art an autobiography. Some incidents are taken directly from
Dickens's early experiences and into many more of David's childish
sorrows, boyish dreams, and manly purposes, Dickens has breathed the
breath of his own life. David Copperfield is thus a vitally
interesting and living character. The book contains many of Dickens's
most human men and women. Petted Little Em'ly with her pathetic
tragedy is handled with deep sympathy and true artistic delicacy.
Peggotty and Mrs. Steerforth are admirably drawn and contrasted. Mrs.
Gummidge's thoughtful care of Peggotty exhibits Dickens's fine
perception of the self-sacrificing spirit among the very poor. Uriah
Heep remains the type of the humble sycophant, and Mr. Micawber, the
representative of the man of big words and pompous manners. These
various characters and separate life histories are bound in same way
to the central story of David. General Characteristics.--England has
produced no more popular novelist than Charles Dickens. His novels
offer sound and healthy entertainment, hearty laughter, a wide range
of emotions, and a wonderful array of personalities. He presents the
universal physical experiences of life that are understood by all men,
and irradiates this life with emotion and romance. He keeps his
readers in an active state of feeling. They laugh at the broad humor
in Sam Weller's jokes; they chuckle over the sly exposure of Mr.
Pecksniff in _Martin Chuzzlewit_; they weep in _Dombey and Son_ over
poor Paul crammed with grown-up learning when he wanted to be just a
child; they rejoice over David Copperfield's escape from his
stepfather into the loving arms of whimsical, clever Aunt Betsey
Trotwood; they shiver with horror in _Our Mutual Friend_ during the
search for floating corpses on the dark river; and they feel more
kindly toward the whole world after reading _A Christmas Carol_ and
taking Tiny Tim into their hearts.

[Illustration: FACSIMILE OF MS. OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL.]

Dickens excels in the portrayal of humanity born and reared in poverty
and disease. He grasps the hand of these unfortunates in a brother's
clasp. He says in effect "I present to you my friends, the beggar, the
thief, the outcast. They are men worth knowing." He does not probe
philosophically into complex causes of poverty and crime. His social
creed was well formulated by Dowden in these words: "Banish from earth
some few monsters of selfishness, malignity, and hypocrisy, set to
rights a few