tin Chuzzlewit_ 1843-4 _M.C._
_Master Humphrey's Clock_ 1840-1 _M.H.C._
_Mystery of Edwin Drood_ 1870 _E.D._
_Nicholas Nickleby_ 1838-9 _N.N._
_Old Curiosity Shop_ 1840 _O.C.S._
_Oliver Twist_ 1837-8 _O.T._
_Our Mutual Friend_ 1864 _O.M.F._
_Pickwick Papers_ 1836-7 _P.P._
_Pictures from Italy_ 1846 _It._
_Reprinted Pieces_--
Our Bore 1852 --
Our English Watering-Place 1851 --
Our French Watering-Place 1854 --
Our School 1851 --
Out of the Season 1856 --
_Sketches by Boz_ 1835-6 _S.B._
Characters -- _S.B.C._
Our Parish -- --
Scenes -- _S.B.S._
Tales -- _S.B.T._
_Sunday under Three Heads_ 1836 --
_Sketches of Young People_ 1840 --
_Sketches of Young Gentlemen_ 1838 --
_Tale of Two Cities, A_ 1859 --
_Uncommercial Traveller_ 1860-9 _U.T._

CHARLES DICKENS AND MUSIC

CHAPTER I

DICKENS AS A MUSICIAN

The attempts to instil the elements of music into Charles
Dickens when he was a small boy do not appear to have been
attended with success. Mr. Kitton tells us that he learnt the
piano during his school days, but his master gave him up in
despair. Mr. Bowden, an old schoolfellow of the novelist's when
he was at Wellington House Academy, in Hampstead Road, says that
music used to be taught there, and that Dickens received lessons
on the violin, but he made no progress, and soon relinquished
it. It was not until many years after that he made his third
and last attempt to become an instrumentalist. During his
first transatlantic voyage he wrote to Forster telling him
that he had bought an accordion.

The steward lent me one on the passage out, and I
regaled the ladies' cabin with my performances. You
can't think with what feelings I play 'Home, Sweet Home'
every night, or how pleasantly sad it makes us.

On the voyage back he