The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-20

humanity which Is the noblest attribute Of
human kind"
Mr.. Dickens has been true reformer. Alike
on abuses in the Government in the courts,
in social life, in schools, and in benevolent
institutions have fallen his unsparing blows
Overseers and trustees, parish officers and
pedagogues, prison-keepers and judges OF
courts, have had reason to quail before his
pen; while many Of the victims Of their
abuses have had equal reason to thank the
champion whose soul hated oppression aud
whose genius held it up to the execration of a
world. We never think, without new thrill
of amusement and satisfaction, of the story
that, after the publication of Nicholas
Nickleby," whole room-full of irate school
masters from different parts of England waited
upon Mr.. Dickens, each in a frenzy Of rage at
the thought that his portrait had been given
to the public in the person of the celebrated
Squeers of Dotheboys Hall. Probably it was
a less pleasing incident TO the hundreds OF
boys throughout the kingdom who were suf-
feriDg the privations and prosecutions over
whose story alone we have so often waxed
indignant.
Since Mr.. Dickens visited us the first time
"a vast and entirely new generation, " to use
his own words, 'has arisen in the United
States" During that period many of his best
works have been written, and millions OF
readers have made his acquaintance. With
reference to his meeting these, Lord Lytton
eloquently said, in his farewell speech to
Dickens:-
Il cannot but think that wherever our Ame-
r1can kinsfolk welcome that presence or hang
tpell.b uud on that voice, they Will irresistibly
feel how much there is of fellowship and unison
between the hearts of America and England.
so mat when our countTyman quits their
shores he will leave behind him many a new
friend to that Old fatherland which greets th EN-
through him so COZ daily, IN the accents of the
mother tongue. And in those accents what a
stnse Of priceless obligation, personally TO him,
but through him 10 the laud he represents,
must steal over his American listeners! How
many hours In which pain and sickness have
changed iuto cheeliulness and mirJh beneath
the wand OF bis enchantmenl! How many q
hardy combatant, beaten down in the battle OF
life-Hnd nowhere on tbts earl is tue battle Of
life shRrper than in the Commonwealth of
America-has taken nope and cOursgs from the
manly lessons of this unobtrusiVe te tcherl
No wonder the rising generation OF those who
have learned to feel and think In our Ian guage
should eagerly desire To see face to face the
man TO whose genius, from their very child
hood, they have turned Tor warmth aud light
lnstinctiVely as young Plans turn TO the
sum-"
Mr.. Dickens has not come among us un-
heralded. The creations of his own genius
have prepared the way before him. For the
sake of these-Of little Florence and Aunt
Betsy Trotwood, of Oliver and Mrs. Perry
bipgle--we will bid him welcome, hoping that
with new eyes he may look upon our renewed
country, so lately baptized in blood, and con-
secrated forever, as we trust, to those great
principles of civil and religious liberty which
are the glory and hope of both England and
America,