It has been stated that Charles Dickens began life as a lawyer, got tired of the dull routine, and turned to literature. This is erroneous, for he never had even a chance of becoming a lawyer,
either in the higher grade of outer barrister, or counsel learned in the law, or in the lower, but often more lucrative, class of attorney. As stated in the book, this work attempts to provide an accurate sketch of Charles Dickens literary and personal history stating plain facts, introducing some of his correspondence never before printed, and adding such anecdotes and traits of character to illustrate his double position as a Man of Letters and Man of the People. Within this work, the admiration of the ability of the necessarily rapid tributes to the genius and worth of Mr. Dickens is expressed, which appeared in the American newspapers. In the most aristocratic country in the world, Charles Dickens stood, not merely among but above all his contemporaries as a Man of the People. Scott, Bulwer, Macaulay, Thackeray, and others who taught great truths through the press, either were of high family descent or had received the best education that Universities could bestow. Their writings are crowded with references to the classic authors of their youth. Dickens, son of an obscure Government clerk, whose pedigree no one has cared to trace, received only such an education as, free of cost, every State in our Union bestows upon its children. It has been argued by great scholars, that Shakespeare was familiar not only with classical but modern European literature; but Dickens was master of one language that which is spoken, not alone in his island-home, but in Asia, in Australia, and most of all, in our United States. He knew, and was proud in the knowledge, that for every one reader he had at home, there were fifty here.