Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-06-09
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Charles Dickens ''Readings" are among
the most popular and fashionable entertain
ments OF the season. They must also be ex-
ceedlngly profitable, yielding, at least, clear
balance OF thousand dollars a night. They
are given in est James hall'-the largest and
most elegant hall in London; and all the best
one dollar seats are generally secured a
week in advnnce The ladies generally pre-
ponderate among his hearers; and as they
come out in full opera toilettes the crowded
assemblage presents brilliant and beautiful
appearance.
The personal interest everywhere felt in the
author of so many charming works-in one,
who, as the prose Shakespeare of the English
tongue, has shown ''the very age and body of
the time its form and PRESSURE" justified
little closer sketching than is usually bestow-
ed on ordinary actors or lecturers.
Charles Dickens is not ugly; neither is he
timidly modest. And yet he is not the hand
some, joyous, eXuberant looking genius of
twenty-five years of age, when his flashing
presence seemed to fill the room he entered
with positive light!
Never shall l forget the pleasant impress
sion he made on me as boy, on his arrival at
the ''Tremont House" in Boston. He was
then the new risen star in the literary horizon;
all bright and beaming in the morning glow
and glory of his fame. There was a dewy
freshness in his face; spring time music in
his voice; and a sunny sparkle in his eye full
of cheer and full of promise. The first fruits
OF his genius seemed only as early flowers, to
the rich, ripe harvests to come. A quarter of
century has passed around, and whole
generation of readers have passed away.
Dickens has been industrious and prolific.
Every year has given birth to a new volume;
and every volume has been veritable sue
cess, compared with any contemporaneous
authors, and only failure when compared
with himself. 1t is not too much to say that
''Pickwick" and ''Nickleby" have not been
surpassed by any of the authors subsequent
productions, for the simple reason that they
are, of their kind indispensable. But must
not wander into criticism. 1t is Dickens on a
stage as a reader, or rather reciter of his own
stories, who stands before us.
On Thursday evening last, at half past sew
en- o'clock, st. James Hall was two thirds fill
ed. Half an hour later nearly every seat was
occupied. As there were three prices of adj
mission, it is safe to say there were not less
than three classes present. | noticed a good
many white cravats; but this might indicate
the presence of nobs, snobs, clergymen, or
walters. There was large assortment of
gray heads, bald heads, big heads, and little
heads-an edifying ''feld of view for Fowler
" w els, WHO are just now Soltlng up q era
biological mania in London.
The main portion Of the stage was shut off
by drop curtain of dark red; and large
screen of the same color made an admirable
artistic background for the central figure"
SMALL low table, covered on the top only
with green cloth, stood close to the front edge,
with a little box, also covered with green, on
the left hand side, for the resting of the book
and a shelf a little lower than the table, on
the right hand side, held decanter of water
and tumbler. At precisely o'clock, Mr..
Dickens enters, with rapid, nervous step,
gives lightning glance at the house, takes
his position between the little table and the
screen, slightly bows, and without waiting for
the applause to subside, announces the book,
and the chapter, and commences reading, or
rather reciting his story; for although he turns
over the leaves mechanically, with the left
hand, in order, as school boys say, to ''keep
the place" yet he scarcely refers to the text
during the evening.
Powerful gaslights on either side bring out
the form and the features of the speaker in
bold relief. And thus let me attempt to
sketch him A rather understood, but
no means ''underdone" looking man; side
whiskers; shayen clean, with the natural
Ornamentation of the lips and chin unmuti-
lated. But why razor the face thus partially
and Enthusiastically? The whole or none-art
or nature-should be the motto for the beard.
Mr.. Dickens appears in full dress black
silk, including cravat and gets off his
white kids before he gets through his first
paragraph. In the button-hole of his coat,
nearest the heart, he wears a delicate bouquet
which would SAVIOR little of coquetgie any
where out of London; but here it is not I'M
common to see hard-faced looking men going
in their rare (and tear houses with rose-buds
and forget-me-nots in their bosoms-a little
touch Of sentiment as refreshing and uneX-
pected as flowers among the Alps. Mr. Dick
ems, in narrating his own inventions, of course,
is at no loss about the ''meaning of the au-
thor" His elocution, however, is purely col
loquial and possesses the charm of natural
ness. The interest of the narration increases
as the story progresses; and the sympathies
of the listener are thoroughly enlisted Mr.
Dickens makes but few gestures; and these
are absolutely involuntary He ''suits the
action to the word" simply because he can't
help it; while the modulations of his voice, in
speaking for different characters, are transit
tons so natural that instead of the creator of
the characters, we seem to have all the char
acters themselves speaking to us. The scenes
at "Dotheboy's HalP' were given with mar
Vicious effect, and with no apparent effort.
The realness of the situation drought down
the house" And so in the "Trial of Bardell
rersus Pickwick," when the witness "Sami-
vef' is interrupted by Mr.. Pickwick in the
gallery, the authors naturally look around in
search of Mr.. Weller, senior Mr. Dickens
voice is pleasant, flexible, subtle and sympa-
thetic, and less changed by the lapse of years
than any other part of him. His affiuent,
sunny hair Clocks of which he was compelled
to refuse, for prudential reasons, to American
school girls is wearing thin and grey and the
top of his head begins to show the crows nest
with one egg in it. But the voice-the most
subtle and immaterial of all the faculties-the
voice of Dickens | should have recognized in
the dark and among a crowd. 1t indicates
all the wit and wisdom, all that is comic and
pathetic in all the mulhtudinous characters he
has portrayed. | am not quite sure, after all
that has been said of phrenology and physiog-
omy. but the human voice is the surest test
of genius. And the poet is right in his ex-
clamation =
'0h there are looks and tones that dart,
An instant sunshine through the h6drtFn
Dickens need write no more books. He
has only to read what has been already writ
ten-occupyng about two hours once week
all the year round; and he can pocket some
$4,000 per annum! 1t is a pity that so rare
an author can make money so easily. full
purse seldom stimulates to great thoughts like
an empty stomach, or rather a stomach that
would be empty but for the constant racking
OF the brain to fill it. Mr.. Dickens has richly
earned ms autumnal repose, and may now
take his ofium cum digaitate for the rest of his
days. F.u