’* 57-59 
LETTER FROM DICKENS 
65 
July 17, at which Macaulay, Murchison, the 
Speaker of the House of Commons (Denison), 
Sir P. Egerton were present. On the 22nd 
'^he Queen of Holland visited the Museum, and 
Owen showed her the chief things of interest in 
his own department. 
His August holiday was spent with his wife 
the Isle of Wight, and at a visit to Carisbrook 
Castle he notes with indignation ‘ the bronze 
^Tnour carefully rubbed bright ! ’ He spent his 
dine ‘ walking about antiquity -hunting ’ and ‘ get- 
dng very wet in rides about the island on the top 
stage-coaches.’ 
Shortly after their return to Sheen Lodge, 
Charles Dickens wrote Mrs. Owen a characteristic 
^^tter, in which he mentions the efforts he had 
been making in order to raise a fund for the 
^idow of Douglas Jerrold ; — 
Gad’s Hill Place, Higham by Rochester : 
Wednesday, September 3, 1857. 
‘My dear Mrs. Owen, — Your pleasantest of 
^^tters finds me here, stopping to breathe after 
’■he fatigues of the last two months, which have 
huen on the whole as great as I have ever under- 
§i*^ne, and which have left me, for the moment, 
Dst a little dashed. However, we have happily 
Ruined the limit I presented to myself in setting 
uut xve have raised two thousand pounds — and 
success has been enormous. 
VOL. II. 
F 
