The Atlantic is rerunning a piece from 1870 by George Putnam, Dickens's secretary during his first U.S. tour. Putnam shares fond memories of both Charles and Catherine Dickens. A couple of quotes:
A market-woman near by, seeing the rush, came up close to the windows, but she could not make out what all the excitement was about, and calling to a friend who was standing at the window near me, she loudly asked, "What's the matter? What is it all about, say, John, what is it?" "Why," answered the man, looking over his shoulder, "they've got Boz here !" "Got Boz!" said she; "what's Boz? what do you mean?" "Why," said the man, "it's Dickens. They've got him in here!" "Well, what has he been doing?" said she. "He ain't been doing nothing," answered the man. "He writes books." "O," said the woman, indignantly, "is that all? what do they make such a row about that for, I should like to know!"
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All that was praiseworthy in our people and their institutions he praised without stint; but he would not indorse any wrong, especially that of slavery.
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