CHARLES DICKENS

(1812-1870)

There is happily at the present time a revival of enthusiastic interest in the writings of Dickens. Among English novelists his position is unique.

The question as

to who is the greatest novelist, whether Dickens, Thackeray, Scott, or some other, is idle. He is great in his own right, and in his own way. Dickens's chief subjects were the simple lives of 66 common people," and these he idealized, surrounding them

with a halo, making almost impossible characters. It has been said that he is a caricaturist rather

than a realist. In a sense, it is true, he exaggerated all his people; that is, each character in Dickens stands especially for a single characteristic, but the charm is ever present.

Dickens's early life was one of considerable hardship. He was born of poor parents and was one of a large family. It is generally supposed that in Mr. Micawber he represented his own father, and in David Copperfield himself. When only eleven years of age he was taken out of school and put to work in a blacking factory, but later he was put to school again, but at a most unhappy school. In many of his books he shows the evils of the educational system prevailing at his time in England, and this is supposed to be the result of his own unfortunate experiences.

As he grew to manhood, he began to write for periodicals and soon blossomed out as a novelist, and quite early became one of the great novelists of the world.

THE CHILD'S STORY

The following story shows one of Dickens's many styles. It is pathetic and philosophical and without the humor so characteristic of many of his writings. It is a dream story and gives in a beautiful allegory the life history of a man.

Once upon a time, a good many years ago, there was a traveler, and he set out upon a journey. It

was a magic journey, and was to seem very long when he began it, and very short when he got half5 way through.

He traveled along a rather dark path for some little time, without meeting anything, until at last he came to a beautiful child. So he said to the child, "What do you do here?" And the child said, "I 10 am always at play. Come and play with me!" So he played with that child, the whole day long, and they were very merry. The sky was so blue, and the sun was so bright, the water was so sparkling, the leaves were so green, the flowers were so lovely, 15 and they heard such singing birds and saw so many butterflies, that everything was beautiful. This was in fine weather. When it rained, they loved to watch the falling drops, and to smell the fresh scents. When it blew, it was delightful to listen to the wind, 20 and fancy what it said, as it came rushing from its home where was that, they wondered! - whistling and howling, driving the clouds before it, bending the trees, rumbling in the chimneys, shaking the house, and making the sea roar in fury. But, when 25 it snowed, that was best of all; for, they liked nothing so well as to look up at the white flakes falling fast and thick, like down from the breasts of millions of white birds; and to see how smooth and deep the drift was; and to listen to the hush upon 30 the paths and roads.

They had plenty of the finest toys in the world,

1

and the most astonishing picture books: all about scimitars and slippers and turbans, and dwarfs and giants and genii and fairies, and Bluebeards and bean stalks and riches and caverns and forests 35 and Valentines and Orsons: 2 and all new and all true.

But one day, of a sudden, the traveler lost the child. He called to him over and over again, but got no answer. So he went upon his road, and went on for a little while without meeting anything, until 40 at last he came to a handsome boy. So he said to the boy, "What do you do here?" And the boy said, "I am always learning. Come and learn with

me.”

So he learned with that boy about Jupiter and 45 Juno, and the Greeks and the Romans, and I don't know what, and learned more than I could tell or he, either, for he soon forgot a great deal of it. But they were not always learning; they had the merriest games that ever were played. They rowed 50 upon the river in summer, and skated on the ice in winter; they were active afoot, and active on horseback; at cricket, and all games at ball; at prisoner's base, hare and hounds, follow my leader, and more sports than I can think of; nobody could 55 beat them. They had holidays, too, the Twelfth cakes, and parties where they danced till midnight,

1 Scimitars, short swords used by Arabs.

2 Valentines and Orsons, the characters of a very old story. 3 Jupiter and Juno, the chief god and goddess of the ancient Romans.

and real theaters where they saw palaces of real gold and silver rise out of the real earth, and saw all 60 the wonders of the world at once. As to friends, they had such dear friends and so many of them, that I want time to reckon them up. They were all young, like the handsome boy, and were never to be strange to one another all their lives through.

65 Still, one day, in the midst of all these pleasures, the traveler lost the boy as he had lost the child, and, after calling to him in vain, went on upon his journey. So he went on for a little while without seeing anything, until at last he came to a young 70 man. So said he to the young man, "What do you do here?" And the young man said, "I am always in love. Come and love with me."

So he went with that young man, and presently they come to one of the prettiest girls that ever was 75 seen just like Fanny in the corner there- and she had eyes like Fanny, and hair like Fanny, and dimples like Fanny's, and she laughed and colored just as Fanny does while I am talking about her. So the young man fell in love directly- just as 80 Somebody I won't mention, the first time he came here, did with Fanny. Well! He was teased sometimes just as Somebody used to be by Fanny; and they quarreled sometimes - just as Somebody and Fanny used to quarrel; and they made it up, 85 and sat in the dark, and wrote letters every day, and never were happy asunder, and were always looking