The Charles Dickens Letters Project
To MARION ELY,1 4 DECEMBER 1862
Text from facsimile in Lyon & Turnbull online catalogue, Oct 2019
Paris. Rue du Faubourg St Honoré 27.2
Thursday Fourth December 1862
My Dear Marion. I hear from Georgina that she has herself replied to your letter in my absence. You may implicitly rely on what she tells you of her health.3 No doubt she was exceedingly ill, and occasioned us great anxiety; the rather,4 as at first her disorder seemed steadily to increase. But the change has been so very decided and marked, so entirely without drawback, and so surprising altogether, that I begin to believe there has been some complete spontaneous cure of what was wrong. Since we have been here, she has been perfectly well; and as to the long journey, it no more affected her than it affected Mary.
I hope you will not forget your pledge to come again to Gad's Hill,5 whenever you feel inclined for the change. You cannot come too often, nor could your undersigned old friend and admirer easily tell you (if he tried) with what hearty pleasure you will always be received there.
With kindest regard to Willie6 and Kate,7
Believe me ever
Affectionately Yours
CHARLES DICKENS
Miss Ely
- 1. Marion Elizabeth Ely (1820-1913), daughter of Charles Ely and Sara, née Rutt; niece of Rachel Talfourd (1792-1875), wife of CD's friend Thomas Noon Talfourd (1795-1854).
- 2. CD had been in Paris since Oct, with his sister-in-law Georgina Hogarth and his daughter Mamie (here referred to by her proper name, Mary), partly to give Georgina a “complete change” (Pilgrim Letters 10, p. 100) in hope of improving her health (see below).
- 3. Georgina had been unwell at least since June 1862, and when CD, doubting Dr John Elliotson’s diagnosis, had a consultation with Archibald Billing (see To Wilkie Collins, 20 July 1862 & n, in Pilgrim Letters 10, p. 109), her condition was diagnosed as “aneurism of the aorta”, though no danger was apprehended. Later, CD reports that “Georgy continues wonderfully well” (Pilgrim Letters 10, p. 183; see also p. 253). On Georgina's illness see Arthur A. Adrian, Georgina Hogarth and the Dickens Circle (London: Oxford University Press, 1957), pp. 76-8.
- 4. A now rare expression, meaning "the more so" or "for this reason".
- 5. CD told Susanna Milner Gibson (8 Sept 1862) that Marion had been staying for a few days and “was looking wonderfully well and young”; see Pilgrim Letters 10, p. 124.
- 6. William Wordsworth Talfourd (1831-1900), son of Thomas and Rachel Talfourd; Rector of Winceby, Lincs. Marion Ely's nephew.
- 7. Katharine Talfourd (1833-1915), daughter of Thomas and Rachel Talfourd; Marion Ely's niece.