DICKENS'S CENTENARY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 932, 27 September 1910, Page 6

DICKENS'S CENTENARY.

» PEOPOSED TESTIMONIAL. 'Within a~short' time those who .venerate. '. the' memory of -the' immortal author of i"'i 7 'never, been 'more; popular than they J aro - ; ■.": ■ to-day. It is further pointed out ..' while worked: ; hard''all'; hi lifevii-. ,ho'-'diedjbeforevthe Vcojiyrighti' Jaws.-: Hadv-- : ; secured to an -. author any . reasonable'.'- ■>".-'. rights-.to the: profits-:pf ;'the iffuits.'of. •, ,V brhirl/.' "To : day .there, slirvive .three 'chil-: ; '>.".-.-'• dren and seventeen grandchildren 'of '..'. .. -Charles' Some;; of': 1 thesei-.bc'arsrf :. ;./- ing his name,;'are,; throughl'noYfaultV^d^J;;.'' their ■'own#in: circumstances; which'- mu'st.\-;i .. deeply'.Mhcern.-Vnot : to say pain; ■ lovers W. of '. Dickons.. Three are in receipt of . - . trifling' Civil. ,-List pensions:''/-The .that' they are-obliged: to earn a; prceari-. . • .ous livelihood: .each. fulness.- The question is. rather: What* would Dickens-himself say--were, he ahvof; - ' to-day—were ho to behold hundreds of . ■thousands, of Jiis' works 1 teeming; .press; niiiliohs r : turning i;!ort> and entertainment•' and -. spiritufl- - L J freshment, laughing-at'his'fuh-ahd-iwee^ 4 ;:;--;:: 'irig:'over'.lus.'patfe toV;the:.'fuU nil' that ''fcastc he" so. bounteously _ spread •••; 'before -them, ? vwHile'v'those .'grandchildren l :' f : Whom he loved;.nro■ driven ' tojacwspt.'/a,/Government; p'eision of. ,«£25 per; annum?" 'To celebrate g the "Strand Mnsazine" makes a : pro-" posal that; a Dickens Testimonial. Stamp : v ! -should. be-printed; and; sold■;■ for:' a:.-t»nny-':.t- s ;.,J ' through:. ibooksellers:7«verywhere.;;4urins.'' the next year. 'If even a fraction'of tho • '• •■ownersof;'-the 24,000,000 ; Ucopies/. pfathe:/.; '-~S .author's - works; extant;bought 'and-'affix^V';' V; 1 -- one ,of these-stamps/to eacn;yolume J they:;Yy,i possess..the . total-^-sum .received ; woiUd;bo'\;:'-1 considerable; Fellowship-' would;:hand;:to' -thej/represen-i ; ■tativ^ ; - of tho family-, as' a world-wide; ; ; tribute -to the memory-.of: tho groat uovel-..'; 'jA Jst,-- 'i - '■'' ■■■' aV ■;'