tten to little purpose, if I cannot
_write myself right_ in people's minds, in such a case as this."

And so it went on: but it does not fall within my plan to describe more
than the issue, which was to be accounted so far at least fortunate that
it established a journal which has advocated steadily improvements in
the condition of all classes, rich as well as poor, and has been able,
during late momentous occurrences, to give wider scope to its influence
by its enterprise and liberality. To that result, the great writer whose
name gave its earliest attraction to the _Daily News_ was not enabled to
contribute much; but from him it certainly received the first impress of
the opinions it has since consistently maintained. Its prospectus is
before me in his handwriting, but it bears upon itself sufficiently the
character of his hand and mind. The paper would be kept free, it said,
from personal influence or party bias; and would be devoted to the
advocacy of all rational and honest means by which wrong might be
redressed, just rights maintained, and the happiness and welfare of
society promoted.

The day for the appearance of its first number was that which was to
follow Peel's speech for the repeal of the corn laws; but, brief as my
allusions to the subject are, the remark should be made that even before
this day came there were interruptions to the work of preparation, at
one time very grave, which threw such "changes of vexation" on Dickens's
personal relations to the venture as went far to destroy both his faith
and his pleasure in it. No opinion need be offered as to where most of
the blame lay, and it would be useless now to apportion the share that
might possibly have belonged to himself; but, owing to this cause, his
editorial work began with such diminished ardour that its brief
continuance could not but be looked for. A little note written "before
going home" at six o'clock in the morning of Wednesday the 21st of
January 1846, to tell me they had "been at press three quarters of an
hour, and were out before the _Times_," marks the beginning; and a note
written in the night of Monday the 9th of February, "tired to death and
quite worn out," to say that he had just resigned his editorial
functions, describes the end. I had not been unprepared. A week before
(Friday 30th of January) he had written: "I want a long talk with you. I
was obliged to come down here in a hurry to give out a travelling letter
I meant to ha