Dickens On Shipboard

When fairly on our way it was appareut that Mr. DiokecH1 kuovvn psdoatrian habites wero IDViooiblü 'oy wiud 01 wave. 't' o a;ii.l fro, betweeu the wheelbyuHo aud tha imo!:e-Htaok, lie paced tbc dook for boura evory day. Thoae walks wero ïuos'ly alone, for tiio reserve with which li obviuuuly shdltered hiuinalf wsh respeoted f rom begiiiuiug to end. It was ouly ia thosa auokientul cnoounters or inevitable juxtapositioua arisiug ou ghipbourd tLat ba tvng uddressed by bil 't-lluw-paaietigerd. But hu rarol spoku Qrtit, fuve d the moroiog saiutatiou ou douk. He novr onco juiuod the ahiverïug group tliat oluatered about the smoke-Btaok for wariuth, bat j.m-ad and paced, euguged apparoatly ia vmioux tbuugbt. "I wifb he would begin to lay tlio otible uow," kbought I, "aooordiug to bis premiso at tbo bauiuet ; it wouiJ bo sucli uu exqtlient cliüiice wbile be bas ug liare bj baudy uu shi ;b ard." Buk Digbt eil ;ni duy rose- mista drove and the 8ua alione, and th stuauicr went booming alouif, and the passeDgem ehattüd and wulkod and atü and draak, and still the greut eovoy inado no Eign of laying the cable. it was the mest natural tliing in the world for evorybody aboard to wact to gay somethiug to bim. Aiid wbat ouuld be more natural than tliat tha resiraint, wbicb was solf-imposed out of oonsideration for bia comfort, should give way ou tlio least provocation '1 ' There, walkiug baok aud fortb daily auioug tbetu, wont iho man wbo bad probably given thein more pleiiauro and deüght Ihan auy other living - had checred tbem in oalamity, bad beightened tbeir joys, had cle;rud tbeir visión to see tbo beauty and goodness that may liu iu conimou surrouiKliugH, and created a gratitudo in their heane that cannot be measured. 80 in the coui se of three or four day all haii a spealung aoquaiDtsQoe with hita, and whoever joiucd nim fuund him easy of approach aud uot avene to talk. "1 havo kuuuko'l about tho Channel a good deal, and havo learued iu tbat way," hü oxplaiued to one wbo uiarveled ut bis kuowlocige of aailor-craft, VV benever tbo heavy tramp of the gung was heard as lbo men reeled iu the wet log liue, thcre stood Mr. Dickens ng it as it was pulled tiglit aud drippiüg aloug the uock. Aiuong t!io tiret to kuow wliat ruu the hip had made, few cm, ld uver tíurry liiin Ihe uet, npite of lbo uucerlaiu hour at whiob the log was beaved. How distiucily I recall bis ügure as hts climbed up tho ladder to tiie deck ! First hs low-crowoed round hat appeared ; theu hia ruddy face lit with iiis marvolously blue eyos; tlien Wn doublo-bi-euntod scaiiiau'a oot. On iumiy days ho would cairy up io bis baro'd u huge book bouud iti blue. On Lhe cover was stamped a gilt piolure of in elopunnt with upütted truuk obasiog i boy. It was a book on Indi, lie irould placo this bij; volumo ou a bulk lead or beuch, and cit dowJ) ly t aa if ie comteuipbited ruudiu. Uut ha novr oad a patfe of it whilo oa dook. ilia juick glauco was up ut tho na:l, tht' üyitery of ropes, tbeciouds, t!iu wv of lio wiud,aiid tvcij'wlscio bat ou lhe ook. On a day whou the ehip roll? Leaviiy neu's fiiür?s are often portóntouily' long it dinner in the salooa. "If I cmid )niy keep iny (Vet tili tho buil riogg, I ihould get eafoly ilii oogb,1' I obiwrved jue day, "Take bot negus for lunch; it "vill keep you up aiuch butler tlau tho u!e," Mr. DickeLS replied. Theu, puisuing tbo subject, ho said : "My worst time i iu the moruiiis; whèu I get up ; how do you manage ihon ? ' "VTatch the towolo', a:id the lörtment Chey stop awiuging muke a dive fur the leuuge, seize iny flusk aud tako ouu spoonful of brandy." "liut ouly onc; for ifyou tako muro," be said, curviug ono éyebtovv aud siniling, l'yuu are defeated. Tlnit'a iiiy plan also, and it works very weü." Of courise I prized biutd from tbia source, especially as tliey ha d u Biuack of the "Markis o'Gianby" and the ''Maypole." Tbe chattuniodou travel, ou winter climates, went back to Europo trundlod down to ïtaly nod hi loug resideuce at (ieuoa,,aud the beaaiy of the liiviera. Tbe lovely features of the Coruioa were tossed from hand to haud, as thouyh we were ciippiug verses. "How picluresquo (hoso villuges!" auid he. "And what a balmy air ! 'cxclaiuied another. "And that blue sea iu front!" pursued Dickens. "And the shining orauge groves !" "Yes, aad baekt-d with ihoso ricb hilln !" lie addsd wiih alioost lyriu fervor. At thia momeut a new-comer broke in with some odioua remark about the number of "knots she's running." Ho llung bis great cubble stono iuto tho srcouth üow of talk, aud ihcre was ao end uf it. Ouo evoning I was sittiug alone on deek wliilo teapots and lightod candleu wero beiug placed iu tho saloon belowv Somo ouu was climbing up the ladder, and I perceived tbo outliuus of Mr. Dickens' h,at and ooat. Ho took a camp stool and Sút near me. Aftcr a word or two wo liuvelcd ahcad of the hip to America. "How far i it from frew York to Philftdolpbia 'i or, rutiicr, how long is it ï for it's absurd iu these days to ask how far." After tho comfortiug assuranoo that it wa.s only threu hours and a half, I asked him whether ho remombered a ceitain veuerablo lady of phia whoni he Lad met when here befora. Ho aid, "Perfeotly well : indeed I uevor forgot anytliing!" aud n-peated vritl: some eaiphaiis that be had a groat meraorj. Ho Iiuew the eapacity of tho oporabousbd ii tho Easteru oities, and remarkad tbat he preferaed a hiuall or medium zed liull to read in - "a room ld whioh everybod ouu see my face," ho said, "for su muoh dependa on tho faco anJ the ligiitur shodes of voice." "Wliat do you menu by a jood audience ?" ba abkeJ. "Qood rofors to size rather than quality, aud moatly lueau a f uil hons." At tb iii moment a lady, wrupped n water proof and hood, carne up aud Rat dowo oü the dook by us. Aud tban utoto qunsiions about Mia Adtdaide Prootor umi other triton. 'D'd you kuovT }Irs. lirowaiug ?" aked the lady passenger. "Oh, yes, indeed !" "Do teil me omethiDjt bout her I" "VVell, sho was oue of the gnaallont womoD yua ö?er eavt, and wei il! a good deal. It was very íunnj to seo the way Browniug used to oarry her about all over Europe." The tnlk feil on Browning' playn, Colombt's Eirthday and Th iJtf in the 'Seutcheon - "ihat reniarkafcla ihiiig in herature, a tragedy without a crimo I" ttouiebody aid. Mr. Diokeus i wanuly Ausunked to the praise givtu to the dramatic trugmeiit. "NotwilbstaDding it beauty, I suppose Browuiog nevar iutoaded it to be ucted V" asked onc. "Oii, yei," bo replied : "Browning tequoated me OQoe to üt it for the stage, i and I did go. It was mt tha fauit of the play that it was uot ïucc6sful ; it waH !-.uttutni tho audieiiüus ware uot up to it " líowerer hkoptioal I mny have feit about tuis oriticisai, I id uothiug, and Mr. Diokeoi expregad stiïl furtber uia admiratioo of Bronaieg. Ho askud me if I had r-ad the poeiu "Rabbi Ben Ezta," I bad n.jt, wbsreupon iia eoiuuiendtedit wurmly, anj adviaed me to run.! it. I had but one more talk with hiua, and v'.i..l a brief one. One afternooa, during a walk tcgethar on deok, I aid, "Mr. Dickeu, if you dou'c objeot to ujy aiking you tioatethiug abou yuur booiis - " "Not at al!," ho aid, oordially. ' I would ask jou to gWa mo a word to ohaiaoteriao certaiu qualitiei which tho styie aaiames oooasionall;." I haied 1 auid, to tnploj tbt) word uiulo-drainati, foaliug it to bu inappropriate, but oould find ao otbr, and asked if ho ot. jeoted to it u any caso. "Whatdoyou mean when you say nielo-draniatic ?" he inquired. " tv ueu lie style rúes above tbs leTel of coinincu proee, and the sentiment üfts itself out of the roción of comuiou thiugs, u;id t;e seutences aotually beoornu rbythmioul. Thoro is Botuethiug of t iu 'tha storm' iu David" - he nodded affinnatiiiely - " in 'Aq Italiaa Dream' ia lU Piclurei rom Italy ; tho ohapters on 'Monseigneur' iu tho Tale of 'Two Citki poesess it; and the passages whoreiu Lucy Manotto hsarg the echoes of hurryiug footsteps whore no footsteps are, ary all musical and auggestive of mor thtin thuy gay." "Yus, I reoogDtM - I understand you perfeuily ; but that whioh you meao I shuuld not cali inulo-dramatie ; I cali t piclumpu." Ttieu dwelÜBj on tb for a moment, "Let uw teil ycu," he said, "the dunuitiou I gave to au Eoglish artist the olher day, wlio anked ujo to expluin the differanoe betweou tha theutrical and iha dramatic in a jiicturo. I said, if any of thu figures iu the scène look as if they thought tLey wtrc beitig lookud at, il' ttiuir expresaioo iu thu leuat ehuwd thera lo be awaru of spoulatürs, I fchuuld c:ll it tboatrioul, Uut vrhen ttiey do their part with inioonHcioiis euergy, aud are wboHy wubject to the governing emotions of tlio scane, it id di auintio " Ho was olul'Oiatiüg tliis defiuhiou, when a laryo man joiued u and put his oiutiiiy foot iuto the talk and traiuplcd il blliipele.-s. -