DICHOTOMY

in botany, a system of branching in which the main axis divides again and again into two branches. Eng. novelist; b. Portsea; s. of poor parents, the originals of Mr. Micawber and Mrs. Nickle by. His childhood, in its general outlines, may be studied in early chapters of David Copper field, in his picture of young Pip in Great Expectations, and in some traits of Little Dombey. Dickens was practically self educated. As a youth he became a lawyer’s clerk, but this position he relinquished for journalism. He soon made a position for himself, first as parliamentary reporter, later as a writer of sketches, collected and pub., under the title of Sketches by Boz, 1836; in the Monthly Magazine. He began the production of The Pickwick Papers in periodical numbers in 1836, and practically the whole of the reading public of England fell under the sway of Pickwick. This work was followed by Oliver Twist, 1837; Nicholas Nickle by, 1838; Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge, 1840; Martin Chuzzlewit and A Christmas Carol, 1843; Dombey and Son, 1846; David Copper field, 1849; Bleak House, 1852; Tale of Two Cities, 1859; Great Expectations, 1860; Our Mutual Friend, 1864; Edwin Drood, 1870—the latter unfinished—and several other works. Besides novel-writing, Dickens edited the magazines Household Words and All the Year Round, and gave readings from his works, which realized large sums. In 1842 he visited the U.S. His American Notes, 1842, gave much offense to Americans. Though Dickens was one of the greatest realists in picturing, with inexhaustible truth of detail, the surroundings and conditions of life in his time, his genius was e entially humorous and fantastic. He used his knowledge of human nature as material for creative work, and his poetic imagination found free scope not only in fantasies like The Chimes and A Christmas Carol, but still more in wonderful beings such as Quilp, Mrs. Gamp, the Wellers, and Mrs. Micawber. Much stronger than his conscientious fidelity to the life he observed was the creative and transforming impulse that affected his actual vision. A Dickens Fellowship, with many local branches, was established in 1902 to emulate his virtues and to keep his memory green. (1853), an American college president, 6. at Gibson co., Tenn., s. of Robert Gilliam and Mary Malvina Dickey Dickens. He was educated at Bethel College, Tenn., Cumber land University and McKendree College, Ill. He was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1876 but did not have any regular charge until 1894, however from then until 1918 he was the pastor of various churches in Tenn., Ky., Mi . and Texas. He was at one time president, Trinity University, Tex., Texas Female Seminary,[Quanah College, Bethel College and also president and owner of Asgard College for Young Ladies, South Houston, Texas, and president of South Houston State Bank. In 1918 he became President of the Houston Bible Institute,