Chapter XX: 1848-1851

Pages 457-494.

LAST YEARS IN DEVONSHIRE TERRACE. AET. 36-39.

Sentiment about places 457
Confidences 458
Personal revelations 458
Early memories 459
At his sister's sick-bed 459
Last thoughts 460
Sister's death 460
Book to be written in first person 461
Riding over Salisbury Plain 461
Visiting scene of a tragedy 462
First sees Yarmouth 462
Birth of sixth son 462
Notion for a character 463
Choosing a title 463
"Mag's Diversions" 464
"Copperfield" chosen 464
Varieties of it proposed 465
Title finally determined 466
Difficulties of opening 466
Rogers and Benedict 466
Wit of Fonblanque 467
Procter and Macready 467
The Sheridans 468
Lord Byron's Ada 469
Dinner to Halevy and Scribe 469
Brougham and "the _Punch_ people" 469
The Duke at Vauxhall 470
Carlyle and Thackeray 470
Judicious change of a "tag" 471
A fact for a biographer 471
Marryat's delight with children 472
Bulwer Lytton and Monckton Milnes 472
Lords Nugent and Dudley Stuart 472-3
Kemble, Harness, and Dyce 473
Mrs. Siddons and John Kemble 473
Comparison and good distinction 474
Mazzini and Edinburgh friends 474
Artist-acquaintance 475
Visitors at his house 475
Friends from America 476
M. Van de Weyer 476
Ambition to see into heaven 477
Literature and art in the city 477
Doubtful compliment 478
A hint for London citizens 478
Letter against public executions 479
American observer in England 479
Marvels of English manners 480
A letter from Rockingham 481
Private theatricals 481
Major Bentley and General Boxall 481-2
A family scene 482
Doing too much 483
Death of Francis Jeffrey 483
Progress of work 484
The child-wife 484
A run to Paris 484
Banker or proctor 485
Doubts as to Dora settled 486
Of Rogers and Landor 486
A third daughter born 487
At Great Malvern 487
Macready's farewell 488
Experience of a brother author 488
The Home at Shepherd's-bush 488
Father's illness 489
Death of John Dickens 489
Tribute by his son 490
Theatrical-fund dinner 490
Plea for small actors 491
Remembering the forgotten 491
Death of his little daughter 492
Difficult tasks in life 492
Dora's grave 493
Advocating sanitary reform 493
Lord Shaftesbury 494
Realities of his books to Dickens 494

THE LIFE

OF

CHARLES DICKENS.