Help!
Derek Knox (DerekK@SYD.TSG.COM.AU)
Sat, 9 May 1998 12:42:50 +1000
Ok - who can help me here.
recently I purchased at a junk shop, a set of 2nd edition 1870 Charles
Dickens collected works novels - for $10 - the poor person who sold me
them, how silly - they are worth $400 each.
But that's not the best part.
The best part is that inside the second book I found a letter,
handwritten and obviously VERY old - and the possibility that this may
be either a thesus from a student of the time, or perhaps someone closer
to the author, perhaps even a relative is intriguing.
The text of the first pages goes like this.
My object in bringing this subject to your notice is, not so much a
paper on Charles Dickens the Novelist, although I feel strongly tempted
to do so.
My intention in the meantime is to present to your notice a few facts of
his early life, struggles, and aspirations, before he reached the
prominence he afterwards attained to, and which I hope may be a stimulus
to ourselves.
At the outset let me say that I am indebted to Mr John Fosters admirable
life, of the subject of my paper, and also his lifelong friend and
executor, for a few of the facts of his early life.
Charles Dickens, the most popular novelist of the century, and one of
the greatest humourist England has produced, was born at Landport in
Portsea on Feb 7th 1812.
His father was a clerk at Navy Pay Office, at this time staioned in
Portsmouth.
He seemed to be one of the "let the tow go with the bucket principle"
and charles in conversation with Foster in later years thus describes
him
I know my Father to be as Kind Hearted and generous a man as ever lived
in this world. Everyday that I can remember of his conduct to his wife,
or children, or friends, in sickness or affliction, is beyond all praise
.. .
The letter goes on again for about 8 pages then abruptly ends
unfinished.
Anyone have a clue?