New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-09
4 PRIpATE DINER NTH CHARLES DICK
Ems

Gen Prosper " Wetmore has recently puonsheu'
,,o,ro,l,l, ;orrnal an interesting account Of the
nublic dinner given TO Mr.. Charles Dickens on ms
arrival IN New.York twenty-five years ago; and he
dvvells with feeling and genuine pathos upon the de-
nartpre from among us Of the committee OF noble
and distinguished gentlemen who formed the
Committee of Reception on the occasion OF that
memorable banquet Each member was distin-
oushed BY band o7red ribbon, and consisted of the
following gentlemen all Of whom are dead except
tina writer of hetrbute to their character standing,
and many virtues They were: Philip Hone Robert
H. Morris Charles Augustus Davis David c. Golden,
William Kent, Thomas J. Oakley William II. Max
well Valentine Mott, John W. Francis, John c.
Cheeseman and Prosper NJ. Wetmore. Mr.. Wetmore'
In briefly adyerting to the banquet given to Mr.
Dickens at the City Hotel, Omts any mention OF the
nroceedings They were remarkable in many re-
epecs not less on account of the character OF the
participants than of the incidents Of the OCCASION
Washington Irving presided and in speech III
which the guest of the evening was welcomed 10 inc
couptry and to the homes and hearts of our people
he broke down." as the phrase is, through the IN
oopsderate interruption of a wel-mcaning friend
Mr. Irving. who had been Oyerpersuaded to speak
ON his feet"-a thing he said, which he could never
successfully accomplishments going on swimmingy,
and i'm ms most fecitOus language, when Mr. Charles
Augustus Davis an intimate friend, and with the
"best intentions in the world" exclaimed, looking
him the while adnirngly in the face: Good! lry-
ing! good! Excellent You are succeeding admir-
ablyp "That interruption" said Washington Irving
Go me the next day, broke me down completely.
1t snapped tie thread OF my discourse, which was
unwinding 10 my satisfaction, and scattered the
thoughts aud images which were in my mind, ana az
my tongues end into utter rout." l mention tins
little fact rs a warning TO well-meaning but
-, ~
similarly tempted. Ny friend Mr.. Wetmore
speaks of the dinner given to Mr.. Dickens by the
"Noveltics Club Of NeW-York--a society composed
of editors artists actors and employees of the public
press of the metropolis-"in Parl-row" The dinner
In question was given at the Aston House, and was
In Stetson's unexamped and inmitable manner"
Ii was presided over by the late Judge William Kent
assisted by the late David Graham. Mr.. Dickens
was completely cat home" in the society OF this
Club and was often afterward heard to remark that
the dinner was one of the most pleasant and cordial
entertainments offered him in America. / comenow
to speak of a dinner to Mr. Dickens of which had
the great pleasure to be the host and of which may
sneak think without egotisn, and without any in
fraction of the rules of social intercourse. 1t was
literally g Toast Of reason and flow of soul" OF
the guests who were present on that memorable
occasion-mem0rable, at least, to me and to
Bfr Dickens too-for, in letter to me, writ
ten Just one year after its occurrence, he says:
"This day twelyemOnth l dined at your
house"-of the guests, ] say, who honOred me by
being present at that time, how many have gone
hence, to be no more seen" Washington Irving, on
lust such a soft, tranquil Autumnal day as that on
which now write, was laid. with many tears, from
ewes of a loving and admring multitude, in q hal
lowed grave on the bank of his beloved Hudson
and Of the Memorial Church." which consecrates
the spot "can see the spire from here" Henry
Brevoort the perfect gentleman the fine scholar his
lifelong friend and intimate companion has followed
him to the Better Land" Good Bishop Vain
wright has, after them, passed beyond the vale"
guided through the Dark Valley By the rod and
"staff" which he had so often held forth the sup
port Of the weary and helvy-laden, in their clos
ing Journey of life! Henry Inman, the noble
artist, the accomplished, genial gentleman, he
too, has gone; and David Graham, the able
lawyer, the eloquent advocate the friend
closer than a brother" reposes in the shades of
Greenwood. And Henry Cary. the delightful and
fecitous essayist of his tmcthe hospitable genial,
refined genteman-he too. from the shores of classic
Italy has winged his spirit flight to Heaven! The
guests were Washington Irving, Mr.. and Mrs. Dick
ems William Cullen Bryant, Ftz-Green Haleck,
Bishop Wainwright Henry Brecvort Henry Imam,
Henry Cary nom de plume "John Waters y David
Graham. IT,, Y. d. Dakin and wife, including Of
course the honored and gratifed host and hostess.
And Of all these but six Survived The acceptances
TO the brief invitation were most of them somewhat
out of the usual curt courtesy of reply. Mr. Carys,
remember and Inman's were especially happy in
their illusions to the "many-sided" gentlemen whom
they were invited TO meet. Haleck's was character
tstieally felicitous. 1t began:
1.-THE bridegroom may forget the bride
Was made his welded wife yestreen,
The monarch may forget the crown
Which on lis head an hour hath BEEN"
mt PU not foraet that am to have the pleasure Of
dining with you on Thursday evening, to meet that
rare painter Of human character, Mr.. Dickens" l
take it that a company more genial could scarcely
have been brought together. Most Of the persons
present were known to each other, individually OF
by reputation; and there was no Stiffness no I'M
necessary ceremony Mr.. Dickens brought let
tiers 10 Dr. Wainwright from Sydney Smith and
other eminent English prelates and there was an
opening for mutual pleasant chat and anecdotes OF
that rarest of English wits. Washington Irving,
usually reticent when dining ont, was never
more "at home :" nor did his spirits flag during the
entire Sitting Inman and Dickens had quite a
Stance Of mesinerism and table-moving talk
topic just then most in vogue; Haleck and
Brevoort gossiped of their pleasant expert
ences abroad; while Graham was enlightened
as were the rest of the guests, by the
picturesque differences between the forms and pro-
ceedings in the criminal courts of London and those
of our city, which latter Mr.. Dickens had that day
visited, in company with his interocutor And how
we all laughed (being much astOundedD when the
guest averred that he had met at dinner two days
before the very prototype of his original conception
of the immortal Picliwck-the late George Griffin,
the patriarch Of the New-York bar! His first
"model" of Pickwick was a tall, digmfed, benevo-
lent. h.in man.