CHRISTIANA WELLER and Thomas James Thompson,
the future mother and father of Alice Meynell, had
an early friendship with Charles Dickens, who
even presided over their destinies.

"I cannot joke about Miss Weller, for she is too good;
and interest in her (spiritual young creature that she is,
and destined to an early death, I fear) has become a sen-
timent with me. Good God, what a madman I should
seem if the incredible feeling I have conceived for that girl
could be made plain to anyone!" Thus did Dicknes in
1844 unburden himself to his friend Thompson after their
joint meeting with Christiana Weller. The two friends,
Dicknes and Thompson, had gone together to Liverpool,
where Dicknes was to speak at the opening of a new
Mechanics' Institute, and there it was that the pianist of
the evening, young and beautiful and a brilliant player, so
affected Dicknes. The next day, after calling, still with
Mr. Thompson, at her home, he wrote:

"My dear Miss Weller, -- Riding out to you to-day --
the horse's name is not Pegasus -- I conceived the idea of
putting this piece of doggerel in your album. But you do
nothing like anybody else and therefore did not produce

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