ionate feeling, the memory of the dead comes over it most
powerfully and irresistibly. It would almost seem as though our
better thoughts and sympathies were charms in virtue of which the soul
is enabled to hold some vague and mysterious intercourse with the
spirits of those whom we dearly loved in life. Alas! how often and
how long may these patient angels hover above us, watching for the
spell which is so seldom uttered, and so soon forgotten."

This is no artificial utterance. He had clearly interrupted himself to
indulge in this sad retrospect. He then points a moral from Mrs.
Nickleby, who, he says, could not conceive the idea of anyone dwelling on
such thoughts in secret. I have always had a notion that this worthy
lady's incongruities and rambling methods were suggested by one of his
own household, whose imperfection was found to be a complete lack of
sympathy with him in all his feelings.

The devotion of Oliver Twist to Rose, it is not fanciful to say, was
intended to symbolise his own to Mary. We can recall the passionate,
agitated excitement with which Rose's illness is described--the hanging
on the doctor's sentence, &c.--a reminiscence certainly, and we have only
to look at the sketch by Cruikshank of his friend (given in my
"_Bozland_") to recognise the likeness to Oliver. Oliver's sufferings
were his own.

How tremendous the blow of her death must have been to the successful
writer may be conceived when he did not scruple to interrupt the book and
cast it aside altogether from sheer incapacity to write a line. The June
number did not appear. No one can imagine the inconvenience, the loss,
the enormous risks that were run by taking this step--the horror and
consternation of the publishers and all concerned. It proved how
indifferent he had become to his prospects and prosperity when he could
hazard such a thing. The first of the month came round, but no
"Pickwick." It was a public catastrophe. When he was able to resume his
story, he found it necessary to issue an explanation in the form of an
address. {68}

186 Strand,
June 30th, 1837.

The author is desirous to take the opportunity afforded him by the
resumption of his work to state, once again, what he thought had been
stated sufficiently emphatically before, namely, that its publication
was interrupted by a severe domestic affliction of no ordinary kind;
that this was the sole cause of the non-a