The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-12-21

Tedulug Is SO peFIecI- WneH ne dSSuuec
the role of the actor he does not
so fortunately escape criticism. And
yet he thereby adds immensely TO the
interest of his literary feast. We
heard him last night in the reading of
Christmas CAROL and the Trial
of Burdell as Pickwick." | have
read his descriptions of character
and social life with unfeigned
delight and with never failing
interest, and. as l supposed, with
a vivid conception of the scenes. But
never before did / have so thorough
an acquaintance with them as l now
possess, with the aid of Mr.. DICKENS
representations. and with what in
creased attraction can I read again
those inimitable incidents. His ,read-
ing of the Christmas Carol" was a
beautifully simple piece of life painting
"a voice for the multitude of charac-
tiers introduced, and a mood and ges-
ture representing every feeling and
scene. As the reading progressed, we
are brought plainly into complete
view of old Scrouge's Z office, and
are brought at once into a complete
comprehension Of the characteristics
of the inmates. The Fizziwig /"
dance is as clearly presented as if the
participants in it had been before US
on the stage. The Christmas dinner.
of the = Cratchit Family in It's pre-
paration and its enjoyment. was al
MOST seen with our eyes Mrs.
Cratehiti" stirs the gravy; Peter ="
amashes the potatoes; Martha " dnsts
the plates, the exultiug tones
of the juvenile "'Cratchits,Is the
premonitory shifting of the expectant
pudding, audible in tbe remQtest part
of the Hall, and the pudding rolled
out, and all before theaudience9 And
in the after scene, wheh Mr.. DICKENS
wipes the unchecked tears from the
eyes of Mr.. Cratehit. n and the
manly sorrow of = BobeqCratchit =
for the death Of y Tiny TIM is de.
picted, there was many heart melted.
in the vast audience, and the tears
flowed freely from the eyes of those
whose domestic bereavements were so
freshly reopened. That gameof blind
mans buff at the Christmas gathering
at "Scrouge's' nephew's, brought
"Tuppins' in chase Of the Plump Sis
ter in the lace tucker so actually be-
fore us that they will ever after be living
characters. And as DICKENS closed
the first part with these Christmas
scenes, our estimate of the worth Of
its festivities was greatly enlargea. and
the plaintiye tones of - g Tiny Tim 5
= God bless as erery one;''Mas cheerily
responsive of the feelings Of all that
crowded assembly. 49, ~ H
In the reading Of the Trial of
Pickwicki2 Mr.. DICKENS lprofted
largely by his early experieheein the
courts, and bis representations we're
more life-like and free from. criti-
cism. He INDUCED more in acting,
and had little occasion to refer to the
book, entering fully into the spirit of
that inimitable court scene The
modulations of voice were very fine
and characteristic, as each of the par
Elephants in the trial were heard; the
fat little Judge, sour, cross grained.
and full of legal stupidity, the attor-
neys, the witnesses, and parties, were
all in our very presence. The speech
of Sergeant Buzfuz was rendered
exceilently; no one who has been an
attendant upon any of our courts but
remembered its counterpart. When
: Samuel Weller" was called up, the
whole audience went off in roar of
laughter. JSansiveI is a character
which appears to take hold of our
popular American conception of nom
chalant Independence, The reading
Of the Trial . was brief, but it sent
the entire assembly home in a perfect
good humor, and with many thanks
upon their favorite author for cross
ing the ocean to give them better
acquaintance with their friends, the
creatures of his Imagination.
J. w. f.