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THE FURNIVALS. 173
" used for lawyers' chambers. I followed by a long flight
of stairs to an
" upper storey, and was ushered into an uncarpeted and bleak-looking
" room, with a deal table, two or three chairs, and a few books, a small
''
boy and Mr. Dickens, for its contents. I was only struck at first with
" one thing (and I made a memorandum of it that evening, as the strongest
" instance I had seen of English obsequiousness to employers), the degree
" to which the poor author was overpowered with his publisher's visit.
" I remember saying to myself, as I sat down on a rickety chair, My '
good
" '
fellow, if you were in America with that fine face and your ready quill,
"'you would have no need to be condescended to by a publisher.'
" Dickens was dressed very much as he has since described Dick Swiveller,
" minus the swell look. His hair was cropped close to his head, his
" clothes scant, though jauntily cut, and (after changing a ragged office-
" coat for a shabby blue) he stood by the door, collarless and buttoned up,
" the very personification, I thought, of a ' close sailer to the wind.' "
Here, too, he had his first interview with Mr. Hogarth, from Mr. Black
of the Morning Chronicle, whose daughter he afterwards married, and who
eventually agreed with him that he should write a series of articles in the
Evening Chronicle, at a salary of seven guineas per week.
Here, too, Mr. Hall, of the firm of Chapman and Hall, negotiated
with him the plan of Nicholas Nickleby.
Here were spent the days of his early married life, and from hence,
after the birth of his eldest son, Jan. 6th, 1837, he removed to 8, Doughty
Street.
And here, thirty-two years after, he came, no longer the unknown
" paragraphist for the Morning Chronicle," but the successful popular man
of literature, at the close of his prosperous career. His friend Mr. Field,
who had shewn him great kindness in America, was now his guest at
Gad's Hill. At his request, he visited with him some of the scenes of his early
life the cheap theatres, the poor lodging-houses, the thieves' quarters
and, for the last time, mounted the staircase, and stood in that eventful
room at Furnival's Inn.
In twelve months he had passed to his rest. " Statesmen, men of
" science, philanthropists, the acknowledged benefactors of their race, may
" pass away and yet not leave the void which is caused by the death of
" Charles Dickens." So wrote The Times immediately his demise was
announced, and added "Westminster Abbey is the peculiar resting-place
" of English literary genius and amongst those whose sacred dust lies
;
" there, or whose names are recorded on the wall, very few are more
" worthy than Charles Dickens of such a home. Fewer still, we believe,
" will be regarded with more honour as time passes and his greatness
" grows upon us."
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