The Charles Dickens Letters Project

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Individual letter:

Dickens, Charles. To [addressee], [date of letter]. Charles Dickens Letters Project, ed. Leon Litvack, Emily Bell, Lydia Craig and Jeremy Parrott (London: Dickens Fellowship). [URL of individual letter], [date of access].

Database:

Charles Dickens Letters Project, ed. Leon Litvack, Emily Bell, Lydia Craig and Jeremy Parrott (London: Dickens Fellowship), DickensLetters.com.

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Period:

1841-1850

Theme(s):

America

To WILLIAM E. GRAVES,1 27 JANUARY 1842

MS Joan O'Brien. In the hand of George Putnam, CD's secretary on his first American tour, except for closure and signature.

Tremont House2 Jany 27 – 42

Dear Sir,

I am much indebted to you for your polite and obliging letter. I have arranged to visit the different institutions of the City, in company with your respected Mayor,3 on Wednesday next.4 I hope I shall then have an opportunity of thanking you in person5

Faithfully Yours

CHARLES DICKENS

Mr William E Graves

1. William Emerson Graves (?1816-92), teacher at Boston's House of Industry, which CD visited; he recorded his impressions of the institution in American Notes ch. 3. Of the young pupils he noted: "The books and tasks of these smallest of scholars, were adapted. . . to their childish powers. When we had examined these lessons, four morsels of girls (of whom one was blind) sang a little song, about the merry month of May, which I thought (being extremely dismal) would have suited an English November better". CD observed that the teachers "were of a class and character well suited to the spirit of the place". In Apr 1842 Graves was appointed Principal of Prospect Hill Grammar School in Somerville, Massachusetts.
2. Boston's leading hotel, opened in 1829 and then regarded as the best hotel in America.
3. Jonathan Chapman (1807-48), politician and eighth Mayor of Boston 1840-2. CD found in him a kindred spirit, and formed an "alliance" with him; see To Chapman, 22 Feb 1842, in Pilgrim Letters 3, pp. 76-7. In the same letter CD declares himself "sick to death of the life I have been leading here – worn out in mind and body".
4. On Wednesday 2 February 1842 CD breakfasted with the Rev. W.E. Channing, and met J. G. Maeder – one of the Boston musicians who composed "Boz Waltzes" in his honour. He was expected for dinner at the residence of J. W. Paige, but did not attend owing to fatigue. For CD's other activities in Boston that week see Pilgrim Letters 3, p. 48, n.1.
5. Thus in MS (no full stop).