DICKENS LETTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20656, 30 August 1930, Page 8 (Supplement)

DICKENS LETTERS.

SALE IN LONDON. An unusually interesting series of letters written by Dickens was recently sold at Sotheby's, London, in a sale which lasted several days. Nearly all were bought by Mr. Walter Hill, tho Chicago bookseller, though tho most important one was bought by Mr. J. F. Drake, of New York, for £4OO. It was on four closely-written octavo pages, February 1, 1861, and was addressed to M. W. F. Do Cerjat, Lausanne. In it he writes of " All the Year Round " " doing gloriously," and of " Great Expectations " as " a great success." Moro important is a reference to tho American Civil War: "I venture to predict, that the struggle of violence will bo a short one, and will soon bo succeeded by some new compact between tho Northern and Southern States." A letter of two pages octavo, May 1, 1855, to a correspondent whoso name does not appear to bo known, and containing a paragraph from "David Copperfield," describing Betsey Trotwood Copperfickl as being " for ever in tho land of dreams and shadows," sold for £290; fine to George Cattermole, December 20, 1842, in which lie expresses himself as " greatly charmed " with that artist's designs for "The Old Curiosity Shop," £220; one to W. 11. Prcscott, tho historian, October 15, 1842, in which he mentions that Longfellow is staying with him, and that he is sending a copy of his " American Notes" —" I have no fear but they will find favour in your eyes, though they may not in those of tho mass " —brought £135. Another, and totally different, series of Dickens letters —or, rather, " notes consisted of those to his butler, John Thompson, ranging from about 1845 to 1865, and these brief domestic instructions varied from 30s to £7 10s each. Ihe autograph programme of a performance of " The Merry Wives of Windsor," in aid of the fund for the endowment of a perpetual curatorship of Shakespeare's house at Stratford, one and a-half pages of folio entirely written by Dickens, realised £145.