Originally published in Pearson's Weekly (C. Arthur Pearson Ltd.) vol.2 #65 (17 Oct 1891).
The most interesting work in the wonderful library of George W. Childs, of Philadelphia, is the original manuscript of Our Mutual Friend. It is bound in two large quarto volumes. It is the only complete manuscript of any of Charles Dickens' works outside the South Kensington Museum. One or two of his short Christmas stories are, however, to be found in the United States.
The Mutual Friend manuscript is dated at Gad's Hill, Thursday, January 4th, 1866, and is signed at the head of the sheet "Charles Dickens." Then comes the skeleton of the story. By this skeleton it is possible to see how Dickens went about writing his novels.
In the first place he conceived the plan of his story. Then he thought it out carefully and fixed the plot firmly in his mind, together with the salient traits of each character. This completed, he made his skeleton, from which to work in the detaila; and then came the detailed work of the book. The first sixteen pages of the manuscript are taken up with this skeleton. It begins:
Our Mutual Friend, No. I.
Chapter I.
On the Look Out.
The man in his boat, watching the tides.
The Gaffer—Gaffer—Gaffer Haxen—Hexam.
His daughter rowing. Jen or Lizzie.
Taking the body in tow.
His dissipated partner, who had robbed a man.
Riderhood—this fellow's name.
Chapter II.
The Man from Somewhere.
The entirely new people.
Everything new—grandfathor new, if they had one.
Dinner-party—Twemlow, Podsnap, Lady Tippins, Alfred Lighthouse, also
Eugene—Mortimer, languid, and tells of Harmon, the Dust Contractor.
Then come sentences like this: "Work in the girl who was to have been married and made rich,," "Give tone to Gaffer," and "Say something nice about the hero." These notations are written in diagonally, vertically, or horizontally, as the case may be. There is also an outline heading as follows:—
Four Books.
1. The Cup and the Lip.
2. Birds of a Feather.
3. A Long Lane.
4. A Turning.
The paper used is a light blue; the ink is dark blue. Dickens wrote a peculiar hand, the lines very close together, the letters very small, and the frequent erasures and changes betray the utmost care in the preparation of the work. At times a whole line has been scored out to be replaced by another choice of words, a different mode of expression, or to be dropped altogether. Occasionally evidence of the author's entire absorption in his work may be seen in the departure of the lines from exactness, and their tendency towards the corner of the sheet. It is not difficult to form a mental picture of the self-forgetfulness of the great writer, and of his utter abandonment to his work, as he sat at his library table at Gad's Hill hour after hour, weaving the threads of his wonderful stories.
In the second volume the same method is observed, the skeleton filling eighteen pages, in which there is an extra note to suggest something regarding Mr. Boffin. The story is marked as completed September 2nd, 1865, and has a postscript in lieu of a preface, filling one and one-third pages, under which is given this date. The manuscript is just as it came from Dickens hands.