preface1869-第1章

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PREFACE　TO



THE　CHARLES　DICKENS　EDITION











I　REMARKED　in　the　original　Preface　to　this　Book；　that　I　did　not



find　it　easy　to　get　sufficiently　far　away　from　it；　in　the　first



sensations　of　having　finished　it；　to　refer　to　it　with　the　composure



which　this　formal　heading　would　seem　to　require。　　My　interest　in　it



was　so　recent　and　strong；　and　my　mind　was　so　divided　between



pleasure　and　regret　…　pleasure　in　the　achievement　of　a　long　design；



regret　in　the　separation　from　many　companions　…　that　I　was　in



danger　of　wearying　the　reader　with　personal　confidences　and　private



emotions。







Besides　which；　all　that　I　could　have　said　of　the　Story　to　any



purpose；　I　had　endeavoured　to　say　in　it。







It　would　concern　the　reader　little；　perhaps；　to　know　how



sorrowfully　the　pen　is　laid　down　at　the　close　of　a　two…years'



imaginative　task；　or　how　an　Author　feels　as　if　he　were　dismissing



some　portion　of　himself　into　the　shadowy　world；　when　a　crowd　of　the



creatures　of　his　brain　are　going　from　him　for　ever。　　Yet；　I　had



nothing　else　to　tell；　unless；　indeed；　I　were　to　confess　（which



might　be　of　less　moment　still）；　that　no　one　can　ever　believe　this



Narrative；　in　the　reading；　more　than　I　believed　it　in　the　writing。







So　true　are　these　avowals　at　the　present　day；　that　I　can　now　only



take　the　reader　into　one　confidence　more。　　Of　all　my　books；　I　like



this　the　best。　　It　will　be　easily　believed　that　I　am　a　fond　parent



to　every　child　of　my　fancy；　and　that　no　one　can　ever　love　that



family　as　dearly　as　I　love　them。　　But；　like　many　fond　parents；　I



have　in　my　heart　of　hearts　a　favourite　child。　　And　his　name　is



DAVID　COPPERFIELD。



　　　　　1869