The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-03

BosroS, Dec. 2, 1861
IL 60 O'Clock p. NJ !
Mr. Dickens nrss reading took place this evening -
fremont Temple. according to announcement. twas
In every possible respoct-pecunarily artistic
ally and fashionaby. The weather was just stormy
and unpleasant enough out Of doors 10 mako almost any
interior seem delicously cosey yet not stormy
enough brighten the ladies those precautions
regard dress that might have taken all the briancy
and color out Of tho picture So the Temple b:oomed
freshly and richly in toilets and have suited the
most difficult taste BY their very variety
The pieces read were christmas Carol" and the
Trial OF Bardell versus Pckwick" from tho .Pckwick
Papcra." They read with consummats skill, and
the effect in securing and carrying with the reader the
sympathies OF his hearers beyond whatever the
admirers OF Mr. Dickens had conceived possi-
bic. The compliment In applause extravagant; and
this was q which extravagance in compliment
was perhaps offence against good taste In the
eyes Of the least amlabis OF satirists
The scene outside was all animation. Carriages began
to arrive In prousou quarter past o'clock and
q few minutes before eight O'Clock the human freight
which they had brought together with the pedestrian
arrivals had filled nearly all the seats In the Temple
Tho ticket Office was then opened, and ten hun.
dred tickets for standing quickly disposed
Of, the eager purchasers having patiently waited
for the sams for an hour At no time
was there any great crowd or confusion about
tho hall Very few assembled who had secured ad-
mission before coming, and II there bad been any
moderate rush OF tho curious they would have been
outnumbered by The police, who there In force TO
repel any demonstration that eager multitude might
have made. Indeed, whom all were gathered and
seated. awaiting the reader the 10
which happy and expcctant faces gave the
predominant tone. All the world Of literature, OF
fashion. and much also OF the world OF politics.
1hm nnyn~ ar Mas cl,ucot
stood for the politics. all the handsome ladies' Of the
city presented fashion In most attractive mood while
literature and science wore represented by Agassiz.
Whittier, Longfeow, Lowell and Holmes In the sis!ss
IL Ia true and In the passage ways outside the Seats
some yawning gentlemen loungcd up and down with
their hands in their pockets; and withIa
and without, wherever half . dozen people
were collected together. there, in their looks
dress, morals manner, habits intellect and
conversation. "Mr. Jefferson Brick" "Colonel
DIVER" "Major Pawkins." general Choke" and sMr
Lafayette Kettle," over and over and over agan-at
least 90 Mr.. Dickens has said in respectable print
Having such inconestble authority that the whole
mass Of Americans, wherever seen, are Of the same
stamp and class with the utterly ptful persons named
scarcely venture dissent; otherwise should have
held firmly to the opinion that the audience was made
up Of sensible good-natured men, and hand
some. intellectual, charming women; in short,
that It . model assemblage Of tho
ladies' and gentlemen OF the republic, which was to
the words Of AIR. Dickens "but yesterday let loose upon
her noble course and is to-day, MANNED and lame
full and ulcers foul TO the eye and almost
hopeless to tho senso-that her best friends turn from
the loathsome creature with disgust"
About thousand OF the people OF this naughty and
unpleasant republic men and women. seated
comfortably In their places at eight o'clock.
awaiting the coming OF Mr. Dickens The ball,
light and pleasant one. was oiled 70 Its utmost
capacity ball that presents very pleasant coup
doll when flied Tho gallery. rising very gracefully
from The further wall Of the lower portion and giving
good distance from the worry foot Of the readers desk
TO tho limit OF this distance delightful per-
spccve OF happy faces. You might suppose the whole
male portion Of tho company to be the melancholy
ghosts OF departed boolkeepers who had
fallen dead at their desks, such their
weary air business, and calculating undertakors
duty would DO sprighty beside them. These are the
words OF Mr. Dickens. To US the men seemed quito as
happy as the women.
Promptly at his hour Mr. Dickens came. He clad
10 plain dress suit, with white necktis and kid
gloves Of neutral tint His bead and face show the
finger OF Time deepening lines and coming gray-for
tho color has gone from the thin beard he wears
his chin and from hts musache. His head
Is bald top. and the hair remaining at the
spirit in what remains He stepped lightly and quickly
the platform to the reading desk, and bis coming
the signal for ontburst OF applause that lasted
some moments II gained strength - u was kept up
and went from hand to mouth till IRON the ordinary
event OF clappng hands became quito ovation OF
cheers. the subject taking 1t all with easy dignity
Here justice requires us 10 record memora-
bio faot-Mr Dickens coming in did not
shake tho house down we deem " necessary 10 men,
ton this from the account that gentleman has given the
world OF American architecture. He has said Of our
public buildings that thar "walls and coionades
80 cisp and thin and slight that they had exactly
the appearance OF being built with cards" Ho
has even thought himself called upon to say
OF one OF these buildings, * careful not
70 draw my breath ~ We passed" On tho
present occasion he was perhaps equally consdcrate
He camo In he walked across he bowed 70 the right TO
the len TO the front and all round again; and with all
this there not the slightest calamity. The was
wore unshaken the roof remsined In I've place, the
very windows did not rattle. Perhaps this fremont
Temple Is exceptionally solid piece Of American
chitecture not only endured Mr. Dickens breath
ing in H. but withstood also the little thundsrs vol
leyed from the hands and mouths OF the assembled
many.
From the readers standpoint the sight Of this plea
SAINT reception have been very agreeable. "My
attention attracted Mr.. Dickens has written 40
. remarkable appearances Immediately in front OF me,
which supposed for . time was occasioncd by q
Der OF industrious persons ripping open feather beds
and giving the feathers TO the wind Al length II
occurred to that they were only splitting which
indeed the case though how any number Of perxons
which possible for the place TO contain could have
maintained suon playful ana incesssnt shower OF
pectoratiop, am sti at loes 10 understand" We ala
not any OF ,hs ourselves but boast such
powers OF observation as have made Dickens famous
So soou the pleasant little storm or welcoming
applause had passed away. rr. Dickens went rapidly
18TH Rot t1tf .lrn.
matte IN daosua win great variety Of character the
Christmas Carol" the more aGrecacly 40 Of the two.
All listeners In moment 10 the very presence
OF Old Scrooge OF his paient, light hearted clerk
the Jolly Nephew the ghost Of Marley, Tiny Tin
and tho Conversational Boy under the window
II "a hardly correct say that Mr. Dickens read this
story He told the told ths story Just
place persons will tell little arecdotc, giving with
more or Success tho aud toue OF such speaker
they Introduce. onix TINT Mr.. nlckena nresened