng down into thc road be-
low, and splitting into artificial
little. snow-storms.
The house fronts looked black
enough, and the windows black-
er, contrasting with tha smooth
white sheet of snow upon the roofs,
and with the dirtier snow upon
the ground; which last deposit
had been ploughed up in deep
furrows hy the heavy wheels of
carts and wagons; furrows that
hundreds of timos. where the great
crossed and rccrossed each other
streets bqtncbed off; and made
ltitricwte channels. hard to trace,
ill the thick yellow niutl and icy
water. The sky was gloomy and
the shortest streets were choked
up with a dingy mist, half thawed,
half frozen. whose heavier particl-
es di-scenilcd in a shower of aooty
atoms. :is if all the chimneys in
Grout Britain had, by one consent,
caught fire and were blazing away
to their dear hearts content. There
was nothing very cheerful iti tho
climate or the own, and yet the;-it
was an air of cheerfulnesg abroad
inat the clearest summer air and
brightest summer sun might, 1t:~_y..-
cndcavorad to diffuse in vain. _
'I' 'I' 'I' `
But soon the steeples called good
people all to church and chapel,
and away they came » 'flocking
through the streets in their host
clothes, and with their gnvest
faces. And -at the same time there
emerged from scores of by-streets.
lanes and nameless turnings. 'in-
numhersble people, carrying their
dlnnsna to the bakers’ shops. 'l‘he
sight of these poor revcllers
appeared to interest the Spirit very
much. for he stood with Scrooge
.bc-side hhn in n baker’s doorway,
and taking off tho covers aa,|h¢ir
in-nrurs passed, sprinkled incense
Aon -tit-'ir dinners from his torch.
Ami it was a very uncommoukind
nl' revolt, for once or twice when
there were angry wnrvln lm»;\'io~_»n
_'=_onir: ilinner-carriers who had
.tostlcd each other, he 'shed 1 fl-iv
drops 'oi water on them from il.
and their good humor was re.-itor.-it
tl.ri-ctly. For they said, it was a
\2`°\lfn»,_
_ _,-1
V.
r $5
`_ _et
aw” \.\‘
, *o
shame to quarrel upon Chrlstiuas
Day. And so it was! God love it,
so it was!
|i.- tiiiic the tells ceased, .inl thc
bakers' were shut up; and yet
there was a genial shadowing
forth of all these dinners and the
progress of their cooking, ln the
iliatweil blotch of wet above each
b:iker's oven where the pavement
smoked as if its stones were cook-
ing too. '
_“ls there a peculiar flavor in
what you sprinkle from your
torch?" asked Scrooge.
"There is. My own."
“\\'ouliI it apply to any kind of
dinner on this day?" asked
Scroono.
"To uuy kindly given. To n poor
one most."
"Why to a poor one most?"
iiskotl Scrooge.
‘°Iii'cnitsu it needs it most."
“Spirit," said Scrooge, after :i
niomient's thought, “I wonder. you.
of all the beings in the inuuy
worlds about its should desire to
vrunip these poople’s opportunities
of innocent onjoyinent."
~i'.'" i-ru-ii um spirit. *
"You would deprive them of
their means of dining every seventh
day, often the only day on which
they can be said to dine at all,"
said Scrooge. “Wottldn't you?"
“l"? cried the Spirit.
“You seek to close these places
on tht-_ seventh day?" said Scrooge.
“And it comes to the same thing."
“I seek?" exclaimed the Spirit,
“Forgive me if I am wrong. It
has been done in your nam'e, or at
least in that of your family,” said
Scrooge.
"There are some upon this earth
of yours," returned the Spirit,
“who lay claim to know us and
who do their deeds of passion,
pride, lil-will, hatred, envy, bigot-
ry and selfishness lu our nanic,
who are as strange to us and :ill
our kith and kin, as if they had
never lived. Remember that, und
charge thcir doings on -thentselves,
not us." ' i
Scrooge promised -that be would;
and they wi'nt on, invisible., as
they had liecti b»_-fore, into the
suburbs of the town. It was a re-
tiiiirkablc quality of the ghost
(which Scrooge had observed at
thc buker'_>tl thai, notwithstanding
his gigantic size, he could accom-
iii_odzit_e himself to any place with
case; and that he stood beneath :i
low 'root' quite as graccfitlly and
like ai snpi-i°iiniiii'ul :reatun-, ui: it
\\'a.g.; po.i:.ilile.l.c could have -loin-
iu any lofty hall. '
And pt.t'hnps it \\':i.'i liio piozi.-tzirn
the good Spirit had in snowing off
this power of his, or else it was
his o\vti kind, generous, licarly
uiiturc, and his sympathy with all
poor men, thot lcd him straight to
Scroogc-`s clcrk's; for there hs
went, und took Scrooge with l-Jin,
holding to his robe; and on the
threshold of the door the Spirit
smiled, and stopped to bless Bob
Crutchit's dwelling with tho
sprinkling of his torch. Think of
that! Bob had but fifteen "bob"
a week himself; he pockoicd on
Saturdays but fifteen copies of his
Christian nnmc; and yet the Ghost
or Christmas Present blessed his
four-rooniod house! .
'I' 'I' 'I' _
And finally ws have the Spirit
of Christmas Yet To Come, where-
in Clmrlcs Dickens. In his happiest
vein depicts the agony which a
man oi' Scrogg's disposition and
nature goes through when he ro-
ulizes the great mistake of his
llfo; but the Joy and happiness
when be wakes and knows and
feels that the opportunity of doing
good to his fellow man is still his.
The Spirit stood among the graves
pointing to one with his finger.
Scrooge drew nearer and read
"Ebenezer Scrooge."
“Am I that man who lay upon
the bed?" he cried, upon his knees.
The finger pointed from the
_grave to him and back again.
"No, Spirit! Oh, no, no!"
The finger still was there.
"Spirlt!" he cried, tight clutch-
ing at its robe, “Hear me. I am not
the nian I was. I will not be the
man I must have been but for this
inter-course. Why show me this if
I am past all hope?"
._ For tho first time the hand np-
peared to shake. `
"'_Good Spirit." hc pursued. as
down upon the ground be feel be-
fore in “your nature lntercsdes for
me. and pitles me. Assure me_ that
I yet must change these shadows
may have shown me, by an altered
e."
The kind hand trembled.
"I will honour Christmas In my
heart, and try to keep it all the
year I will live in the Past, the
Present and the Future. The spirits
of nil three shall strive within
me. _I will not shut out the lessons
thnt they teach; Oh, tell me I may
Slwntte away the writing on this
stone!"
- in his agony, he caught the spec-
tral hand. It sought to free itself,
but he was strong in his entreaty.
and _iletained it.
The Spirit, stronger In his cn-
trhaty. resisted.
_Holding up his hands In a last
pruyer to have 'nls fate reversed.
he saw an alteration in thc
phnntoin‘s hood and dress. Il
shrunk, collapsed and dwindled
down into bcdpost. _
Yes! and the bedpost was his
own. Tho bell was his own. U10
mom was his own. Best and happi-
sst of all the time before him was
his own. to make aineiids in !
“I will live in the Past, the Pros-
ent and the Future!" Scrooge fl-
peated. as he scrambled out of bell.
“The Spirits ol' nil three shall
strive within nie. 0 Jacob Marley'
Heaven and the Christmas time be
praised for this! I say li- 0!! l_\~y
knees, old Jasub. Oll ml? kneel* '~
Ile was so flattered and so glo\\'~
ing with his' good intentions that
his broken voice would scarcely np-
swar to his call. Ile had been routi-
ing violently ln his conflict will'
the Spirit and his face was wet
with tours. _
"Thoy orc not torn down.' '.‘rt\=i|
Scrooge. folding one of his bmi-
curtains in his arms. "they :tro not
torn down, rings and all. The-y are
here-I um here-the shadows nf
tht- thing that would have been.
muy bo als;-elled. They will lic. 'l
know they vill." _
ills hands were busy with his
garments an this time: tlirnlns
them inside out. putting th-'ein on
upside down, tearing them. iiiislay-
lug them making them partie.; to
evcry kind of extravagunco.
"l don't know what to do!" cried
Scrooge. laughing and cryin!! Ill
the same breath, and making: a per-
fect Lacoon of himself with his
stockings "I nm as light as at
feather, I nm as happy as an utigcl.
I am us marry as a schoolboy. I H'1\
as giddy as it drunken man. A
Merry Christmas to everybody! A
Happy New Year to all the world.
Iiollo. here!Whoop Holla!"
Ile :risked into the sitting-room,
and was now standing there. D01”
fcctly windcd.
“There's the saucepan that the
gruel was in!" cried Scrooge. start-
ing off again. and going round the
Wireplace. ‘_"I`here's the door l'>'
which thc Ghost of Jacob Marley
entered; There's the corner where
the Ghost_ of Christinas Present
sat! There‘s tht- window where I
saw the wandering spirit! lt’§ ull
right, it's all true, it ull happened.
lla, ho. hu!"
Really, for it inan who 'had birch
out of prtictlcu for so litany years.
It was u _splendid laugh. it most
illustrious lnngh. The futher of at
long, long line of laughs.
“I doii't know how- long l’v€
been :iuiong the spirits. I <lon't
‘know itiiyiliing. l’in 'lititc it lmhy~
Never mind I rlon"t cure. I'tl rithei'
lie a baby Ilollo! Whoopi llollo,
hurPi" _
- llc' was checked it' his iran-
sports by the churches rlnizlttii'
out the lustiest penis he had cvei'
heard. Clash clang. hammer; ding
do'-g, bell. Dell dong ding, hanimer,
claiig, clash! Oh! glorious. glor-
ious! ~
Running to the window ho open-
ed lt, and put out his head. No fog.
no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirr-
ing, co`ld; cold. piping for the
blood to dance to; golden sunlight;
_heavenly sky: sweet fresh air:
merry halls, Oh. glorious. Glorious!
"Wl\nt's today?" 'cried Scrooge.
calling downward ton boy in Sun-
day clothes, who perhaps had
loltered in to look about him.
"Ehl returned the boy, with all
his might of wonder. '
"Whittie today my fine follow?"
anld Scrooge.
“Today!" rr-plied the boy. “Why
Christmas Day."
"lt’s Christmas Day!" said
Scroogo to himself. "I havsn‘t
missed it. The spirits have done lt
all in one night. They can do any-
thing they like. Of coufsethey can.
Of course they can. Ilollo, my fine
fellow!"
"llollol" my fine fellow!"
“lIollol" returned the boy.
"Do you know the poulterer's in
the next street but one, at tho
corner?" Scrooge inquired.
-"I should hope I did," replicd’
the lad.
"An intelligent boy!" said
Scrooge. "A remarkable boy! Do
you know whether thcy’vo sold the
prize turkey that was hanging up
there? ,Not the little prize turkey;
the big one?" . _
"What, the one as big as me?"
retumed the boy. . '
“What a delightful boy!" said
Scrooge. "lt's iz pleasure to talk to
him. Yes, my buck!" '
plied the boy. _ _ _ _
"lt's hanging there now," replied
the boy.
"Is It?" _said Scrooge. "Go and
buy it,"
"Walk-ER!" exclaimed the boy.
"No, no." said Scrooge, "l ani
ii: earnest. Go and buy lt. and tell
them to bring it here, that I may
Rive them the direction whore to
take it. Come back with the man,
and I‘ll give yous shilling. Come
Milli With him in less than fivo
lhinutcs and l'll give you hall it
crown." '
T110 NW was off like a shot. llc
must have had tt. steady hand at ~.
t'_`lSK9i" whoyxould have got a
shdsi off-half so fact '
` "ru semi it to 'mu ci-archival"
whispered Scrooge rubbing his
_hands and splitting with a lztuigli.
“He sht|n't know who sent it. lt's
twice the size oi tiiiiy Tim. Joe
Miller never made such tt. .luke as
sending it to Bolfu will be."
The hniid i.. which he wrote the
zitldress was not a steady one, but
~.-'rlic it he did. somehow. and \vi'.-ut
downstairs to opep,the street door,
ready for the- coming cf tht-
poultererki man. As he .sstood
there, waiting his arrival. the
kuocker caught his eye.
“I shall love lt. as long as I live.”
cried Scrooge patting lt with his
hand. “I scarcely ever looked at it
ln fore. Whitt an honeat expression
it has in its fuce. lt's :i \voii~ii=t'-
ful knocker. ll4:i°c's thc "turkey.
llollo! \\'hoop!~ llow nrc you"
Marry (‘.ltrli-=tnms!" '
lt was ii tnrkf-_yi Ile nnvcr could
have stood upon his legs. that bird-
Ilo would have snapped 'ein shvrf
off in a ininuto, like sticks of seal-
ing-wax.
“Why i.t's impossible to carry
that to Canidan Town," said
Scrooge. “You must have a cab"
The cliltcklo with which hc :iitiil
this. and the chuckle with which
he paid for the turkey. and tha
chuckle with_ which he paid for
the cab, and the chuckle with which
he rccotnpenscd the boy, wore only
to he exceeded by thc chuckle with
which he sat down breathless in
his chair again, and chuckled till
he cried.
'I' 'I' 'I'
Shaving was not :in easy task,
for his hand continued to shake
very much; and shaving roquires
attention, oven when you don't
dance _while you ore at lt. But if
he had cut the end of his nose off
he would have put a piece of
sticking-plaster over it, and been
quite sattsfled.
He dressed himself "all in his
best," and at last got out into
the streets. The people were by
this time pouring' forth, as he had
seen them with the Ghost of
Christmas Present; and walking
with his bonds behind him.
Scrooge regarded everyone with
a delighted smile. He looked so
irresistibly pleasant. in a word.
that three or _four good-humoured
fellows stiid. "Good morning, -sir.
A Merry Christmas to you!" Anil
Scrooge said often afterwards, that
of all the blithe sounds lic hull
»-vcr ueiird, those were the billb-
e..-t in his ears.
Ili- had not goin' fur. when coni-
inl: on towards hiui he lit-licid
ilu- pm-ily ge-.iitlcitinii who had
walked into his countitig-lion.-ic tho
diiy lu-fore and said; "Scrooge :ind
l\iarley's, I beliove?” it sent a
pang across his heart to ‘think Lou'
the old gentleman would look
upon him when thcy nictt but lie
knew what pnih lay slr1iif;Iit_L:o-
fore him mid he took it.
_"My dear sit," said Sii~uul;g_
quickenlug his pace, and taking
the old getitleinnn by lluth his
hands. "How do you do? I liopt-
yoii succeeded yesterday. It wus
very kind of you. A illerry Clirlst-
mns to you. slr!" . _
“l\ir. Scrooge?" . _
‘Yoi-i," said Scrooge, “'I`ba‘t is my
name, and I fear it may not ~_ -.be
pleasant to you. Allow me to ask
you pardon. And will you have
the goodness--" here Scrooge
whispered in his snr.
"Lord bless me!" cried the
gentleman. its if his breath 'vera
taken away. “My denr Mr. Scrooge,
are you serious?"
if YOU please," said Scrooge.
"Not n larthlug lest-i.` A great many
bsckpaymentg are included in it.
I assure you. Will you do me that
favour?"
“My door slr." sold tho other,
shaking hands with him, "I don't
know what to say to such munifi
"Don't any anything. please,” rc-
.tortcd Scrooge. “Como and seo
nie.‘Wlll you come and see mc?"
“I wIll!" cried the old gentle-
man. And it was clear he meant to
do it. '
“Thank'ec," said Scrooge. "I
am much obliged to you. I thank
you fifty times. Bless you!"
Ile went to church and walked
about the streets. and watched the
people hurrying to and fro, and
patted children on tho head, and
Questioned beggars. and looked
down into the kitchen, and found
that everything could wield him
pleasure. He had never dreamed
that any walk-that anyitung__
C0_\tld give him so much happiness
*_ 0' O
AN AMERICAN 0PlNl0N OF
_ CHARLES DICKENS '
Charles’ Dickens wng' the eup.
rome democrat of the nineteenth
century. lf democracy implies a bo.
llef in fraiomlly and equality as
well as liberty. Dickens certainly
valued personal liberty. If he wer..
alive today he would probably join
with Mr. Chesterton and Mr.
5°"°° "1 li°“"\"\0lllS bureaucra-
tic interference with the actions of
the confmon man. He would oppose
prohibition. -and would have . nc
greater love -than `ll‘Ir. Chesterton
inspectors who -nowadays com-
plicate the life of-iuean streets.
Equality and Fraternity. _
But equality and fraternity were
even moro to Charles Dickens than
liberty. In almost every one of
his books he emphasizes the equal-
ity of the simple and the highly
placed, of the master and .the
man. It never occurred` to Mr.
Pickwick to treat Sam Weller as
an inferior. and indeed Dickens
makes it perfectly clear that
Sam was infinitely sl\l'tei'ior to
Mr. Wliikle, Mr. Snodgrass.
and Mr. Tupman. The Marchloness
passed with perfect ease from 'hi'
very unpleasant iindcritrolllili
kitchen in St. Mary Axe to lic- tho
mistress of Dick Swivelier's llitlo
house at llanipstead. The whole
noral of tho story it .'\Iiirtlti
Chuzzlewit is that Mark Tunlfiy ls.
ag old Martin admits at thc Girl of
the book, morally and overt titutit-
ally superior of his rich-'r zissociot-
cs.
It is worth remarkln.; that
there is tio condescensiuii in tho
Dickens brniid ot cqitullty. nom' 01'
the maddening pose with which
the earnest Fabian proclaims hi.;
equality with the out-of-work dock
labourer.
A Common Man
The whole truth is, and it is a
perfectly splendid truth, that
Dickens, in many respects that
most inspiring of all modern Eng-
lish writers. began and ended as a
common fallow. I-le knew precious
little about the aristocracy. Sir
Leicester Dedlock. is as melodra-
malically unreal as Sir Mulberry
Hawk. He had very little sympathy
with the successful business man.
Mr. Rouncewell, the successful
iron-master. is drawn with sym-
pathy. but Dickens makes it per-
fectly clear that hcglnfinitely pre-
fers Mr. Rounccwell’s unsuccess-
ful brotber. George the trroopcr.
Dickens never thanked God that
he was not as other men. Ile spent
his whole life thanking God that-
be was as other men. and there is
something intensely Christian in
the constant sincere declaration
of equality with others from zt
ninn of outstutiding kenlus.
A Shaw Preface
In at preface that he once wrote
to an edition of “llnrd Times." Mr.
Show luiuental the fact thai Dick-
ens had very little knowledge of
industrial problems and very lille
appreciation of -the beneficsiit
power of trade unions. it is quita:
possible that it Dickens were
alive today he would deplore mfiiiy
modern industrial di--vclopnieiits
He might psrliaps laugh nt Labour
Leaders: but Dickens often lnugli
od at the people he loved. as, for
example, at Mrs. Nlckleliy. at Cap-
tain Cnttle, :ii Mr. Micawber, ut
Mr. Micriwlier, at, Mr. Boffin.
Perhaps Too Gervial
From the point of view of ilu-
soclal reformer, the weakness of
Dickens is that he shared thc
characteristic nf the cc-simon
Englishman of being nble in innkr'
the best of a had job and to limi
humour in the most uncoinfrrtabli:
circumstances. It ls obvious, for
example. that tho Kenwigses cn-
joyed themselves immensely, 'les-
pito the ovor-increasing number of
their family. Dickens could have
spent an evening with the Kon
wigs family and have ltnd o.
splendid time with them and with
Mr. Newman Noggs, :ind his en-
joyment might. and probably
would have caused him to forgot.
the urgent nec(-sslty that Konwlgs
should have a better income and
that his house sb mid have better
drains.
» The modern demand for higher
wages and better drains Ls alto-
gether to bc commended. but them
is a definite danger that, In our
preoccupation with material con-
ditions. we should neglect spiritual
essentials. Tho modern reformer
is apt to regard the grent bulk of
th-1 people as men and women to
be ltltlgliod With, and carouggql
with, and lived with. They were
really his brothorg and sliters.
Real Sentiment
For him fraternity was not tin
aspiration but n reality. lf.Dickons
were alive today he would regret
the appalling unemployment gpg;
has resulted from the chaos of the
war, he would be sympathetic with
all effort; to mitigate unemploy-
ment. but I do not think he would
'QVHIG Dlmlnhlets about it; be would
'he' for more likely to go ou; in uw
lU‘°9l8. nick out half a dozen men
f"°m “ll Unemployed procession,
and give them a square meal with.
out bombast or patronage. ae one
llwlry brother airing a~ good time
to his unlucky brethren. _ ~
Dickenawaa not only essentially
° 0001010” msn. but he was also
iigsentielly on English common man.
0 was constantly travelling on
the-continent. He paid two vlsitii
to_Amerlca but while 'flamboyant
have moved him to"pcornful laught-
er, he was absolutely .Dnglisb in
his prejudices. his syinplthles. _as
English as Mr. Weller w_na.hal'f o`
century ago. as lilnglisnu tliotaxl-‘
man in the London streets is Eng-
lish today. The foreigner is us-
ually a villain in the Dickens novel-
Blandols. for example, in “Little
Dori-lt," and the French maid in
"Bleak House," to sny nothing ni'
the unsympathetlc. (to use a
euphemism) Americans in "Martin
Cliuzzlewit."»
lt is interesting to speculate 'is
to his attitude towards' the Irish
question. Great wars and whole-
sale killings were unknown to the
mon of his lucky generation, and
it is prctectly certain that his over-
mastering bumunism would have
antagonizud him to nny policy that
mnant continuation of strife and
death and that he would be heart
and soul with Mr. Lloyd George in
tho endeavor tQ ntuko peace hc-
twoeir thu English and the Irish
people.
"Let ns bo happy." is the first
injunction of the Dickens gospel.
Then there follows the constant
demonstration that tliuro can bo
no happiness for the cruel, the
selfish. and the lnconsiderate.
Italph Nlckleby lg rich and miser-
able. Uriah Heep however his plots
may succeed. is never hoplly Mrs.
Pipchin is a miserable old woman.
On the other hand. Tom Pincnand
Mrs. Nickleby, Betsy Trotwood and
Mrs. Pickwick. Joe Gargery -and old
varieii~simpie. kindly. unselfislt
souls. all of them-arc as happy
as the day is long. The Dickens
gospel can. indeed, be summarized
in the late Professor Clifford'5 fitlo
injunction, "Let’s join hands and
help one another, for today we are
here together."
It is therefore,‘ certain that if
Dickens were alive today he would
use the great weapon of his laught-
er against present-day.ubuses, and
present day cruelty,_as he used' to
in his own day against Poor Law,
bullies. Yorkshire schoolmasters.
the Law'S iniquitons delays and the
vicious system of imprisonment
for debt. I-Ie would jecr at Pod-
snappery ln high places._He would
gibbet poniposity and humbug. He
would exalt the simple and the
kind. And, when ong thinks of the
turmoil and the bewilderment in
which our lives .are cast, it' almost
seems us if our great misfortune
ig that'Charlcs Dickens is not alivo
to cleanse the world with his deep.
wholesome, (lockney laughter.
'I' 'I' 'I'
LETTERS WRITTEN BY
’ ci-mates Dickens
Ainerico has just acquired ta. new
literary trcasiire. li consists `of
more than 600\leiters by Charles
Dickeiis. none of thcin' ever pitb-
llshed or scarcely known outside
the family of their author and then'
recipient. They were purcliasad
recently at the salc of the Bttrdett
Coutta library in London by Ollvor
W. Darrctt, a lawyer with offices
in Chicago and his home in thc
suburb of Kenilworth.
Virtually nil these letters were
written by Dickens to Baroness
Durdctt (‘out.ts. The first is dated
July I. 1839. Thclr datings con-
tinue uiitll ISGS. They describe bis
impressions during his first visit
to Amorica, in 1842, and his re-
actions to the adverse criticism by
him by Ainoritans after his do-
parture. Thoy acknowledge sourc-
es of several of his fictional char-
acters, and afford intimate glimps-
es of him evolving his plots, writ-
ing his books and enjoying tho
applause of them. They iniike plain
what nn extritorilliviry volntiic of
time. energy rind thought he de-
voted to charltv 'l‘hc_v_rovenl ln-
timacies of his lvuiie life. of his
devotion to children in the flesh
as well as In -the imagination. They
abound in chrr~~-tv-rlstic humor
and tenderness. They cinbody pass-
ages of narrative and descriptions
comparable with his formal con-
tributions to literature. They ex-
press as much as is to bo found
anywhere of Dickens' philosophy.
Admittedly. they _add no pre-
viously undiscovered _linesments
to the portrait of Dickens 'ts conf
stritcted~ by his contemporaries
and conveyed in tho hugo volumes
of his lottere edited by his daught-
er and his .sister-in-law. Their value
lg in filling ln and revivifylng these
earlier pictures. Sir Edward
Sullivan, in an essay written at
the time their sale was announc-
ed, said: “Tha lady editorsof the
published correspondence in their
preface call their work"'anotber
book from Charles Dickens' own
hands. as it were a portrait of nim-
se_if4 by himself, many details
omitted in that portrait are now
forthcomins. and _the resulting pic-
ture is infinitely fuller than bp.
fore. So continuous. indeed, and
eo well connected are these lett.
ers` to Miss Contts thot. lf all
Dickens' other letter had idis.
appeared. we should be time mit
of these alone to reconstruct the
antlior's' life nnd‘do|ngs in a very
satisfactory wny.”
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