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CHARLES DICKENS A genius for •II seasons PAGE 24 • PLAINDEALER • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26. I960 Charles John Huffam Dickens was a genius for all seasons but his view of Christmas is a special lega­ cy and "A Christmas Carol" holds our enduring affection. It is a masterpiece in minia­ ture, the one great Christ­ mas myth of modern litera­ ture. And it is beyond destruc­ tion. Let them' stretch and paw and tug and pull at Dickens' sturdy tale for the television screen -- place it in Depression-era New Eng­ land as Henry Winkler did. let Rich Little play all the characters in another, twist it into a musical about a Scrooge who buys the North Pole to evict Santa Claus, re­ move it to a small town in Tennessee and give Scrooge a Stetson and a string tie and let them sing the Christmas songs in country-western fashion. Let them do all of this to Dickens' story, not all of it without success, and it nev­ ertheless remains, as Thack­ eray wrote after its publica­ tion in 1843, "a national ben- Tin Perfact Christmas Sift A Personalized Name Plate Buy One and Get One FREE each made to your own specifications Deadline for Orders December 20 TIm Personal Touch Christmas Sift L-fS rThe Family Tree' .«s< Deadline for Orders December 10 MORIIMIRS ENGRAVING (815) 653-9349 efit and to every man or woman who reads it a per­ sonal kindness." Dickens was fond of mim­ icking all the voices in his Christmas parable, savoring in his stage readings the del­ icious absurdities of his ro­ bust characters. All of this came easily to Dickens who was an actor at heart. Not simply because he conceived the characters -- all of them, in some measure, were a part of him. He was, beyond all else, Ebenezer Scrooge -- "a squeezing, wrenching, grasp­ ing, clutching, covetous old sinner." Like Scrooge, Dick­ ens was capable of great ex­ tremes. Panhandlers found him a soft mark. Penniless actors sought him out on the London streets. But he was a tyrant over family budgets and he created ugly scenes over the payment of hotel bills. Surely he was also Cratchit, the impoverished clerk, when he wrote "A Christmas CaroL" He wrote it not to appease the muse but to satisfy his creditors. Dickens was then 31, just back from an American lec­ ture tour that brought con­ troversy and small rewards. Kate Dickens was expecting their fifth child. He was sup­ porting indigent relatives and his father, the lovable spendthrift philosopher who was the inspiration for Wil- kins Micawber in "David Copperfield." It was a terrible year for Dickens. He had borrowed heavily. He had taken a huge advance from his publishers and he feuded with them. And then, as he rode one day in a railway carriage from London to give a speech in Manchester, he was intrigued by the deepen­ ing shadows that enveloped the countryside at dusk. At once, he was touched by the notion of writing a ghost story. Returning to London and his study overlooking the brick-walled garden at Regent's Park, he began to write -- slowly, painfully but with a curious sense of urgency. By day, he paced the heavy carpet, pounding his hand against his forehead in frustration. He would act out each part as he gestured in front of the gilt-edged mir­ ror. First, he would capture the precise expression that he sought in his character and then he would give it words in ink. At night, he walked through the dark streets of Old London, his author's keen eye plucking out his characters in the chill fog -- Tiny Tim's crutch marks there in the snowy pavement and there the proper build­ ing of ineffable gloom where Scrooge had his melancholy digs and there the grim tav­ ern where Scrooge, in his miserliness, took his dinner. Soon the intricacies of story line and those imperishable people sprang to rich and ex­ uberant life. And by the light of the fire in his hearth. Dickens somberly watched the gaunt procession of the ghosts of his own Christmas past and present and the Christmases yet to come, haunted by his own time of poverty, his humiliations and yearnings. Within a month, wrench­ ing out the words, pouring into them his own relentless ache, Dickens wrote, "A Christmas Carol" and it still remains, after 137 years, a celebration like no other, shining like a lighted tree, as bright as holly. SMMMil FAMOUS HOLIDAY POEM The famous holiday poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" was written by Clement C. Moore on Christ­ mas Eve in 1820. First published anony­ mously, Moore did not ac­ knowledge that he had writ­ ten it until 1837. -- CNS STOCKING STUFFERS BUILT-IN CIRCULATING QUADRA-THERM FROM HOLIDAY PRICED! 0 (ft! (OS COMPLETELY INSTALLED IN A 1 STORY HOME (MANTEL ft ACCESSORIES EXTRA) GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE! FOR HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING WOOD STOVES FULL L INE OF MON.-THURS. 9:30-5:00 FRI. 9:30-7:30 SAT. 9:00-5:00 CLOSED SUNDAYS OPEN SUNDAYS TIL CHRISTMAS STARTING DEC. 7 ACCESSORIES OF ALL TYPES IN STOCK I TO * r - , / F R E E E S T I M A T E S " OFISSIONAL »• i A M ®l MBi | INSTALLATION tVIII i«l ( wyVfi This Christmas your search for stocking stuffers needn't take you farther than your local grocery store. In fact, every day you see items that make unique Christmas gifts -- you just have to use your imagina­ tion! If you are like most peo­ ple, you do your shopping armed with a list of needed items and a determination to resist impulse buying. But, this holiday season take another look at some of those impulse temptations. They might make appreciat­ ed stocking gifts. •In the gourmet section you can select imported cof­ fees and teas available in small tins, or fancy stuffed olives, even a gift-wrapped jalapeno pepper, for those on your list who like it hot. A piece of exotic fruit adds color and taste. For an added economical benefit, don't overlook the regular food section of your supermarket when filling Christmas stockings. For example, you can gift wrap two or three economy- sized boxes of cookies for each stocking. Candies and nuts bought by the pound and broken into smaller Units provide similar sav­ ings. In addition to foods, super­ markets today offer many other inexpensive personal and household items. L'eggs' gray egg makes a distinctive holiday package for the sheer stockings inside. Mini- bottles of shampoo and con­ ditioner sold as samples for under 50 cents are also ap­ pealing. For variety, wooden spoons or other kitchen gadgets are often in the $1 to $2 range. With a paperback book, or even several bright- colored ball-point pens, your Christmas stocking will be bursting with interesting and useful presents. Rediscovering the unique gifts available at the super­ market can be fun, but the best part is that you can fill a Christmas stocking list in one easy stop. And, you don't have to break your piggy bank to do it. Robin's Roost ̂ miniatures and dolihouses (TOLLHOUSES! FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES •MINIATURE BUILDING ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES -- PHONE FOR HOLIDAY HOURS -- 131 Center Street Grayslake, Illinois (312)223-4455 w • ;