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YoungDickensinlove:sugary,andwaxinglyricalaboutgloves|Books|TheGuardian

Young Dickens in love: sugary, and waxing

lyrical about gloves
A new exhibition explores the faltering relationship between the novelist and his rst love Maria
Beadnell and the resulting, questionable, poetry

The earliest known portrait of Charles Dickens, aged 18. Click here to see the full image. Photograph: Charles Dickens
Museum, London

Alison Flood
Friday 13 February 2015 17.47 GMT

A halting acrostic poem, ending with the sugary couplet Life has no charms, no
happiness, no pleasures, now for me/ Like those I feel, when tis my lot Maria, to gaze on
thee, oers little clue to the glittering literary career that was to follow. But, 185 years
after the 18-year-old Charles Dickens fell in love with Maria Beadnell, an exhibition
promises to shed light on his earliest literary eorts, with a selection of his love poetry
on public view for the rst time.
Dickens was working as a reporter when he fell for the 20-year-old Beadnell in 1830, and
pursued her for three years, going on to immortalise her as the characters of Dora
Spenlow in David Coppereld and Flora Finching in Little Dorrit. The Charles Dickens
Museum in London opens a new exhibition this week featuring the authors love poems
to Beadnell, including the acrostic poem in homage to the bankers daughter that is the
rst known example of his literary work.
My life may chequered be with scenes of misery and pain, Andt may be my fate to
struggle with adversity in vain, wrote the young Dickens in Beadnells album, on display
at the museum. Regardless of misfortunes tho howeer bitter they may be, I shall
always have one retrospect, a hallowed one to me, And it will be of that happy time
when rst I gazed on thee.
Beadnell seemed enchantingly pretty to him, even with eyebrows that almost met in
the middle, writes Claire Tomalin in her acclaimed biography of the author. She was
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YoungDickensinlove:sugary,andwaxinglyricalaboutgloves|Books|TheGuardian

capricious and, to judge by what she later became, silly.

Dickens rst love, Maria Beadnell, aged 19 in 1831. Photograph: Charles Dickens Museum

Dickens poem Lodgings to Let, in which the young man states that, Then I will say sans
hesitation/ This place shall be my habitation/ This charming spot my home shall be/
While dear Maria keeps the key, is being displayed for the rst time as part of the
exhibition. Also on show is the writers lengthy poem The Bill of Fare, transcribed from
the original by Beadnells sister Margaret Lloyd. Dickens, among 360 lines of poetry,
compares himself in the text to a young Summer Cabbage, without any heart; / Not
that hes heartless, but because, as folks say,/ He lost his a twelve month ago, from last
May.
A letter from the time, meanwhile, sees the author wax lyrical on the topic of gloves,
loquaciously insisting that my dear Maria (I fear I ought to say Miss Beadnell but I
hope you will pardon my adhering to the manner in which I have been accustomed to
address you) must not refuse the gift of a pair. Surely, surely you will not refuse so
trivial a present: a mere common place trie; a common present even among the merest
friends. Do not misunderstand me: I am not desirous by making presents or by doing
any other act to inuence your thoughts, wishes, or feelings in the slightest degree. I do
not think I do: I cannot hope I ever shall: but let me entreat of you do not refuse so
slight a token of regard from me.
The adult Dickens would write to Beadnell years later, in 1855, revealing again the
depths of his devotion. Whatever of fancy, romance, energy, passion, aspiration, and
determination belong to me, I never have separated and never shall separate from the
hard-hearted little woman you whom it is nothing to say I would have died for, with
the greatest alacrity! wrote the then successful author. I never can think, and I never
seem to observe, that other young people are in such desperate earnest, or set so much,
so long, upon one absorbing hope. It is a matter of perfect certainty to me that I began to
ght my way out of poverty and obscurity, with one perpetual idea of you.
Several letters were exchanged before the two met up; despite Beadnells warnings that
she was no longer the young woman Dickens remembered, the novelist was shocked by
her appearance. He wrote to one of his admirers, the Duke of Devonshire: We have all
had our Floras, mine is living and extremely fat.
The letters before their meeting were very long, said the museums curator Louisa
Price; there followed a signicant gap once the pair had met, and when the letters
began again they were very short and formal. Poor Maria.
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YoungDickensinlove:sugary,andwaxinglyricalaboutgloves|Books|TheGuardian

Price said that the lm of The Invisible Woman meant that a great deal of attention has
been paid recently to Dickenss later love interest, Ellen Ternan. We wanted to highlight
the story of Dickenss rst love, Maria, to balance this, she said. Dickens pursued Maria
for three years at a signicant period of his life. He said himself that she was
instrumental in helping him raise his expectations of life and better himself as a man.
She inspired the beloved character of Dora Spenlow in David Coppereld and also Flora
Finching in Little Dorrit some would say, his best comic character. I think there is a
strong case to say we never forget our rst love.
Price added that there was also the comic element to the duos story, including the
inability of Mrs Beadnell to get Dickenss name right she would call him Mr Dickin
and the fact Dickens was pursuing Maria at the same time as other men. The novelist
would later reproach Beadnell for playing him o against other danglers, said the
curator.

Pages of poems written by Charles Dickens in the album of Maria Beadnell. Photograph: Charles Dickens Museum, London

The love poems of Young Dickens

Acrostic
My life may chequered be with scenes of misery and pain,
Andt may be my fate to struggle with adversity in vain:
Regardless of misfortunes tho howeer bitter they may be,
I shall always have one retrospect, a hallowed one to me,
And it will be of that happy time when rst I gazed on thee.
Blighted hopes, and prospects drear, for me will lose their sting,
Endless troubles shall harm not me, when fancy on the wing
A lapse of years shall travel oer, and again before me cast
Dreams of happy eeting moments then for ever past:
Not any worldly pleasure has such magic charms for me
Een now, as those short moments spent in company with thee;
Life has no charms, no happiness, no pleasures, now for me
Like those I feel, when tis my lot Maria, to gaze on thee.
Lodgings to Let
Lodgings here! A charming place,
The Owners such a lovely face
The Neighbours too seem very pretty
Lively, sprightly, gay, and witty
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YoungDickensinlove:sugary,andwaxinglyricalaboutgloves|Books|TheGuardian

Of all the spots that I could nd

This is the place to suit my mind.
Then I will say sans hesitation
This place shall be my habitation
This charming spot my home shall be
While dear Maria keeps the key,
Ill settle here, no more Ill roam
But make this place my happy home.
A great advantage too will be,
I shall keep such good company,
So good that I fear my composing
Will be considered very prosing
Still Im most proud amongst these pickings
To rank the humblest name. Charles Dickens
(Reproduced by courtesy of Charles Dickens Museum, London)

The exhibition will run at the Charles Dickens Museum, London, until 19 April.

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