In 1858 Dickens launched himself upon what was, in effect, a whole new
carreer, that of giving paid public readings from his own works. His anticipa
tion that 'a very large sum of money' would be realised by a series of such
readings in London and the provinces during the summer and autumn was
triumphantly justified. It was inevitable that he should sooner or later,
take these Readings to that 'golden campaigning-groundthe United States -
where, he wrote in March 1858, 'I believe I could make (if I could resolve
to go there) ten thousands pounds'.
'If I could resolve to go there'. Dickens was not at all wanting to return
to America for its own sake and was, moreover, rather apprehensive of
the sort of reception he might get if he did go there. Some time in the early
1860s he wrote to Captain Morgan:
'Read in America Humph 1 Well - if you had fifty thousand
children there I would come directly; but you haven't, you
see. And my mind strongly misgives me that I should see
many faces turned towards me less beaming and kindly than yours.
So I won't come just at present'.
But the Americans would not-let him rest on the subject:
'Every mail brings me proposalsA certain Mr. Grauwho took
Ristori out, and is highly responsible, wrote to me by the last
mail (for the second time) saying that if I would give him a work
of encouragement he would come over immediately and arrange on the
boldest terms for any number I chose, and would deposit a large
sum of money at Coutts's. Mr. Fields writes to me on behalf of
a committee of private gentlemen at Boston who wished for the
credit of getting me out, who desired to hear the readings and
did not want profit, and would put down as a guarantee £10,000
-also to be banked here. Every American speculator who comes
to London repairs straight to Dolby (Dickens's Readings manager)
with similar proposals'.
Gradually, Dickens's apprehensions were smoothed away, and as his living
expenses rose (with so many relatives of all kinds dependent on him) he
became more and more mesmerised by the vision of the heaps of American gold
that could be his.
'I should be wretched beyond expression there'., he wrote to Forster but
in the same month (May 1867) he was telling nis housekeeper/sister-in-law,
'expenses are so enormous that I begin to feel myself drawn towards
Americam as Darnay in the Tale of Two Cities was attracted to the Loadstone
Rock Paris'. An ominous comparision and one which Dickens's biographers
have not failed to make the most of. 'America may well be the death of me'
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