r more strongly impress his own personality upon his staff.
The articles were sprightly, amusing, interesting, and instructive
too--often very instructive, but always in an interesting way. That
was one of the periodical's main features. The pill of knowledge was
always presented gilt. Taking _Household Words_ and _All the Year
Round_ together--and for this purpose they may properly be regarded as
one and the same paper, because the change of name and proprietorship
in 1859[23] brought no change in form or character,--taking them
together, I say, they contain a vast quantity of very pleasant, if not
very profound, reading. Even apart from the stories, one can do very
much worse than while away an hour, now and again, in gleaning here
and there among their pages. Among Dickens' own contributions may be
mentioned "The Child's History of England," and "Lazy Tour of Two Idle
Apprentices"--being the record of an excursion made by him in 1857,
with Mr. Wilkie Collins; and "The Uncommercial Traveller" papers.
While as to stories, "Hard Times" appeared in _Household Words_; and
"The Tale of Two Cities" and "Great Expectations," in _All the Year
Round_. And to the Christmas numbers he gave some of his best and
daintiest work. Nor were novels and tales by other competent hands
wanting. Here it was that Mrs. Gaskell gave to the world those papers
on "Cranford" that are so full of a dainty, delicate humour, and "My
Lady Ludlow," and "North and South," and "A Dark Night's Work." Here,
too, Mr. Wilkie Collins wove together his ingenious threads of plot
and mystery in "The Moonstone," "The Woman in White," and "No Name."
And here also Lord Lytton published "A Strange Story," and Charles
Reade his "Very Hard Cash."

The year 1851 opened sadly for Dickens. His wife, who had been
confined of a daughter in the preceding August, was so seriously
unwell that he had to take her to Malvern. His father, to whom,
notwithstanding the latter's peculiarities and eccentricities, he was
greatly attached, died on the 31st of March; and on the 14th of April
his infant daughter died also. In connection with this latter death
there occurred an incident of great pathos. Dickens had come up from
Malvern on the 14th, to take the chair at the dinner on behalf of the
Theatrical Fund, and looking in at Devonshire Terrace on his way,
played with the children, as was his wont, and fondled the baby, and
then went on to the London Tavern.[24] Shortly after he lef