The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-12-12

seemed TO tSiak with his legs, p-as Nj
Dickens, for the purpose Of enforcing
the fact, actually did wink with his
eyes. And all through those scenes
Mr.. Dickens seemed 10 enjoy their
hhmor N II he had never
heard OF It beforehand as IL took him
quite ~ much By aurprlse Us Il GO aid
take anybody else. His face relax es
Into n smile, neveritnAfked enough TO
interfere In the least with the inipef.
Bonntlon, but indicating and establiSh.
ing q strong and hearty sympathy with
his audience. We might cite many
other instances OF this that occurred
during the reading, bat the laleness OF
the hour at which we write forbids,
In his reading Mr.. Dickens makes
free use OF acknowledgement his ges.
lures, never violent or forced, always
explain and give force and distinct.
ness 70 the sentiment. In descriptions,
for example, lie follows the action de.
scribed with corresponding movement.
He stirs the gravy, when Telling how
Mrs. Cratchit made ft;-masbes the po.
tatoes with something Of Master Pc.
ter's incredible vlgor;''-dusts the
hot plates as MRrthR did;-and makes
face OF w0nderment and exultatIon
when shouting, in the piping tones OF
the two young Cratchits, There's sucH
a goose, Marlhai" And when he de.
scribes the gradual approach Of tile
transCendent pudding, he SntgS aud
pronouncea the smell "like washing.
day,"-snitis again, and declares Il
like an eating house, ,-again, and pro.
nounces II u pastry cooks, with laun.
dress next door, and 30 takes US, with
all our senses -sympatheucally alert,
Into the very presence Of The pudding
itself .
Mr.. Dickens fully proves In these
readings the truth OF what has oiIen
been said, that he Is one Of the best of
living actors. The writer OF this pa ara.
graph once saw him net In an amateur
performances OF Bulwer's "Not So Bad
As We Seem,n and afterward In farce
OF his own. In the former, which was
SERIOUS" business, he was good; but
In the latter he was inimitahle. He
played In succession several characters
ALI comic, and among them his own
Sairey GdHnp-and we certainly have
rarely, II ever, seen comic acting equal
TO II. II was easy, graceful, never
0verdone or overdrawn; and il effect
was irresistible.
II Is easy TO see that very much OF
the effect produced upon an aud Ience
by Mr.. Dickens reading is due to tbhal
Is read, and that II Is not wholly due To
his manner OF reading. But this also
Is his own legitimate triumph, and ills
one OF the fellcltles In the fortune of
those who attend these entertainments
thut they can hear such marvellous and
wonderful productions OF genius read
by their author. While II gratIfies n
natural and rational curiosity 10 see
the men who have made themselves
immortal by the instruction and delight
they have given the world, 1t gives US
also clearer insight into the real ma
ture oi their creations and the real
meaning OF the lessons they have
taught mankind. We have had, and
still have, in New York very many
sources OF intellectual and artistic
amusement and delight; but we never
have had, and we venture to say we
never shall have, any entertainments
more charming in themselves, or more
full OF genuine, legitimate and eleva-
ting pleasure than these readings of
Mr., Dickens,