This curious fact, which is now illustrated by Charles Dickens's own hand-gesture, ought to be remembered when people talk about Dickens's "conceit" and "love of show." My explanation is, I think, both logical and true. [Illustration: NO. 14.--WRITTEN IN 1837.] [Illustration: AGE 30. _From a Portrait-Bust by H. Dexter._] No. 14 closes this series for the year 1837. It shows a quaint and pretty signature on a wrapper. [Illustration: NO. 15.--WRITTEN MARCH 12, 1841. _(Announcing the Death of "Raven", a prominent character in "Barnaby Rudge")_] [Illustration: AGE ABOUT 30. _From a Drawing by R.J. Lane, A.E._] No. 15 shows part of a very humorous and famous letter announcing the death of the raven which figures in "Barnaby Rudge." Notice the curious originality of form shown in the capital _Y_ and _R_. The wording of this letter is also quaintly original, and the sensitive mind of this man again caused his nerve-muscular action--his gesture--to harmonize with his mood. Points of this kind, which the handwriting of Dickens illustrates so well, have a deeper meaning for the observant than for the casual reader of a magazine article; they indicate that these little human acts, which have been so long overlooked by intelligent men, do really give us valuable data for the study of mind by means of written-gesture. [Illustration: NO. 16.--WRITTEN IN 1841] [Illustration: NO. 17.--WRITTEN IN 1841.] [Illustration: NO. 18.--WRITTEN IN 1843.] [Illustration: CHARLES DICKENS READING "THE CHIMES," 1844. _From the original Sketch by David Maelise, R.A._] [Illustration: CHARLES DICKENS AS "CAPTAIN BOBADIL" IN "EVERY MAN IN HIS HUMOUR." _From a Painting by C.R. Leslie, R.A._] In No. 16 we see another and very original form of the "Boz" signature. No. 17 has a curious stroke of activity above the signature. No. 18 is a fine, strong signature. [Illustration: NO. 19.--WRITTEN IN 1845.] [Illustration: NO. 20.--WRITTEN MAY 12, 1848. (PASS TO THE STAGE.)] [Illustration: CHARLES DICKENS AS "SIR CHARLES COLDSTREAM" IN "USED UP", 1850. _From a Painting by Augustus Egg, R.A._] No. 19 is remarkably vigorous and active. The well-controlled activity and energy of the signatures are now strongly marked. No. 20 explains itself; the curious _P_ of _Pass_ is worth notice. [Illustration: NO. 21.--WRITTEN JULY 22, 1854.] [Illustration: CHARLES DICKENS IN HIS STUDY, 1854. _From the Picture by E.M. Ward, R.A._] [Illustration: AGE 44. _From the Painting by Ary Scheffer_.] No. 21 is a stray illustration of clever and gracefully-executed movements which abound in Dickens's letters. [Illustration: NO. 22.--WRITTEN WHEN ILL, OCT. 29, 1859] [Illustration: AGE 47. _From an Oil Painting by W.P. Frith, R.A._] See, in No. 22, how illness disturbed the fine action of this splendid organism; but illness did not prevent attention to detail--the dot is placed after the _D_. [Illustration: NO. 23.--WRITTEN NOV. 1, 1860.] [Illustration: NO. 24.--WRITTEN JAN. 17, 1861.]