guished visitors at Gad's Hill was Joachim,
who was always a welcome guest, and of whom Dickens once said
'he is a noble fellow.' His daughter writes in reference to
this visit:

I never remember seeing him so wrapt and absorbed as
he was then, on hearing him play; and the wonderful
simplicity and _un_-self-consciousness of the genius
went straight to my father's heart, and made a fast
bond of sympathy between those two great men.

_In Music Drama_

Much has been written about Dickens' undoubted powers as
an actor, as well as his ability as a stage manager, and
it is well known that it was little more than an accident
that kept him from adopting the dramatic profession. He ever
took a keen interest in all that pertained to the stage, and
when he was superintending the production of a play he was
always particular about the musical arrangements. There is in
existence a play-bill of 1833 showing that he superintended a
private performance of _Clari_. This was an opera by Bishop,
and contains the first appearance of the celebrated 'Home, Sweet
Home,' a melody which, as we have already said, he reproduced
on the accordion some years after. He took the part of Rolano,
but had no opportunity of showing off his singing abilities,
unless he took a part in the famous glee 'Sleep, gentle lady,'
which appears in the work as a quartet for alto, two tenors,
and bass, though it is now arranged in other forms.

In his dealings with the drama Dickens was frequently his
own bandmaster and director of the music. For instance, in
_No Thoroughfare_ we find this direction: 'Boys enter and
sing "God Save the Queen" (or any school devotional hymn).'
At Obenreizer's entrance a 'mysterious theme is directed
to be played,' that gentleman being 'well informed, clever,
and a good musician.'

Dickens was concerned in the production of one operetta--_The
Village Coquettes_--for which he wrote the words, and John
Hullah composed the music. It consists of songs, duets, and
concerted pieces, and was first produced at St. James's Theatre,
London, on December 6, 1836. The following year it was being
performed at Edinburgh when a fire broke out in the theatre,
and the instrumental scores together with the music of the
concerted pieces were destroyed. No fresh copy was ever made,
but the songs are still to be obtained. Mr. Kitton, in his
biography of the novelist, says, 'The play was well received,
and duly praised by promi