TWO MORE ITEMS OF DICKENSIANA. [To THE EDITOR OF THE
" SPECTATOR." j Sin,—Seeing that Charles Dickens, of ever-delightful memory, imparted to Mr. James T. Fields, author of " Yesterdays with Authors," that Pepys was one of his favourite writers, and that the characteristics of the diarist were a never-failing source of amusement to him, it is interesting to find, or "pretty to observe," to use a phrase of the Diary, that a Captain Cuttle is mentioned by him (February 8th, 1661). When Mrs. Gaskell's "Cranford" appeared in successive numbers of Household Words, Captain Brown is stated to have been reading " Hood's Poems " when he was struck down on the railway line in the act of snatching a child from the approaching train. When " Cranford " was published in book form the work that had been engrossing the kindly Captain's attention was stated to have been " Pickwick." We must con- clude that Mrs. Gaskell made it " Pickwick" from the first, but that Dickens, as editor, altered it to " Hood's Poems" to give his friend that complimentary mention in preference to naming his own work. The passage in Household Words (December 13th, 1851) runs : " The gallant gentleman was deeply engaged in the perusal of Hood's Poems, which he had just received." In the book form subsequently published it says : " The gallant gentleman was deeply engaged in the perusal of a number of Pickwick,' which he had just received." —I am, Sir, &c.,
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