At the end of the year he wrote the first number of "Bleak House,"
although it was not published until March of the following year. With the close attention and the hard work he gave, from the time of its starting, to his weekly periodical, he found it to be most desirable, now, in beginning a new monthly serial, that he should be ready with some numbers in advance before the appearance of the first number.
A provincial tour for the "Guild" took place at the end of the year. A letter to his wife, from Clifton, in November, gives a notion of the general success and enthusiasm with which the plays were attended. The "new Hardman," to whom he alludes as taking that part in Sir E. B.
Lytton"s comedy in the place of Mr. Forster, was Mr. John Tenniel, who was a new addition, and a very valuable and pleasant one, to the company. Mr. Topham, the delightful water-colour painter, Mr. Dudley Costello, and Mr. Wilkie Collins were also new recruits to the company of "splendid strollers" about this time. A letter to Mr. Wills, asking him to take a part in the comedy, is given here. He never did _act_ with the company, but he complied with Charles d.i.c.kens"s desire that he should be "in the scheme" by giving it all sorts of a.s.sistance, and almost invariably being one of the party in the provincial tours.
[Sidenote: The Hon. Mrs. Watson.]
DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _January 24th, 1851._
MY DEAR MRS. WATSON,
Kate will have told you, I daresay, that my despondency on coming to town was relieved by a talk with Lady John Russell, of which you were the subject, and in which she spoke of you with an earnestness of old affection and regard that did me good. I date my recovery (which has been slow) from that hour. I am still feeble, and liable to sudden outbursts of causeless rage and demoniacal gloom, but I shall be better presently. What a thing it is, that we can"t be always innocently merry and happy with those we like best without looking out at the back windows of life! Well, one day perhaps--after a long night--the blinds on that side of the house will be down for ever, and nothing left but the bright prospect in front.
Concerning supper-toast (of which I feel bound to make some mention), you did, as you always do, right, and exactly what was most agreeable to me.
My love to your excellent husband (I wonder whether he and the dining-room have got to rights yet!), and to the jolly little boys and the calm little girl. Somehow, I shall always think of Lord Spencer as eternally walking up and down the platform at Rugby, in a high chill wind, with no apparent hope of a train--as I left him; and somehow I always think of Rockingham, after coming away, as if I belonged to it and had left a bit of my heart behind, which it is so very odd to find wanting twenty times a day.
Ever, dear Mrs. Watson, faithfully yours, and his.
[Sidenote: The same.]
DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _Tuesday Night, Jan. 28th, 1851._
MY DEAR, DEAR MRS. WATSON,
I presume you mean Mr. Stafford and Mr. Stopford to pay Wilson (as I have instructed him) a guinea each? Am I right? In that just case I still owe you a guinea for _my_ part. I was going to send you a post-office order for that amount, when a faint sense of absurdity mantled my ingenuous visage with a blush, and I thought it better to owe you the money until we met. I hope it may be soon!
I believe I may lay claim to the mysterious inkstand, also to a volume lettered on the back, "Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea, II.," which I left when I came down at Christmas. Will you take care of them as hostages until we effect an exchange?
Charley went back in great spirits, threatening to write to George. It was a very wet night, and John took him to the railway. He said, on his return: "Mas"r Charles went off very gay, sir. He found some young gen"lemen as was his friends in the train, sir." "Come," said I, "I am glad of that. How many were there? Two or three?" "Oh dear, sir, there was a matter of forty, sir! All with their heads out o" the coach-windows, sir, a-hallooing "d.i.c.kens!" all over the station!"
Her ladyship and the ward of the FIZ-ZISH-UN send their best loves, in which I heartily join. If you and your dear husband come to town before we bring out Bulwer"s comedy, I think we must have a snug reading of it.
Ever, dear Mrs. Watson, faithfully yours.
[Sidenote: Mr. Mark Lemon.]
DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _Friday, Jan. 31st, 1851._
MY DEAR LEMON,
We are deeply sorry to receive the mournful intelligence of your calamity. But we know you will both have found comfort in that blessed belief, from which the sacred figure with the child upon His knee is, in all stages of our lives, inseparable, for of such is the kingdom of G.o.d!
We join in affectionate loves to you and your dear wife. She well deserves your praise, I am sure.
Ever affectionately yours.
[Sidenote: Mr. W. H. Wills.]
DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _Monday, Feb. 10th, 1851._
MY DEAR WILLS,
There is a small part in Bulwer"s comedy, but very good what there is--not much--my servant, who opens the play, which I should be very glad if you would like to do.
Pray understand that there is no end of men who would do it, and that if you have the least objection to the trouble, I don"t make this the expression of a wish even. Otherwise, I would like you to be in the scheme, which is a very great and important one, and which cannot have too many men who are steadily--not flightily, like some of our friends--in earnest, and who are not to be lightly discouraged.
If you do the part, I would like to have a talk with you about the secretarial duties. They must be performed by someone I clearly see, and will require good business direction. I should like to put some young fellow, to whom such work and its remuneration would be an object, under your eye, if we could find one entire and perfect chrysolite anywhere.
Let me know whether I am to rate you on the ship"s books or not. If yes, consider yourself "called" to the reading (by Macready) at Forster"s rooms, on Wednesday, the 19th, at three.
And in the meantime you shall have a proof of the plan.
Ever yours.
[Sidenote: Mrs. Charles d.i.c.kens.]
HoTEL WAGRAM, PARIS, _Thursday, Feb. 12th, 1851._
MY DEAREST KATE,
I received your letter this morning (on returning from an expedition to a market thirteen miles away, which involved the necessity of getting up at five), and am delighted to have such good accounts of all at home.
We had D"Orsay to dinner yesterday, and I am hurried to dress now, in order to pay a promised visit to his _atelier_. He was very happy with us, and is much improved both in spirits and looks. Lord and Lady Castlereagh live downstairs here, and we went to them in the evening, and afterwards brought him upstairs to smoke. To-night we are going to see Lemaitre in the renowned "Belphegor" piece. To-morrow at noon we leave Paris for Calais (the Boulogne boat does not serve our turn), and unless the weather for crossing should be absurd, I shall be at home, please G.o.d, early on the evening of Sat.u.r.day. It continues to be delightful weather here--gusty, but very clear and fine. Leech and I had a charming country walk before breakfast this morning at Poissy and enjoyed it very much. The rime was on the gra.s.s and trees, and the country most delicious.
Spencer Lyttelton is a capital companion on a trip, and a great addition to the party. We have got on famously and been very facetious. With best love to Georgina and the darlings,
Ever most affectionately.
[Sidenote: Miss Mary Boyle.]
DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _Friday Night, late, Feb. 21st, 1851._
MY DEAR MISS BOYLE,
I have devoted a couple of hours this evening to going very carefully over your paper (which I had read before) and to endeavouring to bring it closer, and to lighten it, and to give it that sort of compactness which a habit of composition, and of disciplining one"s thoughts like a regiment, and of studying the art of putting each soldier into his right place, may have gradually taught me to think necessary. I hope, when you see it in print, you will not be alarmed by my use of the pruning-knife.
I have tried to exercise it with the utmost delicacy and discretion, and to suggest to you, especially towards the end, how this sort of writing (regard being had to the size of the journal in which it appears) requires to be compressed, and is made pleasanter by compression. This all reads very solemnly, but only because I want you to read it (I mean the article) with as loving an eye as I have truly tried to touch it with a loving and gentle hand. I propose to call it "My Mahogany Friend." The other name is too long, and I think not attractive. Until I go to the office to-morrow and see what is actually in hand, I am not certain of the number in which it will appear, but Georgy shall write on Monday and tell you. We are always a fortnight in advance of the public or the mechanical work could not be done. I think there are many things in it that are _very pretty_. The Katie part is particularly well done.
If I don"t say more, it is because I have a heavy sense, in all cases, of the responsibility of encouraging anyone to enter on that th.o.r.n.y track, where the prizes are so few and the blanks so many; where----
But I won"t write you a sermon. With the fire going out, and the first shadows of a new story hovering in a ghostly way about me (as they usually begin to do, when I have finished an old one), I am in danger of doing the heavy business, and becoming a heavy guardian, or something of that sort, instead of the light and airy Joe.
So good-night, and believe that you may always trust me, and never find a grim expression (towards you) in any that I wear.