Shortly after his birthday in 1868, Charles Dickens wrote to his daughter Mamie, "I couldn't help laughing at myself on my birthday at Washington. It was observed as much as though I were a little boy. Flowers and garlands (of the most exquisite kind) bloomed all over the room; letters radiant with good wishes poured in; a shirt pin, a handsome silver travelling bottle, a set of gold shirt studs, and a set of gold sleeve links were on the dinner-table."
Living near Washington, D.C., myself, I'm pleased to know that we gave him such a good celebration. Whether you raise a glass to the Inimitable today, or wear a geranium, or reread a favorite passage, or eat a free brownie at the Dickens Museum, or just think a kindly thought of him, I hope you enjoy his birthday too!
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