'Tears of joy' is an emoji Charles Dickens would have relished

The emoji may be 2015’s word of the year, but where would the 19th-century master of tugging the heartstrings have reached for this 21st-century mixture of happiness and grief?

The Oxford English Dictionary’s choice of a tears of joy emoji as its word of the year had several Twitter commenters wondering how Charles Dickens, that bastion of the English literary castle, would react.

Oxford Dictionaries picks 'tears of joy' emoji as word of the year. English teachers search for 'Dickens spinning in grave’ emoji.

My son informs me, Mr. Copperfield, that you were quite devoted to him, and that when you met yesterday you made yourself known to him with .

… and never, while I live, shall I forget his going about to all the shops in the neighbourhood to change this treasure into sixpences, or his bringing them to my aunt arranged in the form of a heart upon a waiter, with and pride in his eyes.

When Arthur told her that she would soon ride in her own carriage through very different scenes, when all the familiar experiences would have vanished away, she looked frightened. But when he substituted her father for herself, and told her how he would ride in his carriage, and how great and grand he would be, her and innocent pride fell fast.

She clasped her little hands before her face. The gushing , and pride, and hope, and innocent affection, would not be restrained. Fresh from her full young heart they came to answer him.

He was charmed to see me, said he had been shedding delicious and sympathy at intervals for six weeks on my account, had never been so happy as in hearing of my progress, began to understand the mixture of good and evil in the world now, felt that he appreciated health the more when somebody else was ill, didn’t know but what it might be in the scheme of things that A should squint to make B happier in looking straight or that C should carry a wooden leg to make D better satisfied with his flesh and blood in a silk stocking.

Behold Mr and Mrs Boffin, beaming! Behold Mrs Boffin clapping her hands in an ecstasy, running to Bella with pouring down her comely face, and folding her to her breast, with the words: ‘My deary, deary, deary girl, that Noddy and me saw married and couldn’t wish joy to, or so much as speak to! My deary, deary, deary, wife of John and mother of his little child! My loving loving, bright bright, Pretty Pretty! Welcome to your house and home, my deary!’

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