The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-02-20

Y YORK, SUNDAY MOH
The Grand Literary, Fashionable. Legal,
judicial md Miscellaneous Dinner to Boz
on Friday Night, at the CITY Hotel.
Brighter and brighter shines the sun OF CHARLES
DIckENs's popularity. The interest IN his move.
ments, and the desire to see, hear, talk to, eat ana
drink with him, instead of diminishing, increases
daily After the Boz Ball on Monday night, and the
tremendous excitement occasoned by IT, many
thought that the exhaustion consequent on II, and
other little matters, would produce reaction Not
Bit Of it.
Although Boz has been extremely sick, and con-
fined to the house ever since the night OF the ball. he
has been besiegcd by dozen Of applications TO 60
out to private parties-to dinner, supper, breakfast
dejune la fourcheue-any thing and every thing;
to be dned, and wined and done every thing tobut
to be let alone. However, his sickness has been his
excuse and he has thus far escaped any serious IN
Fiction.
But sick or well, nothing could excuse him from
the great dinner last night, given to him by his adj
mirers at the City Hotel and this, by the by, was
one OF the most st nsible movements that has yet
been made in elaon to him, since his arrival here.
Who the original projectors OF it were we do not
exactly knew but believe that Charles A. Davis,
Prescott Hall. Anthony Barclay, John Duer, nj. II.
Grnnell, Henry Brevoort, Fiiz Greene Halleck,an
one or two others, were the prime movers in carry.
ing it out 10 perfection and splendid affair it
was
Before we proceed to speak Of the dinner itself,
perhaps ought TO give the invitation to this din-
ner sent by a committee Of forty 10 Boz and his rc
ply accepting the compliment. Here they are:-
NLw YoRx Jan "a is4a.
To CHARLxs DICKENS, ESQ.,
The un ersgnsd d, for themselves ard in behalf of
wide circle Of their fellow citizens desire congra,ui
late your ,f arrival and tender to you asncee
though PERSONAL, unknown still we can assure you
that you will find yourself stranger among Thut
which your pen has directed with such consuHmste
skill in delineating every passion and sympnthy and
passport to oil hearts; whilst your happy personfca
tons and apt Illustrations, pointing at every turn psc
tcal fruitful moral have rendered yeur name as ia
miliar to us as hous. hold words
In testimony of our respect and high regard, as
slight though Thankful tribute your geniu. request
that you will early day as may suit your con-
venence meet in this city, public dinner, where
as will be our pride and pie to express
feasfs you have SO often spread before US.
We are, very sincerely and cordially your friends.
TaEMeNr HOUSE, Bosroy, J n. ~, lsl2.
need not tell you that accept with indispensable
honored me- and cannot tell you how much moved and
grated have been by the terms in which 1t s convey
ed. Your kind and earnest words have done my heart
good-you have made feel indeed that am no stran
ger among you and have locke at your names hun
dred times as If they were the faces Of old friends
As nearly as can guess shall be in New York on
Saturday the 18th Of February may be day earlier
Any day towards the latter end Of the following week
that will suit you, will suit me. -,
Be assured that you cannot name any time which viii
not be bright day in the calendar Of my life and that
all hours and season: will be alike welcome to me-
n.1:~ 1solo rtinno
CHARLES DICKENS.
To the Committee, &c. &C. &c. New York.
These were the documents that decided the com.
mittee upon giving this dinner, which was done by
Gardner, one of the best caterers in New York, at
the City Hotel last night, at a cost Of $500.
The large room at the City Hotel is too well
known to need any description at this time. 1t is
only necessary to say that was decorated last night
by Plat, Brothers ofSpruce street, in the most neat
and chaste style imaginable. The whole thing was
in very fine taste nothing gaudy or snowy, and no
tinsel Above all, they have thanks for notusng
any of that miserable trash called bunting which
often defaces the most splendid public rooms in this
city, On the present occasion there was none OF
this; but every thing was chaste to the last degree.
The head of the table was at the est en- Of the
room-the reverse Of what it was at the great Nor
peh dinner. -Four long tables ranged down the
room parallel with each other and each of these
tables held twenty. seven persons on side, making
total Of two hundred and sixteen seats at these
feur tables; which, with the four Vice Presidents,
one at each end of these four tables, lied the
number to two hundred and twenty; to those must
be added cross table at the head at which seats
were placed for seventeen persons; making total
of two hundred and thiryseven persons that sat
down to dinner.
The Chair was taken by Washington Irving on
his right sat Charles Dickens the honored guest on
his right sat the Rev Mr. Bellows Along this table sat
his Honor the Mayor, and other well known indivi-
duals the Mayor being the only laymen that was
| an invited guest who attended. The Governor and
Lieutenant Governor were invited but letters were
read from each of them declining the favor, on
count of it being necessary that they should remain
| in Albany to do the State some service.'
On each of the four tables were placed four spen-
| did golden candelabras, each containing seven wax
candles there were also three golden candelabras
on the cross table at the head three golden cande-
abras on white pedestals at the extremely of the
| room between each table +; one hundred and thirty
gas lights in the four splendid chandeliers, and ten
handsome side lamps with three lights each, round
| the room making in all three hundred and sixteen
| lights in that one room.
| The only ornaments round the room were these ,
| Facing the main entrance on the large compart
ments, Immediately on each side of the south wing
were two beautifully painted tIansparcncies, in
richly carved antique frames; these represented
| Pickwck addressing the Pckwick Club, (the same
illustration that formed the eleventh tableau at the
Park theatre, on the night Of the great Boz Ball)
and Ralph Nickleby introducing Kate Nickeby to
his friends. Beside these ornaments, there were
twelve marble busts on richly carved antique
brackets; four at the top or west end of the room
in each compartment of the wall, behind the chair.
man ; four between the windows at the bottom of
the room one over each transparency; and one on