Charles Dickens having taken an _appartement_ in Paris for the winter
months, 49, Avenue des Champs Elysees, was there with his family until
the middle of May. He much enjoyed this winter sojourn, meeting many old
friends, making new friends, and interchanging hospitalities with the
French artistic world. He had also many friends from England to visit
him. Mr. Wilkie Collins had an _appartement de garcon_ hard by, and the
two companions were constantly together. The Rev. James White and his
family also spent their winter at Paris, having taken an _appartement_
at 49, Avenue des Champs Elysees, and the girls of the two families had
the same masters, and took their lessons together. After the Whites'
departure, Mr. Macready paid Charles Dickens a visit, occupying the
vacant _appartement_.
During this winter Charles Dickens was, however, constantly backwards
and forwards between Paris and London on "Household Words" business, and
was also at work on his "Little Dorrit."
While in Paris he sat for his portrait to the great Ary Scheffer. It
was exhibited at the Royal Academy Exhibition of this year, and is now
in the National Portrait Gallery.
The summer was again spent at Boulogne, and once more at the Villa des
Moulineaux, where he received constant visits from English friends, Mr.
Wilkie Collins taking up his quarters for many weeks at a little cottage
in the garden; and there the idea of another play, to be acted at
Tavistock House, was first started. Many of our letters for this year
have reference to this play, and will show the interest which Charles
Dickens took in it, and the immense amount of care and pains given by
him to the careful carrying out of this favourite amusement.
The Christmas number of "Household Words," written by Charles Dickens
and Mr. Collins, called "The Wreck of the _Golden Mary_," was planned by
the two friends during this summer holiday.
It was in this year that one of the great wishes of his life was to be
realised, the much-coveted house--Gad's Hill Place--having been
purchased by him, and the cheque written on the 14th of March--on a
"Friday," as he writes to his sister-in-law, in the letter of this date.
He frequently remarked that all the important, and so far fortunate,
events of his life had happened to him on a Friday. So that, contrary to
the usual superstition, that day had come to be looked upon by his
family as his "lucky" day.
The allusion to the "plainness" of Miss Boyle's handwriting is
good-humouredly ironical; that lady's writing being by no means famous
for its legibility.
The "Anne" mentioned in the letter to his sister-in-law, which follows
the one to Miss Boyle, was the faithful servant who had lived with the
family so long; and who, having left to be married the previous year,
had found it a very difficult matter to recover from her sorrow at this
parting. And the "godfather's present" was for a son of Mr. Edmund
Yates.
"The Humble Petition" was written to Mr. Wilkie Collins during that
gentleman's visit to Paris.
The explanation of the remark to Mr. Wills (6th April), that he had paid
the money to Mr. Poole, is that Charles Dickens was the trustee through
whom the dramatist received his pension.
The letter to the Duke of Devonshire has reference to the peace
illuminations after the Crimean war.
The M. Forgues for whom, at Mr. Collins's request, he writes a short
biography of himself, was the editor of the _Revue des Deux Mondes_.
The speech at the London Tavern was on behalf of the Artists' Benevolent
Fund.
Miss Kate Macready had sent some clever poems to "Household Words," with
which Charles Dickens had been much pleased. He makes allusion to these,
in our two remaining letters to Mr. Macready.
"I did write it for you" (letter to Mrs. Watson, 17th October), refers
to that part of "Little Dorrit" which treats of the visit of the Dorrit
family to the Great St. Bernard. An expedition which it will be
remembered he made himself, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Watson and
other friends.
The letter to Mrs. Horne refers to a joke about the name of a friend of
this lady's, who had once been brought by her to Tavistock House. The
letter to Mr. Mitton concerns the lighting of the little theatre at
Tavistock House.
Our last letter is in answer to one from Mr. Kent, asking him to sit to
Mr. John Watkins for his photograph. We should add, however, that he did
subsequently give this gentleman some sittings.
[Sidenote: Mr. W. H. Wills.]