Dickens to His Youngest Son

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 October 1915, Page 3

Dickens to His Youngest Son

In "The Letters of Charles Dickens," edited by his daughter and sistor-in-laiv, iii'e many written to his children. Among them m one containing" words ot alfectiunatu advice, written to his youngest &on on the eve of his departure for Australia.

"1 .... exhort you,' , lie sayy, "to persevere in a thorough determination to d'j whatever you have to do as well to you can do it. I was no't so old as you are now when 1 hist had to win my food, and do this out of this determination, anl 1 have never slackened in it since."

"Never," he goes on, ''take a mean advantage oi anyone in any , -transaction, and never be hard upon people who are in your power. Try to do to others as you would have them do to jott, aud do uot be discouraged if they tail sometimes. It is much better for you that they should fail in obeying the greatest rule 1; .d down by our Saviour, than that you should."

"1 "put a New Testament among your books, for the very same reasons, and with the very same hopes that made me write an easy account of it lor you, w'hon you were a little child; because it is the best book that over was or will be known in the word, and because it teaches you the best lessons which any: human creature who tries to bo truthful and faithful to duty can possibly be guided. As your brothers have gone away, one by one, 1 have written to each such words as 1 ant now writing tu you, and have entreated them all to guide themselves by this book."