New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-03
PRICE FOUR CENTS.


when he Is surrounded when he reads at home. At
the back of the platform is stretched long screen
covered with dark red cloh-red at least it looked
| by gaslight, though Fields told me it was
| purpe-and in front of 1t stands table
with square legs covered with rich crimson
velvet-tbe top also, covered with the same, hang
ing over the edge and bordered with heavy fringe.
AT one side of this table projects little shelf also
covered with velvet, on which are waterbotte and
glass; and at the left hand corner is a square block
about eight inches high-that also covered top and
sides, with velvet, like the rest: On this block the
reader rests his book and uses It, beside as ga aces
in ScrOOgs office Now it is Mr. Fzziuigs desk from
which he looks bengnantly down on his apprentices
Now it is the desk which rests the Christmas
of the Cratchite family. very useful little velvet
box Mr. Dickens makes it, assure you, and the au-
dience gets to look upon 1t as quite delightful piece
Mr.. Dickens is not quite as rigid in his punctuaity
as dear Fanny Kemble used to be- who began like q
matter whether people had come not and treated
the laggards to bewitchng frowns they crept he
lated up the asles But at last he comes He enters
holding the book in both his hands; comes up the
steps with quick, sprnging walk, and, standing at
his velvet desk proceeds TO work, like man OF busi-
ness. He is dressed with perfect neatness and sim
plicty not a trace of the old foppery-the Autumns
flower of all the youthful dandyisn-is seen IN his
buttOn-hOle in the shape of white carnatIon, and
pink rosebud his shirt front. There ~ nothing
more pretending than plain gold stud lie has, to
be sure, considerable watchchaln, and on his finger
q diamond rlng-but nothing Is noticeable IN ms
dress. lie stands there a quiet gentleman, plain
Charles Dickens, and shat name Is grace and orn@
ment enough.
For Boston audience his reception is remarkably
enthusiastic. Seldom does the polished ice OF tins
proper community crack loudly, and as cheerIly,
under the thawing beams of any intellectual sum- as
it did tonight when Dickens stood before them, and
while cheer after cheer broke forth, and cries OF
welcome and clappng of innumerable kids, rose and
and was defeated, and returned calamity 10 the
charge again. but had scarcely got as far as Ladies'
when he was obliged TO succumb and made another
dash at Gentlemen" and gave 1t up, ana at last
saw that one EnglIshman was nothing to SO many
hundred Yankees and waited smiling and bowlng
until they had had their WILL and were ready TO let
him have his.
The very first words Marley was dead, to begin
with! That certain, '-settled the question of
uttered showed also that the reading TO depend
for all effect upon the worth OF what was read, and
upon, the sincerity of the reader Prom hrss
action Astounding in gesture, with voice Tor
every character IN every mood wltha face Tor every
man, woman, and child, rejecting every feeling.
There il no straining for stage effect attitudizng,
listened tot was the most beautifully simple,
straightforward hearty piece of painting from life.
Dear Bob CIdtchite made twenty-five hundred 1lends
before he had spoken two words, and II every BODY
had Obeyed the impulse OF his heart, and sent MN
a Christmas goose, he would have been suto.
Gated in twinkling, under a mountlIn OF
poultry, AS for the delightful tisst,c'Gs; not the
coolest heart in the audience, but warmed to them
at once. Probably never was ball so Thoroughly
enjoyed as the one given by these worthy people 10
their apprentices. The greatest hit OF the evening
was the point where the dance executed by Af. and
Mrs Hssiciqs to Mss FzsWg was described The
contagon of the audiences laughter reached Mt
Dickens himself who with difficulty brought out tho
inimitabe drOllery: after which Mr. ft@ztr'g cut
postivey-cut that light seemed to shine from ms
very calves, and he actually wINKED with his legs"
This was too much for Boston, aud thought the
roof would 90 of. Next TO this the most eiecuVe
point. was Tiny Tim, whose plaintiye treble, with
! Bob CrdtcbiteS way of speaking OF him, brought out
so many pocket handkerchiefs that 1t looked as IL
snow-stOrm had somehow got into the nan WITHOUT
tickets. Seldom do we hear such genuine pathos as
that with which Mr.. Dickens read the poor fathers
lament his little lame child and great was the
genius which enabled him TO walk so safely ON the
dangerous edge that separates nature, pure aud
simple, from mere tTaVeStlc
The Christmas party at the house of ScrooGs
nephew, where TappiRs plays blind mans buff with
the plump sister in the lace tucker, was thing
never to be forgotten When Dickens said, =" no
more believe that that man was bllndtolded imam
believe that he had eyes his boots" his facial ex
pression--indgn ant as of a man who Is being put
upon, and yet with consciousness of the absurdlty
of the statement that makes him laugh in spite OF
his anger-was inmitable, and was long before the
audience would let him get on. AT last we had II,
and the plump sister with the laeetucker TO become
immortal. There intermlsslOn OF about ten
minutes between the reading of The Christmas
Carol" and The Trial Scene from Pckwick, and as
ne closed the book with TIM Tins God bless us
every One the enthusiasm of the vast assembly broke
forth in such expressions as to those who know the
plainly enough, that the heart under all their SIX
and broadcOth was fairly stirred and beating with
warm good will. But Dickens was plainly no. 10 "a
persuaded into speech. For all the uproar he ala
not appear again until the court called up the case
Of Baram versus Pcce M was easy TO f see t ths
part-a leaf torn from book that is associated with
the beginning of his fame the end out OF which this
splendid tree-stock, set with flower and fruit has
grown. He read it with full force, throwing HIM
self into it with all his heart and, may
add. with all his body for ne put 1to, ni in,n
the first part. Sergeant Busfass speech to the Jury
was without flaw, pearl OF the art OF act;
ing and no words OF NINE OF ahyDody R SEdiH
was before US. Not less excellent was the
Judge-the sourest, dryest most cross-grMned9
Of Talk about facial expression nothing more won
derfu was ever than the change from the Judge
who seemed to always be smelling something
Samuel Weller, as fresh as rose anu
as good to look at. Here was q ,, scene;
The minute the Court SAID Ian up Sau racoSn5ed
by All Boston ut glance, and his mounting tne sthu
Was signal for such hand shaking tspeaklhg III
fgurel that he will never forget. ana WASH WASH ~
olIv 10 see him. Jolly TO hear him. and Jolesl OF al
TO hear that deep, rich voice OF his Oh atheI ufeP
and rich as the foam on hs quart pot OF e, Gaming
ont from the gallery " Put IL uo"h WIN d "' ny
! lord put it down with tee . -. .;,hr
In reading these works of his, Mr. Dickens neither
follows the original text nor adheres closely p{ any
means TO the text of the pretty and convenient nan
books which he has himself condensed ana prepaieu.
lie leaves out good deal, changes WORDS nass"hvs
words sometimes and really much OF " seems III
| nromptu | thought, now and then, tntl no eas
thinking of his present audience ana putting III MA
he fancied would suit better mere en :" and is
Thoroughly original. lie deals Ihuch !" Co ,
;pdection at the end of sentences is sQnetihheS me-
tonous and Keeps up old pronunclations than
@ oiIom hear on this side of the water; CidTh
Tor clerk wind with long o." gus io I
OdOus. are FEW Du' are on not What we call,
Eneiish The great difference between his deilNnE
and that of our best Americans Is IN us SLOW uer
crate cear-cut distnctness. This is IN the descrP
tive parts Where it suits the occasion, MS J
livery takes every shape and is good i3f al nnea
Al