arles, who had been married three years before, to Miss Bessie Evans.

In the middle of February he removed to a house in London (57,
Gloucester Place, Hyde Park), where he made a stay of the usual
duration, up to the middle of June, all the time being hard at work upon
"Our Mutual Friend" and "All the Year Round." Mr. Marcus Stone was the
illustrator of the new monthly work, and we give a specimen of one of
many letters which he wrote to him about his "subjects."

His old friend, Mr. Charles Knight, with whom for many years Charles
Dickens had dined on his birthday, was staying, this spring, in the Isle
of Wight. To him he writes of the death of Walter, and of another sad
death which happened at this time, and which affected him almost as
much. Clara, the last surviving daughter of Mr. and Mrs. White, who had
been happily married to Mr. Gordon, of Cluny, not more than two years,
had just died at Bonchurch. Her father, as will be seen by the touching
allusion to him in this letter, had died a short time after this
daughter's marriage.

A letter to Mr. Edmund Ollier has reference to certain additions which
Charles Dickens wished him to make to an article (by Mr. Ollier) on
Working Men's Clubs, published in "All the Year Round."

We are glad to have one letter to the Lord Chief Baron, Sir Frederick
Pollock, which shows the great friendship and regard Charles Dickens had
for him, and his admiration of his qualities in his judicial capacity.

We give a pleasant letter to Mrs. Storrar, for whom, and for her
husband, Dr. Storrar, Charles Dickens had affectionate regard, because
we are glad to have their names in our book. The letter speaks for
itself and needs no explanation.

The latter part of the year was uneventful. Hard at work, he passed the
summer and autumn at Gad's Hill, taking holidays by receiving visitors
at home (among them, this year, Sir J. Emerson Tennent, his wife and
daughter, who were kindly urgent for his paying them a return visit in
Ireland) and occasional "runs" into France. The last letters we give are
his annual one to M. de Cerjat, and a graceful little New Year's note to
his dear old friend "Barry Cornwall."

The Christmas number was "Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy," the first and last
part written by himself, as in the case of the previous year's "Mrs.
Lirriper."

[Sidenote: Mr. W. Wilkie Collins.]

GAD'S HILL, _Monday, Jan. 24th, 1864._