Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



177 



THE DICKENS CENTENARY. 



As might be expected, the magazines of January 

 .ukI I'ebruary devote a good deal of space to papers 

 on Charles Dickens. In the Cftitury Magazine for 

 January Mr. W. L. Phelps writes an essay on Charles 

 Dickens as " the man who cheers us all up." He 

 thinks tiiat if Dickens is not the highest writer of 

 English fiction he fills the biggest place, and is the 

 last whom we could spare. The writer says that 

 every child in England and America should be 

 grateful to Dickens, for the present happy condition 

 of children is due in no small degree to his un- 

 remitting efTorts in their behalf. The paper is fol- 

 lowed by four illustrations by S. J. Woolf of typical 

 scenes in Dickens's novels : 

 ".Alfred Jingle and Rachel 

 Wardic," "Saircy (lamp 

 and Betsy Prig," " Captain 

 Cuttle.Sol Gills,and Walter 

 Ciay," " Dick Swiveller and 

 the .Marchioness." 



I »ICKEXS .\ND FORSTER. 



The February issue of 

 t'liambiirss Journal con- 

 tains an article, by Mr. 

 S .\I. Kllis, on Forster's 

 ■ I ,ife of Dickens." While 

 tnis " Life " is generally 

 regarded as one of tlie 

 great biographies in the 

 Knglish languaL;e, it is 

 astonishing how open is 

 the book to attack. Forstcr 

 liimself is unduly pro- 

 minent, while other inti- 

 mates of Dickens who 

 greatly influenced iiiscareer 

 and literary work .nre rele- 

 gated to an obscure jiosition. 

 'I'hc letters quoted are 

 mostly those addressed to 

 Forsler, the valunble let- 

 ters of other coirespon- 

 ilents arc not utilised, and 

 Dickens's letters ari- rruclly 



mutilated. The writer also {xiints out how incomplete 

 is the record of many important events, such as the 

 relations of Dickens to Macronc, his first publisher, 

 Dickens's (juarrel with Hentley, and Dickens's early 

 visits to .Manchester. The most attractive feature of 

 the Memorial edition of the "Life" is the unique 

 coUertion of over five hundred illustrations, arranged 

 by Mr. \\. W. Mat/T, but here, too, seem to be many 

 regrettable omissions, and the writer maintains that 

 I>ortraits of Macronc, Bentlcy, the Grants, and 

 others should have been in<'luded, also a view 

 of -Kensal Lodge, where Dickens and Forsler 

 first met, and illustrations of Dickens's visits to 

 Manchester. 



Charles Dickens 



Dickens in A.merica. 

 In the World's Work for January Mr. Joseph 

 Jackson describes " Dickens in America Fifty Years 

 Ago." The paper is very interesting, and it is illus- 

 trated by reproductions of several illustrations that 

 appeared at the time of his visit to the United States. 

 Another illustration represents the only public monu- 

 ment to Dickens that has been erected in the United 

 States of .Vmerica. Dickens is seated on a pedestal, 

 by the side of which is standing " Little Nell." Accord- 

 ing to this paper Dickens was received with more 

 demonstrative exhibitions of genuine aftection than 

 had ever been given to any foreign visitor to Americ-'s 

 shores before. Even the triumphal progress of 



Lafayette fifteen years 

 earlier seemed tranquil in 

 comparison. He was 

 then only a young man, 

 having just completed his 

 thirtieth year. He began 

 joyously by admiring 

 everything and everybody, 

 excepting the young ladies 

 who insisted upon having 

 a lock of his hair. He 

 suffered from the rapacity 

 of some hotel proprietors, 

 and despite all his aj- 

 parent good-will towards 

 ever) body he tlally refused 

 to bow to national senti- 

 ment. His independence 

 and his strong sense of 

 his own righteousness 

 would not sufier him to 

 use tact in his public ad- 

 dresses. In private, as in 

 public, he spoke !Tis mind. 

 A literary man once tried 

 to draw him on the subject 

 of slavery. " I do not like 

 it," said he. " I don't 

 like it at all ! " " Ah ! " 

 said his visitor, " you pro- 

 as a Young Man. bably have not seen it in 



its true character, and are 

 prejudiced against it." " Yes, I have seen it, sir," said 

 Dickens, " all I ever wish to see of it, and I detest 

 it." After the visitor had departed, Dickens turned 

 to his secretary and, burning with passion, ex- 

 claimed : — - 



"I).Tmn ihcir impudence! If llicy will not llirust llicir 

 acciirseil domestic iiustiliiliun in my Tnce, I will not altack it, 

 for I dill not come here for that purpose. Hut lo tell mc .t 

 m.in is belter off as a slave than as a freeman is an instdi, .in<l I 

 will not endure it from any one ! I will not l>car it I" 



Dickens was equally strong in his views as to the 

 need for international copyright, and when his hostility 

 to slavery led to the |)ul lication of s|)iteful and untrue 

 paiagra|)hs about him, it resulted in eventually souring 



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