Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/255

* DICKENS. 315 DICKIN3. contact with life itself. After a period of re- porting in the courts and in the House of Com- mons, Dickens began in the Monthly Magaxine (December, 1S33). and continued in the i^ccning Chronicle, a series of essays and tales, collected and published in 1S3C, under the title ^Icctclus by Boz. Encouraged by their success, he under- took to write the letterpress of the I'oslhiinKjus Papers of the Piclcieick Club, the illustrations of which were to be executed by Robert Seyiiiuur, a comic draughtsman. As soon as Dickens in- troduced Sam W'eller. the plates became of sec- ondary interest. The Pieku-ick Papers, which appeared in monthly numbers (1S36-37), not only had enormous commercial success, but they also mark an era in Knglish literature. It was the first of a series of fictions exhibiting the life and manners of the middle and lower classes, which up to that time had rarely found an exponent, and in one respect this hook had neither predecessor nor progeny. Neither before nor since has there ever been such a literary embodiment of healthy animal spirits. There is none like it for unflagging but never unwise mer- riment — for humor that is very much the re- verse of drv. Pickicick was followed by Oliver Ticist (1837-39) and Xicholas ^Uck^cby (1838- 39), adventures in the picaresque manner. They are among the first of those social noAels which form so marked a feature of modem literature. The former was a ludicrous exposure of work- houses: the latter was aimed at the wrongs and cruelties inflicted upon their wretched pupils by the cheap schoolmasters of Yorkshire. Both hit their mark. After this beginning, Dickens set lance in rest against many a social monster. He may be sometimes wrong, but in spite of his ex- aggerations he can scarcely be accused of want of honesty of purpose : while quite as little can partisanship (except that he is always for the poor) be laid to his charge, since at the very time when the country gentlemen were shaking their heads at him for his want of reverence for 'land,' he incensed the manufacturing interest by the publication of Ilard Times (18.54). His sarcasm is of a rather peculiar character: too good-natured to sneer, and with eyes, not- withstanding their indignant fire, that never lose sight of the ludicrous side of things; his style is mocking argument. After Nich- olas yickleby came The Old Curiosity Hhop (1840) and Baniaby Pudge (1841). In the for- mer, in the character of Little Xell, he first ex- hiliited a power of setting forth cliild life and child thought, unequaled before the appearance of George Eliot. Barnahy Pudge was his first, and, with the exception of the Tale of Tiro Cities (18.59), his only attempt to describe the past: and it was successful. A disposition of mind toward the weird and the grotesque, which showed itself in The Old Curiosity Shop, was sub- sequently developed with greater success in his Christmas Stories (18.53). especially in .4. Christ- vias Carol, -fter a voyage across the Atlantic, Dickens published, in 1842, American otes for Cieneral f'ireulnfion : but a much more admirable result of that visit to the T'nitcd Stales appeared in Martin Chuzzleirit (1844), which was certain- ly the greatest of his humorous works since Pirktrick. After this masterpiece, his animal spirits — a rare gift among even comic authors, and seldom lasting so long as in his own case — began to desert him. Humor, except in some rich creations, such as .Mr. ilicawber, was no longer so apparent; while, on the other hand, satire and pathos increased. Dombcy and Son (1S4S) was considered a falling oif in one who stood so high. Yet, when men were ex]>ecting that he would wane and weaken like other pro- lific writers before him, he produced David Cop- per/ield (18.50), a favorite with many, and pre- ferred by Dickens himself to all his other novels. In this novel he adopted the form of an autobiog- raphy, and that perhaps ofl'cred him some ad- vantages; at all events, the result was admirable. Bleak Uouse (1853) ; Rard Times (1854) : Little DoiTit (1857); .4 Tale of Two Cities (1859): Great Expectations (1861), regarded by Swin- burne as the best and most artistic of Dickens's books; and Our Mutual Friend (1805), after- wards succeeded one another with almost periodi- cal punctuality, and each was awaited by an im- mense audience. In 1846 the Daily y'eus was started, under Dickens's editorship, but the task appears to have been uncongenial, for he soon withdrew from it. In 1850 he commenced a weekly periodical entitled Household Words, afterwards merged in All the Year Pound. In 1867 he again visited America, giving numerous leadings and meeting with a brilliant reception. He was at the last engaged in writing a new novel. The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which was left unfinished. He died at Gadshill ajid was buried in Westminster Abbey. The work of Dickens has been variously esti- mated. All admit his great humor; but to some his pathos seems much overdrawn. He possessed immense creative power, the number of his char- acters running into the thousands. The essence of his art is caricature, and for comic efTect he exaggerated the abuses he attacked. In character building he hit upon some oddity and trans- formed it into a delightful type never to be for- gotten. Consult: Forster, Life of Dickens (Lon- don. 1872-74) ; Letters, edited by Hiss Hogarth and Jliss Dickens (London, 1880-82) ; Gissing, Charles Dickens: A Critical Stndi/ (Xew York, 1898): Fitzgerald. The Hist on/' of Pickwick (London, 1891) : Kitton, The Xovcls of Charles Dickens (London, 1897) : and Kitton. The Minor M'rifings of Charles Dickens, a bibliography (London, 1900). Essays and editions are nu- merous. One of the most recent editions is Kit- ton. The Autograph Edition of Complete Works {-,(■, vols., Xew York, 1902). DICK'IE, Geoege ^V^LI.I.JI (1844—). An American naval engineer. He was born at Ar- broath, Scotland; stvidied mechanical and naval engineering, came to the United States in 18C9, and was connected with steamship designing on the Pacific Coast. In 1883 he became manager of the Union Iron ^Vorks, San Francisco. Cal., and in that capacity became identified with the execution of much naal work for the United States Government. He was at one time ])resi- dent of the Teduiical Society of the Pacific Coast. Consult his Pumping and Hoisting Works (1876). DICK'INS, .Toiix (1747-98). An American clergyman. He was born in London and was educated at Eton, but came to .America before the Revcdution, and was one of the most elTicient promoters of the .Methodist Episcopal Church in