Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-12-09
DICKENS NOTES ON AMERICA.


We have read these notes attentivey, with
out finding as much IN them to admire as
we anticipated. Mr.. DICKENS, impersona-
ting as he does, the life and soul of genius
and feeling, ought to have imbued these pa
res with more of himself We are dsap-
pointed and mortified that he should have
found SO little in this broad Republic TO in
terest and inspire him. Veins of rich hui
NOR, glowing fancy, and beautiful sentiment,
are sometimes touched, but these, instead of
illumining the whole work, only adorn &C.
casonal pages, leaving us to grope in the
dark through chapters of mere words.
But ifthcre is less to admire than was
looked for, in this work, there is far less TO
condemn, than was apprehended. Mr..
DICKENS has proved neither an important
Visitor nor an ungrateful Guest. He has
not, like other English tourists, returned
abuse for kindness nor ridicule for hospitai-
ties. He has neither disi egardcd the cour-
tesies of social life, nor invaded the sanctity
Of the domestic hearth.
Mr.. DICKENS has failed, most strangely, in
catching the peculiari,es and language of a
class, among US which furnished his best
Portraits at home. His amount of CONVEX
salion with Stage Drivers, Servants, Wait
ers, &c. is stained and abortve. We shall,
however, be still more disappointed if he
has not picked up and preserved, on this
side of the Atlantic, precious materials for
future works of the imaglnation.-Ai6oay
Journal.
The following extract, descriptive of a
scene on board ola Steamboat approaching
St. Louis, is more like "Boz," more in the
exquisite style of "Oliver Twist" and "Lit-
tie Nel," than any thing we have met with
in these Notes -
On the fourth night after leaving Louis
Vile, we reached ST. Louis, and here | wit
messed the conclusion of an incident, trfing
enough in itself but very pleasant TO see,
which had interested me during the whole
Quincy.
There was little woman, with little
baby; and both little woman and little child
were cheerful, good-looking, bright-eyed,
and far to see.
The little woman had been passing long
time with her sick mother in New York,
and had left her home in st Louis, in that
condition in which ladies who tru y love their
lords desire to be. The baby was born in
her mothers house and she had not seen her
husband Ito whom she was now returning, }
for twelve months : having left him month
or tive after their marriage.
Well, to be sure there never was a little
woman so full of hope, and tenderness, and
love, and anxiety, as this little woman was
and all day long she wondered whether "ae'
would be at the wharf; and whether "lie'
had got her letter and whether, if she SEM
the baby ashore by somebody else, she
would know it, meeting it in the street
which, seeing that he had never set eyes
upon it in his life, was not very likely in the
abstract, but probable enough, to the young
mother. She was an artess little creature
and was in such sunny, beaming, hopeful
state and let out all this matter clinging
close about her heart; so freely that all the
other lady passengers entered into the spirit
off as much as she and the captain (who
had heard all about il from his wiie) was
wonderous sly, promise you inquring,
every time we met at table, as in fOrgetfel-
ness, whether she expected anybody to meet
her. at ST, Lonis, and whether she would want
= 90 ashore the night we reached't, (but he