f in her behalf.

The play of "No Thoroughfare" having been translated into French under
the title of "L'Abime," Charles Dickens went over to Paris to be present
at the first night of its production.

On the 26th of September, his youngest son, Edward Bulwer Lytton (the
"Plorn" so often mentioned), started for Australia, to join his brother
Alfred Tennyson, who was already established there. It will be seen by
his own words how deeply and how sadly Charles Dickens felt this
parting. In October of this year, his son Henry Fielding entered Trinity
Hall, Cambridge, as an undergraduate.

The Miss Forster mentioned in the letter to his sister-in-law, and for
whom the kind and considerate arrangements were suggested, was a sister
of Mr. John Forster, and a lady highly esteemed by Charles Dickens. The
illness from which she was then suffering was a fatal one. She died in
this same year, a few days before Christmas.

Mr. J. C. Parkinson, to whom a letter is addressed, was a gentleman
holding a Government appointment, and contributing largely to journalism
and periodical literature.

As our last letter for this year, we give one which Charles Dickens
wrote to his youngest son on his departure for Australia.

[Sidenote: Miss Hogarth.]

WESTMINSTER HOTEL, IRVING PLACE, NEW YORK,
_Friday, Jan. 3rd, 1868._

MY DEAREST GEORGY,

I received yours of the 19th from Gad's and the office this morning. I
read here to-night, and go back to Boston to-morrow, to read there
Monday and Tuesday.

To-night, I read out the first quarter of my list. Our houses have been
very fine here, but have never quite recovered the Dolby uproar. It
seems impossible to devise any scheme for getting the tickets into the
people's hands without the intervention of speculators. The people _will
not_ help themselves; and, of course, the speculators and all other such
prowlers throw as great obstacles in Dolby's way (an Englishman's) as
they possibly can. He may be a little injudicious into the bargain. Last
night, for instance, he met one of the "ushers" (who show people to
their seats) coming in with Kelly. It is against orders that anyone
employed in front should go out during the readings, and he took this
man to task in the British manner. Instantly the free and independent
usher put on his hat and walked off. Seeing which, all the other free
and independent ushers (some twenty in nu