CHARLES DICKENS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1524, 26 March 1886, Page 3

CHARLES DICKENS.

No writer ever lived whose method was more exact, whose industry was more constant, and whose punctuality was more marked than those of Charles Dickens. He never shirked labour, mental or bodily. He rarely declined, if the object was a good one, taking die chair at a public meeting, or accepting a charitable trust. Many widows and orphans of deceased literary men have for years been benefited by his wise trustee-ship or counsal, and he spent a great portion of his time personally looking after the property of the poor whose interests were under his control. He was, as has been intimated, one of the most industrious of men, and marvellous stories are told (not by himself) of what he has accomplished in a given time in literary and social matters. His studies were all from nature and life, and his habits of observation were untiring. If he contemplated writing "Hard Times," he arranged with the master of Astley's circus to spend many hours behind the scenes with the riders and among the horses; and if the composition of the "Tale of Two Cities " were occupying his thoughts, he could banish himself to France for two years to prepare for that great work. Hogarth pencilled on his thumb-nail a striking face in a crowd that he wished to preserve; Dickens, with his transcendent memory, chronicled in his mind whatever of interest met his eye or reached his ear, any time or anywhere. Speaking of memory one day, he said the memory of children was prodigious ; it was a mistake to fancy children ever forgot anything. When he was delineating the character of Mrs Pipchin, he had in his mind an old lodg-ing-house keeper in an English water-ing-place where he was living with his father and mother when he was but two years old. After the book was written he sent it to his sister who wrote back at once—" Good heavens! what does this mean f yon have painted our lodging-house keeper, and yon were but two years old at that time!" Characters and incidents crowded the chambers of bis brain, all ready for use when occasion required. No subject of human interest was ever indifferent to to him, and never a day went by that did not afford him some suggestion to be utilised in the future. His favourite mode of exercise was walking, and when in America scarcely a day passed, no matter what the weather, that he did not accomplish his eight or ten miles. It was on these expeditions that he liked to recount to the companion of his rambles stories and incidents of his early life; and, when he was in the mood, his fun and humour knew no bounds. He would ' then frequently discuss the numerous characters in his delightful books, and would act out on the road dramatic situations, where Nickleby, or Copperfield, or Swiveller would play distinguished parts. I remember he said, on one of these occasions, that, during the composition of his first stories, he could never entirely dismiss the characters about whom he happened to be writing} and that, while the "Old Curiosity Shop " was in process of composition, Little Nell Mowed him about everywhere; that while he was writing " Oliver Twist" lagan the Jew would never let him rest, even in his most retired moments; that at midnight and in the morning, on the sea and on the land, Tiny Tim and tattle Bob Cratchit were ever tuggimg at bis coat-sleeve, as if impatient for him to get back to his desk and continue the story of their lives.