His letters show
how entirely he gave himself up to the business of the readings, how
severely his health suffered from the climate, and from the perpetual
travelling and hard work, and yet how he was able to battle through to
the end. These letters are also full of allusions to the many kind and
dear friends who contributed so largely to the pleasure of this American
visit, and whose love and attention gave a touch of _home_ to his
private life, and left such affection and gratitude in his heart as he
could never forget. Many of these friends paid visits to Gad's Hill; the
first to come during this summer being Mr. Longfellow, his daughters,
and Mr. Appleton, brother-in-law of Mr. Longfellow, and Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Eliot Norton, of Cambridge.

For the future, there were to be no more Christmas numbers of "All the
Year Round." Observing the extent to which they were now copied in all
directions, Charles Dickens supposed them likely to become tiresome to
the public, and so determined that in his journal they should be
discontinued.

While still in America, he made an agreement with the Messrs. Chappell
to give a series of farewell readings in England, to commence in the
autumn of this year. So, in October, Charles Dickens started off again
for a tour in the provinces. He had for some time been planning, by way
of a novelty for this series, a reading from the murder in "Oliver
Twist," but finding it so very horrible, he was fearful of trying its
effect for the first time on a public audience. It was therefore
resolved, that a trial of it should be made to a limited private
audience in St. James's Hall, on the evening of the 18th of November.
This trial proved eminently successful, and "The Murder from Oliver
Twist" became one of the most popular of his selections. But the
physical exertion it involved was far greater than that of any of his
previous readings, and added immensely to the excitement and exhaustion
which they caused him.

One of the first letters of the year from America is addressed to Mr.
Samuel Cartwright, of surgical and artistic reputation, and greatly
esteemed by Charles Dickens, both in his professional capacity and as a
private friend.

The letter written to Mrs. Cattermole, in May, tells of the illness of
Mr. George Cattermole. This dear old friend, so associated with Charles
Dickens and his works, died soon afterwards, and the letter to his widow
shows that Charles Dickens was exerting himsel