ters." The words printed in italics, as
underlined by himself, give me my share in the story which had gone so
closely to his heart. I was responsible for its tragic ending. He had
not thought of killing her, when, about half-way through, I asked him to
consider whether it did not necessarily belong even to his own
conception, after taking so mere a child through such a tragedy of
sorrow, to lift her also out of the commonplace of ordinary happy
endings so that the gentle pure little figure and form should never
change to the fancy. All that I meant he seized at once, and never
turned aside from it again.

The published book was an extraordinary success, and, in America more
especially, very greatly increased the writer's fame. The pathetic vein
it had opened was perhaps mainly the cause of this, but opinion at home
continued still to turn on the old characteristics,--the freshness of
humor of which the pathos was but another form and product, the grasp of
reality with which character had again been seized, the discernment of
good under its least attractive forms and of evil in its most
captivating disguises, the cordial wisdom and sound heart, the enjoyment
and fun, luxuriant yet under proper control. No falling-off was found in
these; and I doubt if any of his people have been more widely liked than
Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness. The characters generally, indeed,
work out their share in the purpose of the tale; the extravagances of
some of them help to intensify its meaning; and the sayings and doings
of the worst and the best alike have their point and applicability. Many
an oversuspicious person will find advantage in remembering what a too
liberal application of Foxey's principle of suspecting everybody brought
Mr. Sampson Brass to; and many an overhasty judgment of poor human
nature will unconsciously be checked, when it is remembered that Mr.
Christopher Nubbles _did_ come back to work out that shilling.

But the main idea and chief figure of the piece constitute its interest
for most people, and give it rank upon the whole with the most
attractive productions of English fiction. I am not acquainted with any
story in the language more adapted to strengthen in the heart what most
needs help and encouragement, to sustain kindly and innocent impulses,
and to awaken everywhere the sleeping germs of good. It includes
necessarily much pain, much uninterrupted sadness; and yet the
brightness and sunshine quite ove