He

all his previous experience, and particularly his newspaper training, had specially fitted him. In December, 1833, his first literary sketch was "dropped stealthily, with fear and trembling," to use his own words, "into a dark letter-box, in a dark office, up a dark court in Fleet Street." It was accepted, and "appeared in all the glory of print." was so filled with pleasure and pride, he tells us, in purchasing a copy of the Magazine in which it was published, that he went into Westminster Hall to hide the tears of joy that would come into his eyes. The paper which he thus described, was subsequently published in the "Sketches by Boz," as "Mr. Minns and his Cousin."

Encouraged by this success, Dickens continued for the next year or two to write stories and sketches for The Old Monthly Magazine and for The Evening Chronicle. They were then republished in a volume, for which the author received two hundred and fifty pounds. The "Sketches" reveal the extraordinary power of Dickens as an observer, and contain clear intimations of his future greatness. "London—its sins and sorrows, its gayeties and amusements, its suburban gentilities and central squalor, the aspects of its streets, and the humors of the dingier classes among its inhabitants-all this had certainly never been so seen and described before.”、

While continuing his duties as reporter, Dickens began the work that was quickly to establish his reputation and to confirm him in a literary career of astonishing fruitfulness and success. In a later preface to the book, he tells us how "Pickwick" came to be written. It was proposed by the publishers that he should write something to accompany monthly illustrations by the caricaturist Seymour.

He consented on condition that he was to have control of the story, and that the illustrations should rise naturally from its characters and incidents. The first number of the "Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club" appeared in March, 1836. At first the success of the story seemed doubtful; but after the fifth number, in which Sam Weller appeared, it grew rapidly in popularity. In a few months the sale of the successive numbers jumped from a few hundred to forty thousand, and "Pickwick" was recognized as the most popular novel of its day.

"Pickwick" has remained one of its author's most popular books. In several particulars it illustrates his peculiar methods and powers. Though possessed of no small degree of dramatic talent, Dickens does not often make use of elaborate plots. He is preeminently a novelist of incident. He places before us graphic scenes rather than profound studies. His characters are vividly drawn, but generally with the exaggeration of caricature. He has a dominant but kindly sense of humor, which, less refined than that of a Lamb or Irving, is exhibited most frequently in absurd characters and ridiculous situations. Besides all this, there is found in "Pickwick" an abounding and contagious vitality, which constitutes one of the great charms of the book.

An etching by Carlyle, who met Dickens at a dinner party, brings before us his personal appearance and manner at this time. "He is a fine little fellow - Boz, I think. Clear, blue, intelligent eyes, eyebrows that he arches amazingly, large protrusive rather large mouth, a face of most extreme mobility, which he shuttles about-eyebrows, eyes, mouth, and all—in a very singular manner

while speaking. Surmount this with a loose coil of common-colored hair, and set it on a small compact figure, very small, and dressed à la D'Orsay rather than well — this is Pickwick. For the rest, a quiet shrewd-looking little fellow, who seems to guess pretty well what he is and what others are."

Two days after the appearance of the first number of "Pickwick" Dickens married Catharine Hogarth, the daughter of a fellow-worker on the Chronicle. He began his wedded life modestly, taking his bride to his bachelor quarters in Furnival's Inn, much after the manner of Tommy Traddles in "David Copperfield." But as his income increased, he occupied more comfortable lodgings, till at last he purchased Gad's Hill Place as his permanent home, and so fulfilled a resolution of his ambitious childhood. For a number of years his domestic relations were happy enough. He delighted in his children. "He never was too busy," his daughter tells us, "to interest himself in his children's occupations, lessons, amusements, and general welfare." But later there came an unfortunate change; and after twenty years of wedded life, the unhappy pair agreed to separate. It was a case of incompatibility of temper, which neither had the strength to overcome or the patience to bear.

During the next few years after the success of "Pickwick," the amount of work Dickens accomplished is amazing. While writing the successive numbers of “Pickwick,” he assumed the editorship of Bentley's Miscellany, and began at once the publication of "Oliver Twist." Early in 1838, and simultaneously with "Oliver Twist," he issued the first numbers of "Nicholas Nickleby." Besides these