THE DEMOCRACY OF DICKENS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 431, 13 February 1909, Page 9

THE DEMOCRACY OF DICKENS.

■ '■■■■''''•. '■;■'■{Mr.;. .Chesetertoii'on Dickens' inust ; . : : xievef;be ; 'passed .by'.Sln .the.. "Daily News''. ■■:"■.■''•■;.: p'f- December :30,:reviewirig; Edwin .-Pugh's ■■■:.-. .V-; new-: book, ■;;'.'. Charles.; Dickens :;/The ■ Apostle ■-.■■■ \o'f* the,;Pepple,"-rMr!'.; Chesterton"discusses ; .i..Dickens,!aß:n;aem6crat;-v :'.[>,'■.. 2i^<:J : , --v v r ::' : - .y.v - ■ ; :When a : thirig; is .as thoroughly; greatas'the -..:'-.works' of -Dickens'Che/says)- we>imist be; con- : :■' . .tent:;t<) admire it ..without, agreeing;- about ,:.,'it.'•;-It is-right that'there.should.be as many '■'. :'.■ "; Dickense'_s/as there :are;Dipkensians. : To take, /.-■---■' but'one. instance of the wide octave stretched '■-- •-'; : by'the.-hand'of. that master: Dickens, is one -; : ;: of: the■ few; things Mr..- Bernard': Shaw warmly ■: ; ; admires.*:; And"yet. Dickens' is also the.;idol V '■; ,and emblem; of Vail; the: things of: the "people ' : : '.".-'■Mk; Shaw imost:;hates andidespises—the, do-- .-'■ ''■':■':, inestia;sentimentalists, the; old -playgoers, ":;,; the lovers :of ibrandyrand; turkey and all;, tho : ;;.V! convention is ; ■: ythe;ihre^tes^^h^n&lity^atid;wha_t may : ;.. W ::,': that.;Mf;Shaw 'can; even' forgive him his sym- '■■.'■■ ■;-:.; pa^ : ;"with''t)dpulaf.''iajppiiiess;'..'' r Aii'd at the. ■';-. ;{ same time the port^winey{old ■ English gen-' '■;■'. .;'.-tleman ,is;;sb-.melted .by : Dickensjs; geniality- .■■;;:■ and ! ;good-fefilirigVthat:.he.forgives Tiim'i-for. '■:■;, -;■ having, been aa■ -keen • ;critic; and .: a;' public- ; ■: : .. ; ■:■ spirited v citizeri.;> :This' ;is'.- real,; greatness ;':-.tp. : :.-r':~= be'-..a'ddied; by '{ antagonistic ■peopieVfor incpn- ■?;[■}■ ■ sistent': reasonsf:'^ 01 ;V'; ; v';- 7 .i-.:::';.\';j-<V' : v:;V.;' '■'.■'(':. ; ?. : V; / •';>r i ..;; ,-'i wild 'plan; ■v; Mr ;Sw'inburne, -^vho; prefers: ihe. everything; :'■:': ■■ '■ '.tairie'd.admirably-the.general propositipn that ■;...;:; : Dickens' is ; .a-'tolcano, v . and not an extinct v 01,,;■-■-'•■: ~;■ -■-'•■: cano;u--.Mr, i;X3eorge : Gissing ', r mddo : - d ! mtushi-- . ;,'... ;i';jneeded.'plearfor/Dickfns*:as'a;realist, indieat-, •:.;: /;: ing ; ! his.._thousand,.tones -and'touches of cool; ; -..'; observation, and;'intimate social /irony.; : Hr. ;:y-; Edwin.i'Pughi'-is,not^thefefp'rej to : be blamed;;:;;aif;he;;de\^s>^;bbok;ti'.'6nly;;one;'aspect:of ■;;._';; jDiokens; especially the ■ /■■';f.i-'oth'eMj-yle'-avows-.-h^s'jwstriQtiqn- on'-theTtitle ;>>;:. page;;:ll>.::>Pugli'si : b6ok:-is v Charles ; ; ;;: ; ;-;;^. : JS''designed..io:;shpw';that'-Diek«ns'..6elieved';in- ..;;.: •' political; democracy,: and would : have; believed ; ;:■ ln^ocialism^ifrhe-had-heard, of; it,:;;or at ';;;xleast;Mderstood;it: : ■ \ Tlievfirst proposition ■V';v::.-\caimqt;.be.-;dbiih'<^h^ : ili: : v . .' i-'proyed, .but.'tdgether they make up;the ~-,-.•.;/rial.:df;an;able^^and;attractive book;: a book. : '.which,:has;?a.t; leaststhe;.'one thing that.is: ■:■ , ; : i wanted in>bpoks:{ust ; n6w;;the:;note: of: ! the ; >, :trump^t;■;the.note'of-;dogma-and challenge. ■• ; ':; ;"-': ; Prejudices. ' : ;',&^b;'v:-:';',-; ; : :.;;■.;;- MrC Pugh|jOneibf ; ;the;, new; Socialists,. does j : ' .-._■ really/possessldiie'of; the, : virtues ; pf; the void' j: ; :v,-Eadicals;*like*:DickcnsTra -.virtue.:which it.i» '■ -.-;.very.^bamytp l define"',e/actly,: ; be'9a'uEe : it :is: so ... :; ; f : definite; .^^'.■'/-'lt.isrnot/enpugh'.to'call'-it'the'figliting , spirit"; ■ ' jv; it; is/'aii: inch br-twp:' nearer--to; call it'v'the ';■ ;?/. f aifcV fights ABo'ugnly; •,' it :'/co'n-" ;:-:,; ? ;sistsv'6f:;;tw6;;qualities": : :,"holdin'g-on; iri'-'defi-. ':.[ i , 'anco^of....ithe-.'oniens, .'and-knowing by; instinct ; : ;, ,where;;;one'B; that;in-.;.;■;,Btinctf-which:vleads^ono'-'tp;:.';distrust.:, Mr.' ;y v: '^ :■... is .that, instinct, .which; saved'some of us from' '..;. being crushed■ by>the • cataract of eulogies :.ori ■■;}. ■".;.;;;Kipling and^Cecil J Rhodes^ ! Tts,enemiesiare •..:": ';:. always 'the • Sophists 4/ arid'by' its enemies it- is ;?;;;. always-called; "Prejudice. ,, :;;.;;;; J-: : .■■': ■;. -v .'Of■'■this'J.hpnoTirable .p'ugriacity.-Mr./Pugh.'s y. \ :•;'; book;"isv He; Jhas. a thoroughly healthy '■•;!;;' toejud|ce.,va : prejudice'oh"the.side,of ;. :;"His; instincts/;which:-aro,,'chiva.lrous. :'.:- r ■;■ tell : him; at ■: once that 1 , the -chances.' are a hiint':::;,■'. dred:.toi;6nei that;Lthe:':p6qr man's.:sins : have •v-'i.' : been lOverstated/ahd .the-rich: ;; : ; ; Kcealedi H; ; All souls,,; : frpm. the. : :5,.'; time;'.;of,;Chnst;;'have:seen::that;in.';spiritual ■; : ought to'. be;;one"■ law for ; the ;; ■ : ;rich;;and :anpther;:forr^he j :poori ,;; Spiritua]ly' suspect \_ there"-is;v'a:'primal facie. ;-.'"'' k * easeiagainst them/X ; The.'m'an ;who; may have. '':<! . been a robber-must. show.-himself' ;a* saint. <:.;■:; : -i-, ; i;. therefore,;pleiity of:peopleiwill gay.'that it is r:. fuU' v bf;pi-ejudiceVi; ; wiH,,say,: .;■;:. ';:arid.:have ,eomo\justifica'tion.m;saying, .that ;':it-is'Vfull: : ;ofy:crudo v ; apt ...- ,;peals to <the/gallery^Jisi Mr. ;'Pugh ; and : .-. ■■;-:";shbtild;.''agree'.ithat'-the" : ; gallery.' is :the most' ■;■• '■". -' important;;p;art ;of theatre, this will not' ;.:;;, • v Mr.V;Pugh% says ; ; that- .:'.:; ; :;:the : ...wbrd ■j.Gentleman,- '.'smacks of all abbmi- ,; ; natipnsV.'.^.^He.;suggests^w :;;,;, arid .crush)ng;;truth,;-that:the' ; pobr.'are:much ; ;:,:'-more;.po_lite;,: arid, ceremonial.thanvthe.richi.;T;:^r^urging;; T;cpuld:fbrgive ;■■: ;;him'all. his ; er'rors::.,S:V.;;•-,.' ■'■ '■■ ■■■'~' ■.-" ;- ; ;.-.;:;.-

/ ■ "i"'.' ■-'■■ i ",: ;/ : -;And/ii6w::cpmes(the queer, and mysterious /fact.''ab6ut.llr;/Pugh'.-VHe ha^:been heartily , : and jhumaiilyl/rigjit; about; all ,'the bitter or .'angry/ or/pathetic/ side' of 'democracy;/ and ;then ; su.ddenly/hp;.goes: quite wrong about 'all rtho;;sider-of that is .hearty" and. "';■ human. /se : :doesi not';like .Pickwick; ' v He ' complains of-its'l)lataritv obiectivity-T-which ; nieau3/that.;Mr.::P.ickwick looked;funny-whon. . : he/ran:after/his:/hat;T'He^^omplains.of its /^'almost':'eritire;'lack/of:'spirituality,".: which : means ; that Pickwick.was only a gopd.'m'au in ■ the) sight',.of ;.God,' and( did .riot: want' to "as:.pire'''jiko an eijptistical theosophist: "Hecori-:,aemnsits;:''fliypantj.i;light-hearte,d disregard. / of.'-vital: issues :'i'.as ; if :'perpetuation /of We'l:ler wore not now/the only!vital;issue/,in Eng-.. :lari'd.' : Asj;foi , ; his ..other, accusation against ':.Pickwick,'. "tho 'gay,'-cynical,": carelessness of •!its:'pervading'jt(Si%^:-ifc/makes;rae'-ivant : to: vtaJ_k';to.;'Mr;'^n'ehJ'lik6'iß.'f^her^-if. : n6tlike-a i.DutchvjmcleV'iEot, me assure liimj with .illa Bha'tteriug ■: emphasis,;;.; that • no' ;•■ cynic ■ from .Creation to /Judgment/, has/been,Z:.or.,'can: , be," /gay.; v 'Pickwick/and "Sam ;;Weljer/wero'igay ;■' and., careless; because'- they . were good men. ■ ;. Mt.^Pughjv with-.'iallihis|:.''yirtucs,;■...must : toil • to..::?,ttain/the/Pickwick- standard;'ho • must' :/take r care,that he':also may at last be. equally :;careless>Kt V : : :; / :,",:;/ '/ ..■book 'is , /this'.irritation;/of his/against ; the /spirit? of 'Pickwick, ;.;"thc r spirit/: of '-the:old ;:Dickens.v. One/niay-'well':feel• the/sane s'us'r" : picionfof /Mr..; Pugh's'Tefiriement'. which Mr. Piigh-justly."foels 'of/the word ."gentleman." .7'l'-[dp,-not i -mean''.tb;:wn . review ;/or(else;I/shp'uld,', in so/many words, -: call- :: Mr.:;Pugh.;/a ..--gentleman.-r.V.He .:■':■ offers. .Dickens '■■■ yet';all •:.the ■.Darts: of ;I)ickehs/he .dislikes/are"

the popular,parts. 'All those clomonts that disgust, Mr.' Pugli, tho clowning nnd caricature., the preposterous figures, and tho prac; tical jokes,' Mr. Pibk'wiek' getting into , tho wheelbarrow; and Tony Wellor hardly getting ihto'ihis waistcoat—all this is:simply.tho life and laughter of ■ the actual. English people. One has.only to go down the Battersea;Park Road oii a Saturday, night to hear: it. Mr. Pugll, Avho is.so 'largoly; right.in liis book, is": at ;leasi. supremely, right, in. his title. Dickens -was: the. 'apostle. of the .people—es-. peoially.ontho points upon which Mr. ! Pugh disagrees with, nimi •■'■;. '■;■ ,;