The Letters of Charles Dickens Volume Iii Part 16

Here are the characters:

Old Febrile Mr. FARREN.

Young Febrile (his Son) Mr. HOWE.

Jack Hessians (his Friend) Mr. W. LACY.

Chalks (a Landlord) Mr. GOUGH.

Hon. Harry Staggers Mr. MELLON.

Sir Thomas Tip Mr. BUCKSTONE.

Swig Mr. WEBSTER.

The Duke of Leeds Mr. COUTTS.

Sir Smivin Growler Mr. MACREADY.

Servants, Gamblers, Visitors, etc.

Mrs. Febrile Mrs. GALLOT.

Lady Tip Mrs. HUMBY.

Mrs. Sour Mrs. W. CLIFFORD.

f.a.n.n.y Miss A. SMITH.

One scene, where Old Febrile tickles Lady Tip in the ribs, and afterwards dances out with his hat behind him, his stick before, and his eye on the pit, I expect will bring the house down. There is also another point, where Old Febrile, at the conclusion of his disclosure to Swig, rises and says: "And now, Swig, tell me, have I acted well?" And Swig says: "Well, Mr. Febrile, have you ever acted ill?" which will carry off the piece.

Herne Bay. Hum. I suppose it's no worse than any other place in this weather, but it is watery rather--isn't it? In my mind's eye, I have the sea in a perpetual state of smallpox; and the chalk running downhill like town milk. But I know the comfort of getting to work in a fresh place, and proposing pious projects to one's self, and having the more substantial advantage of going to bed early and getting up ditto, and walking about alone. I should like to deprive you of the last-named happiness, and to take a good long stroll, terminating in a public-house, and whatever they chanced to have in it. But fine days are over, I think. The horrible misery of London in this weather, with not even a fire to make it cheerful, is hideous.

But I have my comedy to fly to. My only comfort! I walk up and down the street at the back of the theatre every night, and peep in at the green-room window, thinking of the time when "d.i.c.k--ins" will be called for by excited hundreds, and won't come till Mr. Webster (half Swig and half himself) shall enter from his dressing-room, and quelling the tempest with a smile, beseech that wizard, if he be in the house (here he looks up at my box), to accept the congratulations of the audience, and indulge them with a sight of the man who has got five hundred pounds in money, and it's impossible to say how much in laurel. Then I shall come forward, and bow once--twice--thrice--roars of approbation--Brayvo--brarvo--hooray--hoorar--hooroar--one cheer more; and asking Webster home to supper, shall declare eternal friendship for that public-spirited individual.

They have not sent me the "Ill.u.s.trated Magazine." What do they mean by that? You don't say your daughter is better, so I hope you mean that she is quite well. My wife desires her best regards.

I am always, my dear Jerrold, Faithfully your Friend, THE CONGREVE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY (which I mean to be called in the Sunday papers).

P.S.--I shall dedicate it to Webster, beginning: "My dear Sir,--When you first proposed to stimulate the slumbering dramatic talent of England, I a.s.sure you I had not the least idea"--etc. etc. etc.

[Sidenote: Mr. Clarkson Stanfield.]

1, DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _July 26th, 1843._

MY DEAR STANFIELD,

I am chairman of a committee, whose object is to open a subscription, and arrange a benefit for the relief of the seven dest.i.tute children of poor Elton the actor, who was drowned in the _Pegasus_. They are exceedingly anxious to have the great a.s.sistance of your name; and if you will allow yourself to be announced as one of the body, I do a.s.sure you you will help a very melancholy and distressful cause.

Faithfully always.

P.S.--The committee meet to-night at the Freemasons', at eight o'clock.

[Sidenote: Lord Morpeth.]

1, DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, YORK GATE, REGENT'S PARK, _August 3rd, 1843._

DEAR LORD MORPETH,

In acknowledging the safe receipt of your kind donation in behalf of poor Mr. Elton's orphan children, I hope you will suffer me to address you with little ceremony, as the best proof I can give you of my cordial reciprocation of all you say in your most welcome note. I have long esteemed you and been your distant but very truthful admirer; and trust me that it is a real pleasure and happiness to me to antic.i.p.ate the time when we shall have a nearer intercourse.

Believe me, with sincere regard, Faithfully your Servant.

[Sidenote: Mr. William Harrison Ainsworth.]

DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _October 13th, 1843._

MY DEAR AINSWORTH,

I want very much to see you, not having had that old pleasure for a long time. I am at this moment deaf in the ears, hoa.r.s.e in the throat, red in the nose, green in the gills, damp in the eyes, twitchy in the joints, and fractious in the temper from a most intolerable and oppressive cold, caught the other day, I suspect, at Liverpool, where I got exceedingly wet; but I will make prodigious efforts to get the better of it to-night by resorting to all conceivable remedies, and if I succeed so as to be only negatively disgusting to-morrow, I will joyfully present myself at six, and bring my womankind along with me.

Cordially yours.

[Sidenote: Mr. R. H. Horne.]

DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _November 13th, 1843._

Pray tell that besotted ---- to let the opera sink into its native obscurity. I did it in a fit of d----ble good nature long ago, for Hullah, who wrote some very pretty music to it. I just put down for everybody what everybody at the St. James's Theatre wanted to say and do, and that they could say and do best, and I have been most sincerely repentant ever since. The farce I also did as a sort of practical joke, for Harley, whom I have known a long time. It was funny--adapted from one of the published sketches called the "Great Winglebury Duel," and was published by Chapman and Hall. But I have no copy of it now, nor should I think they have. But both these things were done without the least consideration or regard to reputation.

I wouldn't repeat them for a thousand pounds apiece, and devoutly wish them to be forgotten. If you will impress this on the waxy mind of ---- I shall be truly and unaffectedly obliged to you.

Always faithfully yours.

1844.

NARRATIVE.

In the summer of this year the house in Devonshire Terrace was let, and Charles d.i.c.kens started with his family for Italy, going first to a villa at Albaro, near Genoa, for a few months, and afterwards to the Palazzo Pescheire, Genoa. Towards the end of this year he made excursions to the many places of interest in this country, and was joined at Milan by his wife and sister-in-law, previous to his own departure alone on a business visit to England. He had written his Christmas story, "The Chimes," and was anxious to take it himself to England, and to read it to some of his most intimate friends there.

Mr. Macready went to America and returned in the autumn, and towards the end of the year he paid a professional visit to Paris.

Charles d.i.c.kens's letter to his wife (26th February) treats of a visit to Liverpool, where he went to take the chair on the opening of the Mechanics' Inst.i.tution and to make a speech on education. The "f.a.n.n.y"

alluded to was his sister, Mrs. Burnett; the _Britannia_, the ship in which he and Mrs. d.i.c.kens made their outward trip to America; the "Mrs.

Bean," the stewardess, and "Hewett," the captain, of that same vessel.

The letter to Mr. Charles Knight was in acknowledgment of the receipt of a prospectus ent.i.tled "Book Clubs for all readers." The attempt, which fortunately proved completely successful, was to establish a cheap book club. The scheme was, that a number of families should combine together, each contributing about three halfpennies a week; which contribution would enable them, by exchanging the volumes among them, to have sufficient reading to last the year. The publications, which were to be made as cheap as possible, could be purchased by families at the end of the year, on consideration of their putting by an extra penny a week for that purpose. Charles d.i.c.kens, who always had the comfort and happiness of the working-cla.s.ses greatly at heart, was much interested in this scheme of Mr. Charles Knight's, and highly approved of it.

Charles d.i.c.kens and this new correspondent became subsequently true and fast friends.

"Martin Chuzzlewit" was dramatised in the early autumn of this year, at the Lyceum Theatre, which was then under the management of Mr. and Mrs.