The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-16 00:00:00

AIR. DICKENS'S -FARE WELL READING.

Last evening St. James's Hall—the Great Hall—
was crowded with as densely packed and as enthuai-
aktie an audienCe as it has ever held since the day
of its opening. Galleries, side galleries, stalls, re-
served seats, chairi in the very gangways an& the
narrow passages giving access to the numbered and
lettered benches—all were occupied. Hundreds
were' unable to obtain' admission. It was Charles
Dickens's last Reading—his Reading of Farewell !
Hence the exceptional throng, and the very, very
exceptional enthusiasm.
The readings commenced last evening almost im-
mediately after eight o'clock. They were the " first,"
and therefore the best that could have been selected
for-the last occasion of these readings; by way of
farewell. " The Christmas Carol " and " The Trial
from Pickwick." Whenpfr. Dickens stepped upon
the platform "the house " last night, as Edmund
Kean used to say, " rose at him." It was so every
time he made bis appearance there during the evening
—namely, before each_ of the two readings ; and
upon the close of each, when the roar of ap-
plause necessitated his recall. The sound of that
literal roar of applause will long live in our recollec-
tion. It indicated more plainly- than- any .aranlate
words that the great author has won for himself
more than the admiration, the personal affection of
his readers and of his auditors. ‘Viiile it is impos-
sible not to regret, and that very poignantly, the
close-of this brilliant " episode" in his career—this
episode of fifteen years altogether--there is, at any
rate, -a satisfaction in knowing that he brings it to
its conclusion, not merely as he said himself last
night, at the full tide of public favour, but
as we may be permitted to say ourselves, when his
extraordinary powers as a Reader, nay as more than
as a Reader, as an Impersonator, one after ano her iu
rapid succession, of many of his most wonderful crea-.
tions of character, are, at their very best, are at their
highest point of-perfec ion. PrOof po.itive of this
w s given by him all through lazt evening. He
never read better—we were going to say he
never read .so 'well. It was the very perfection
of what, for want of a better phrase we are in the
habit of calling these Readings. Ebenezer Scrooge
under all his phases, and with that exquisite sense of
humour on his part throughout, which is really the
eh:ilk-in the armour through Which his better nature
as one may sAy, proves to be penetrable—instance
this his serio-comic malediction upon those who
ought to be boiled with their own Christmas
pudding, with a stake of holly through their
heart, or instance, again, his grotesque entreaty ad-
dressed to Marley's ghost, when he adjures him,
" Don't be.flowery, Jacob !"—Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob
Cratchit, Old .Fezziwig, Master Peter, Scrooge's
Nephew, Topp.:r, Tiny-Tim, Mrs. Cratchit " brave
in ribbons," Martha and the two übiquitous
young Ciatchits, Scrooge's Niece by Marriage, the
Small Boy, and a crowd- of other miscellaneous cha-
racters—all appeared, one after another, before us,
all were visiely and audibly there in the person of
of their c: Bator. So, too, was it with the famous
Trial from the. immortal Pickwick. Mr. Justice
Stareleigh made himself, as usual, excruciatingly
ridiculous. Mr. Sergeant Buzfuz -convulsed the au-
dience with every sentence of his Speech for the
Plaintiff. Mr. Winkle, as ever, fooled himself to
the top of his bent—bungling into the wildest con-
fusions with the Judge—and chafing and fretting
with intensely comic effect under the goad of -cross-
examination. Mrs. Cluppins and Mrs. Saun7.lers
were, es ever; deliciously abiurd. And at the
mere mention of the name of the last witness
under • examination " Call Samuel Weller "
there was a round of acclamations—before Sam
could open his lips! The last words lingering in our
ears at the close of Mr. Dickens's Readings were— be-
fittingly, it seemed to us—the guttural accents of old
Mr. Weller saying, " 0 Sammivel, Sammivel, why
worn't there a hallibi ?"

Then it wds th-at; still standing by his little red-
velvet Reading-Desk, the desk that has travelled
with him all over America and throughout the Uuited
Kingdom,-111r. Dickens manfully, yet tenderly, ad-
dvess.d hienSe:f- to Lis immense audience. (his Ls:

audience) in the following terms—with eviden

emotion throughout, but particularly towards the
close, as he came to his final utterance of farewell—
" Ladies and Gentlemen,—lt would be worse than idle,
for it would .be hypocritical and unfeeling, if I were to
disguise that I close this episode in my life with feelings of
very considerable, pain. For some 15 years, in this hall
. _ . _

and in mans kindred place% I have had the honour o.

presonting my own cherished ideas before you for your
recognition, and in elos.:ly observing your reception of them
have enjoyed an amount of artistic dolight and instruction
which perhaps it is given to few men to know. In thistask,

and in ovary other I have over undertaken as a faithful ser•

vant of the public alwayi imbued with a sense of duty to
them and always striving to do his hest, I have boon uni-
formly cheered by the ro.cliost response, the most generous
sympathy, and the most stimulating support. Nevertheless,
I have thought it well et the full fool tide of your favour
to retire upon these older associations between us whiCh
date from much fur,. her hack than these, and henceforth to
devote myself exclusively to the art that first brought us
together: Ladies and gentleinon, in but two short weeks
from ibis time I hope that you may enter, in your own

ionles, on a now series of teadings at which myassistanco
_ -

will be wisp- eniiabi); but from those garish lights I va,aish

now fur evermore, with an heartfelt, grateful, rrspectful, atLd
affectionate farewell."

kali] the house rose at him—the clapping of handi

merging ititl- aner3 and the cliearing into a rb.ir.
Again, after he had (lisameared from tit.? pJathrtn, he'

was recalled by the Frolonged continuance of

acclamations. Then at last, with a kiss of his hand,

and. a final bow of farewell, Charles Dickens closed,
indeed, for ever, his long and brilliant career as the

first of our Public Readers.