The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL
.11, 1866

tilise the Dombes. Their austerities have been modi-
fied, and all reasonable indulgences are now allowed
among them. Notre Dame de la Trappe was
founded in 1140 by Rotron, Count de Perche, under
very strict and self-denying regulations. They
were, however, much modified in 16G2 by the cele-
brated Abbe de Rance, who loved Madame de
Montbazon, and at her death he renounced the
world and gave all his property to La Trappe, to
which monastery he retired. lle made the
Order the most rigorous of all Monastic
Orders. It was at the town of Trevoux, just
mentioned, that one of the most ancient newspapers
of France, the Journal de Trevoux, was established.
The Trappist Fathers are very hospitable, and many
illustrious individuals have been received at their
convent. James 11. of England and his Queen took
refuge there several times. In the convent there is
still a picture representing the exiled Monarch eat-
ing at the table with the reverend fathers, the Mar-
shal de Bellefort, and the Duke of Berwick. Charles
X., when Count d'Artois, spent several days there.
Bossuet and the celebrated St. Simon have also been
visitors there. Chateaubriand has been there very
often.

The official part of the illoniteur to-day contains
several decrees, but they are only of local interest.
The temperature has been very much lower since
the storm of Sunday. To-day the weather has been
quite cold again.
The following anecdote is related as authentic :
A young man of good family received from his
father 3,000 f. to buy a substitute, should he be
drawn for a soldier at the late conscription. Ile,
however, drew a lucky number, and was exempt
from the service. The father asked him for the
money back. The son sent the old gentleman the
following letter—" Dear Father, as I drew a good
number, and did not want to buy a man, I have
bought a woman for my wife.—Your respectful
son." On reading the lettor the father said, " Poor
boy, he has not even purchased a property. tie
has only the interest of it."

MR. CHARLES DICKENS'S READINGS

"Doctor Marigold" and "Bob Sawyer."

Having, most unluckily for ourselves, been pre-
cluded from the luxury of making one of the im-
mense audience that last night crowded the huge
area of St. James's Hall to listen to the Readings
of our Great Novelist, we are at least happily
enabled to transfer to our columns the following

graphic descriptions of what took place there, as
recounted by the faithful pens of the representatives

of two of our morning contemporaries :
If the spacious area of St. James's Hall, says
the Daily Telegraph, seen as it was last evening,
densely thronged by an extremely fashionable and
earnestly attentive assemblage, had not completely
satisfied any curious inquirer as to the extent of
popularity enjoyed by Mr. Charles Dickens as a
reader as well as a writer, there would have been
no possibility of forming an erroneous conclusion
on seeing an equally large crowd without, anxi-
ously desirous of admission, and compelled re-
luctantly to postpone a gratification to which they
had evidently looked forward most eagerly. Fa-
miliar as the graphic power with which Mr. Chas.
Dickens embodies his own creations must have be-
come to a large proportion of the dwellers in the
metropolis, all who have previously enjoyed the plea-
sure of hearing him, hasten to take advantage of
every fresh announcement of his appearance
at the reading-desk, and with the addition of
those thousands emulous of participating in the
same privilege, it is sufficiently obvious that a
much larger space could be thickly occupied on every
occasion than the voice of the speaker could easily
fill. Under these circumstances, it will be good
news to proclaim that a renewed opportunity is now
given of sharing in one of the most intellectual and
thoroughly enjoyable evenings which the capital
affords ; but it is already evident that the only
course left for our eminent novelist to avoid the
infliction of bitter disappointment on a legion of
his admirers will be the frequent repetition of his
delightful readings at as brief intervals as pos-
sible. Last night Mr. Charles Dickens read for
the first time in London that charming story of
to the last Christmas number of -" All the Year
Round." The breathless attention with which
every incident in the narrative was followed, the
strong feeling of reality which was produced, the
vivid impression of each personage described in the
printed page coming forth into positive existence,
forcibly attested the marvellous dramatic power of
the reciter. The form in which Mr. Dickens thus
gives his works to the public is indeed that of a re-
citation rather than a reading, for the eye never
refers to the book, and the constant change in the
expression of voice and feature comes in valuable aid
of the effect produced by the keen humour and
touching pathos of the story. The "Cheap Jack"
is actually seen in his cart as he tempts his rustic
auditors with wares of small price and high value,
and the political "Cheap Jack," who makes as
many promises with equal recklessness of fulfil-

ment, stands forth substantially to view
The pathetic scene with " Little Sophy,"
the struggle between the wish to conceal and the
inability to repress the emotions as the child death-
smitten with fever expires in the father's arms as he
is uttering the laugh-creating jokes of his craft
went thoroughly home to the hearts of the auditors,
and might be cited as a marked proof of the realhis-
trionic genius possessed by the gifted novelist. The
giant, with a great deal too much in him for his
joints and his mind, must have been visibly present
to all within hearing of that voice which so com-
pletely realised a notion of his prominent peculiari-
ties, and the poor deaf and dumb girl, brought by
the warm-hearted Doctor Marigold for a dozen pair
of braces, and educated by himwith so much thought -
ful care and.tender affection as his adopted daughter,
became a delightful reality., which no auditor
would have dared to disprove whilst under the
influence of such potent illusion. In his double
capacity of author and interpreter Mr. Charles
Dickens exercised a triumphant sway over the feel-
ings of his audience, and in the rounds of applause
which followed his departure from the platform
might be traced an emphatic expression of gratitude
as well as of sincere admiration. " Mr. Bob Saw-
yer's Party," from Pickwick, was given as the se-
cond portion of the Readings, and formed a sub-
stantial addition to the enjoyniett of the evening.
On Tuesday week Mr. Charles Dickens will repeat
" Dr. Marigold," and add the famous Trial from
the pages of " Pickwick," an intimation which, to
a large class of expectant auditors, should come like
the news of the reward being claimed for the dis-
covery of a new pleasure.
The Morning Advertiser says the great novelist
has revived his public readings ; and last night gave
the first of a series in the large hall at this establish-
ment, which we need hardly say was crammed to
suffocation. The floor of the hall was nearly occu-
pied with stalls ; and the balconies and areas were
made reserved seats.
The selection was made from" Dr. Marigold's Pre-
scriptions," as exemplified it, the Christmas volume ;
and " Bob Sawyer's Evening Party," from the
immortal novel of " Pickwick." Dr. Marigold
pierces through the town, tic Court, and the Legis-
lature with his homely satire; and Mr. Dickens'
sense of humour is not onl) at the command of his
pen, but of his voice, his gesture, and his elocution.
He is wonderfully graphic, and suggests his charac-
ters and their extraordinary peculiarities with a
power that certainly no other person possesses.
" Bob Sawyer's Party"is full of extraordinary
characters and events, as we all know, and Mr.
Dickens invests it with a lfe and vitality that are
most effective. This greatsatirist and novelist of
the age was received with the utmost enthusiasm,
and everybody seemed rejoced to see him in such
vigorous health, and with such a perfect command
of his wonderful powers, lot only of conception,
but of execution. The not reading will take place
on the 24th inst.

A TRAIN STRUCK BY LlGlliNlNG.—Daring a storm
on Sunday evening the electri! fluid struck a train which
was travelling on the Orsay :away in France, and tra-
versing one of the carriages, livered into fragments one
of the doors and broke the glas of the other, passing out
without further damage.