Description:

Charles Dickens rails against a forger using his name to solicit charitable donations: "Your caution has, I hope disappointed this swindler... I would take any opportunity of bringing one of these vagabonds to punishment; for they are, one and all, the most heartless and worthless vagabonds on the face of the earth."

CHARLES DICKENS (1812-1870) Autograph Letter Signed, "Charles Dickens," 2 pages, 4.5" x 7" on his Gad's Hill Place letterhead [crossed out], "Kennedy's Hotel, Edinburgh," December 14, 1868 to Russell Sturgis, (1805-1887), the New York shipping merchant and father of Russell Sturgis, Jr. (1836-1909), the architectural critic. Light toning at margins, else fine.

Dickens writes in full: "I am 'Reading,' here, and shall be through this week. Consequently i am only this morning in receipt of your kind note of the 10th forwarded from my our house as above [referring to the letterhead]. Believe me I am as much obliged to you for your generous and ready response to by supposed letter as I should have been if I had really written it. But I know nothing whatever of it, or of 'Miss Jeffries:' expect that I have a faint impression of having recently noticed that name among my begging letter correspondents, and of having associated it in my mind with a regular professional hand. Your cautions has, I hope disappointed this swindler. But my testimony is a your service if you should need it, and I would take any opportunity of bringing one of these vagabonds to punishment; for they are, one and all, the most heartless and worthless vagabonds on the face of the earth."

The same day, Dickens remarked to Georgiana Hogarth, who had forwarded the present letter to him in Scotland, that, "Forgery of may name is becoming popular. You sent me this morning a letter from Russell Sturgis, answering a supposed letter of mine (presented by a 'Miss Jefferies') and assuring me of his readiness to give, not only the Ten Pounds I asked for, but any contribution I wanted, toward sending that lady and her family to Boston!!" "Miss Jeffries," was possibly Mary Ann Jeffries (b. 1800), who had been the recipient of several charitable donations from Dickens between 1863 and 1865 (The British Academy The Pilgrim Edition of the Letters of Charles Dickens, 2002, 12:244)

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