Volume Ii Part 5 (2/2)

We give the letter to Mr. Thackeray, not because it is one of very great interest, but because, being the only one we have, we are glad to have the two names a.s.sociated together in this work.

The ”little speech” alluded to in this first letter to Mr. Macready was one made by Charles d.i.c.kens at a public dinner, which was given in aid of the Hospital for Sick Children, in Great Ormond Street. He afterwards (early in April) gave a reading from his ”Christmas Carol” for this same charity.

The Christmas number of ”Household Words,” mentioned in a letter to Mr.

Wilkie Collins, was called ”A House to Let,” and contained stories written by Charles d.i.c.kens, Mr. Wilkie Collins, and other contributors to ”Household Words.”

[Sidenote: Mr. W. Wilkie Collins.]

TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _Sunday, Jan. 17th, 1858._

MY DEAR WILKIE,

I am very sorry to receive so bad an account of the foot. But I hope it is all in the past tense now.

I met with an incident the other day, which I think is a good deal in your way, for introduction either into a long or short story. Dr.

Sutherland and Dr. Monro went over St. Luke's with me (only last Friday), to show me some distinctly and remarkably developed types of insanity. Among other patients, we pa.s.sed a deaf and dumb man, now afflicted with incurable madness too, of whom they said that it was only when his madness began to develop itself in strongly-marked mad actions, that it began to be suspected. ”Though it had been there, no doubt, some time.” This led me to consider, suspiciously, what employment he had been in, and so to ask the question. ”Aye,” says Dr. Sutherland, ”that is the most remarkable thing of all, Mr. d.i.c.kens. He was employed in the transmission of electric-telegraph messages; and it is impossible to conceive what delirious despatches that man may have been sending about all over the world!”

Rejoiced to hear such good report of the play.

Ever faithfully.

[Sidenote: Mr. Edmund Yates.]

TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, 1858._

MY DEAR YATES,

Your quotation is, as I supposed, all wrong. The text is _not_ ”which his 'owls was organs.” When Mr. Harris went into an empty dog-kennel, to spare his sensitive nature the anguish of overhearing Mrs. Harris's exclamations on the occasion of the birth of her first child (the Princess Royal of the Harris family), ”he never took his hands away from his ears, or came out once, till he was showed the baby.” On encountering that spectacle, he was (being of a weakly const.i.tution) ”took with fits.” For this distressing complaint he was medically treated; the doctor ”collared him, and laid him on his back upon the airy stones”--please to observe what follows--”and she was told, to ease her mind, his 'owls was organs.”

That is to say, Mrs. Harris, lying exhausted on her bed, in the first sweet relief of freedom from pain, merely covered with the counterpane, and not yet ”put comfortable,” hears a noise apparently proceeding from the back-yard, and says, in a flushed and hysterical manner: ”What 'owls are those? Who is a-'owling? Not my ugebond?” Upon which the doctor, looking round one of the bottom posts of the bed, and taking Mrs.

Harris's pulse in a rea.s.suring manner, says, with much admirable presence of mind: ”Howls, my dear madam?--no, no, no! What are we thinking of? Howls, my dear Mrs. Harris? Ha, ha, ha! Organs, ma'am, organs. Organs in the streets, Mrs. Harris; no howls.”

Yours faithfully.

[Sidenote: Mr. W. M. Thackeray.]

TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, 1858._

MY DEAR THACKERAY,

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