Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/467

 us. V.MAY is, 1912.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

883

CHARLES DICKEXS. FEBRUARY ?TH, 1812 JUNE QTH, 1870.

(See ante, pp. 81, 101, 121, 141, 161, 182, 203, 223, 243, 262, 284, 301, 323, 344, 362.)

BEFORE returning to his readings, Dickens had the sorrow of parting with his youngest son, Edward Bulwer Lytton Dickens (nick- named "Plorn"), who had decided to join his brother Alfred Tennyson Dickens, already settled in Australia as a successful sheep- farmer. " Plorn ' ' was the favourite of his father, and it was hard to let him go. He sailed on the 26th of September, 1868.

" Poor Plorn is gone to Australia. It was a hard parting at the last. He seemed to me to become once more my youngest and favourite little child as the day drew near, and I did not think I could have been so shaken."

On Monday, the 5th of October, the first of the final readings was to take place at St. James's Hall. In anticipation Dickens caused Messrs. Chappell to issue the follow- ing characteristic advertisement, which he reproduced in his own journal :

" It is scarcely necessary to add that any announcement made in connection with these farewell Readings will be strictly adhered to and considered final ; and that on no consideration whatever will Mr. Dickens be induced to appoint an extra night in any place in which he shall have beeu announced to read for the last time."

Almost immediately Dickens began to feel anxious lest the Chappells should be losers by their generous arrangement, the expenses incurred being on " the princely scale of the Chappells," so he determined that the public should have some new excitement, and made a short reading of the murder in ' Oliver Twist.' It was arranged in three brief parts : ( 1 ) Where Fagin sets Noah Claypole to watch Nancy ; (2) the scene on London Bridge ; (3) where Fagin rouses Claypole from his sleep to tell his per- verted story to Sikes the murder and the haunting of the murderer. This " Sikes and Nancy " reading caused a perfect furore everywhere, but the cost to the reader can never be told. I heard it with my father at St. James's Hall, and while we marvelled at the force and earnestness thrown into it, and at the fearful vividness with which the scene was presented, we both felt pained to think how dangerous such exertion was to Dickens in his state of health. Those who were behind the scenes have related how utterly prostrate he was for some time after its delivery. Macready, who heard him read it at Clifton, said, " The murder is two Macbeths.' ' Dolby did all he could to

induce Dickens to give this particular reading less frequently, but

" the horrible perfection to which he had brought it and its novelty acted as a charm to him, and made him the more determined to go on with it come what might, and all remonstrance to the contrary was unheeded by him."

In fact, it only angered him ; and the sole time he quarrelled with Dolby was in reference to this. They were having supper together after one of the readings, and were revising the lists, when Dolby remarked, " Out of four readings, you have put down three murders," and urged him to reserve the murder for certain of the large towns.

' ' Have you finished ? ' Dickens said angrily.

" ' I have said all I feel on that matter,' Dolby replied.

"Bounding up from his chair, and throwing his knife and fork on the plate (which he smashed to atoms), he exclaimed, ' Dolby, your infernal caution will be your ruin one of these days.'

" ' Perhaps so, sir,' Dolby said. ' In this case, though, I hope you will do me the justice to say it is exercised in your interest.' "

Dolby left the table, and went on revising the list of readings ; on turning round he found his chief in tears, while his own eyes were " not so clear as they might be." Dickens went to him and embraced him affectionately, sobbing the while : " Forgive me, Dolby ! I really didn't mean it ; and I know you are right."

On this last tour Dolby had the pleasure of having bis chief at his house at Ross, to spend a Sunday with him. He had been reading at Cheltenham, and on the Tuesday was to read at Clifton, so the journey was a convenient one of only twenty-five miles. Dolby found Dickens to be no less delightful as a guest than as a host.

" From the moment he entered the house it seemed to contain more than its wonted share of sunshine if such a thing were possible. The following day he went about the place with me, taking as much interest in everything as if he had been at ' Gad's.' My son (to whom he had stood sponsor in the early part of the previous year), the pony he had caused to be presented to my little girl (whilst we were in America), and the dog ' Chops,' who recognized his old master, gave him a reception which pleased him im- mensely."

Dolby was much amused to observe Dickens carefully scanning his small library, which included a row of his own books that he had himself presented to Dolby. Looking up from writing letters he saw his old chief passing his fingers over the tops. When asked why he did this, he explained, in a jocular manner, " that he was merely anxious to ascertain by this means if any of them had been cut."