The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-01
CHARLEs DICKENS IN BOSTON.


~ preserves lts equilibrium ~ Disan oooSu
seem to whirl in the least It quite takes the COM
1ng Of is weladvertised visitor as if be were only
Nhe subject Of the common run Of advertising--as
Hf he we're not the most wonderful being that the
Aun ever rose or set upon. Boston even seems
Gnpudeut in this seems to imply that II has had
- notable guests before, which, of course, il i'm
pertinent and absurd, and quite like the irrsdating
tentfs Of the universal wheel. Imagine little
town like this, which, a. any reader Of the At
syantio Monthly can tell, 10 merely made up Of
Ticknor & Fields bookshop and the Bunker Hill
Monument, with the Boston Common between I;
Imagine such town turning up its fgurative nose
ct Dickens, the illustrious author or Martin
Chuszlewr' and the American Notes." the
greatest of men, Of philanthropists, conquerors
and discoverers-in fact, the only person now
alive who ever did anything worth speaking about
And Boston-this absurd little Boston-is so inn
pudenty at her ease in the wonderful mans pres
tence that one might be here q week and never
hear his great name spoken.
But 1t 10 evidently the purpose OF those inter
ested in advertising the Dickens show that this
town shall seem to be frantic If it is not. Hence
you win hear many stories descriptive OF the popu
lar ebullition, all Of which you may suspect. They
are ooncocted in active imaginatons, and II the
press agents ara not directly manipulated they ac-
cept accounts too readily from interested parties As
to that crowd which waited four hours on the wharf
ON November day to see the distinguished cockney
come over the ships side, am assured that It was
mot visible to the naked eye of any sober man in
Boston. There is another story current here just
now, and which will turn up in the Metropolis in
due time, or perhaps is already old there. This is
Bostonians paying their respects to the author at
his hotel. He could not see them ALL Of course,
they came in such crowding, constant stream Of
toadyism. Yet, stay! there might be here and
Al Ia IT,
that he would really like to see, some
person almost as illustrious as himself, or some
one whom it would be wrong to send away, for
any reason you choose. So between the novelist
tenn of outposts. There IS an outer picket, which,
being driven in, retires upon its immediate sup
port; the support hard pressed falls back upon
the grand guard, and if the grand guard gives
way the visitor is face to face with the line Of
battle, and the line of battle is-Dickens No less
than three men are required to scrutinize the
cards Of the audacious public before these cards
meet the luminous and sacred eyes Of Dickens
These men are Of course chosen for their knowl
edge of "who's who' No. is supposed to be q
fellow of rather coarse fibre and popular tastes :;
he would let in great many. Happily, there Is
No; ?, who i fellow Of sharp eye. and throws out
man Of the most incorporating severity. and
throws out four in every five that have past No. 2.
Thus you see, the Bost0nians pretty well fill
tered BY this time. From No. the card goes to
If he ikes--0r il he happens just then to want
amusement and has reached point in his new
Notes where he hardly knows what ridiculous
thing to say next about those horrid Americans.
You will understand that if this story is true it is
not intended that the public shall see the show
without paying the price. Daniel, as we all know,
" did the lions without costing him cent" and
30 got the best Of the Babylonian menagerie men;
but Boston, though pretty sharp, cannot come
such q dodge over Dickens. lie knows all the
"d-dli little tricks
In case the ladies and gentlemen who send in
their cards and elbow each other in the vestibule in
their efforts to catch sight of this last London won
der, desire to see how they themselves will look
in the next book Dickens writes on this country,
will call their attention to the annexed sketch.
1t appears in the American Notes as the descrip-
ton of scene not altogether different, and doubt
less . picture on an analogous subject from the
same hand will have the same general charac-
After dinner va went down the railroad again. and
took seats in the for Washington Being rather
early those men ana DOys wnC 20 1avs
came according TO CUSTOM round the carriage IN which
sat et down all the windows, thrust In their heads
and shoulders, hooked themselves conveniently by
their elbows and fell to comparing notes the subject
Of my personal appearance with much Indifference -
II wero stuffed ngure never gained 20 much un
compromising information With reference TO my own
uose eyes, the various impressions wrought By my
mouth and chin on different minds, and how my head
looks when il 10 viewed from behind these
siona Some gentlemen were only satisfied ~ exercis
ing thor sense Of touch; and the boys who are sur
even by that, but would return 70 the charge
over and over again. Many a budding President
his hands in his pockets and stared at for two whole
hours: occasionally refreshing himself with tweak 1t
n Or s.ss and boys IN
-" " .coms on !" aBnng ali your bro.hsrsl' with
ether hospitabe entreatiss Of that naturs-Amereds
NoIcs, Chapter VLL
He will Of course do this thing with more spirit
and emphasis next time. Here, also, from Ameri-
can Notes. is q specimen Of Q sort Of reflection he
will indulge over the cards Of his lady VISITORS
One Of the provinces or she State Legislature Of Mas
nachusets 10 alter ugly names into pretty Ones - the
ahildren improve upon ne tastes o. snsr parent
Annos are soemny converted into Bevelinas every
sion.- American Notes, Chapter Nv.
Here arc are some examples Of what account he
viii give OF the manners Of those very pinks Of
Boston society who pass all the outposts, and are
finally admitted to his awful presence:--
was surprised TO observe that steady old chewsrz
Of great experience are mot Away. good marksmsn,
ncisuoy with the rifle Of which have heard much
in England, Several gentlemen called upon me. who
In the course Of conversation frequently missed the
short sgted mstook me closed sash for the open win
dow q three On another occasion, whom dinsd out
around : 6rs before dinner, one OF the company fell
short OF the hrs place six dstinct tmes am disposed
nsa !: Ss o.e :. as. xss nsrS.
before the fender which convsnisnt and may
have suited his purpose better Notes. Chap
tsr VII.
n certainly would have been more pleasant 70 al par
tes concerned. and would not think. have compro
missed their Independence IN any material degree, u
Some a thsss gssusmen had not only yielded 10 the
preudics in favor Of spittooua but he'd abandoned
themselves for the moment even 70 the conventions
.sssurtisy Of pocket hAndksrchisia-AmsrSco~ Notes
CAaptv IL.
Il would profit little to discuss what sort oil
company Mr.. Dickens dined in whom he dined pr
vateiy; but il Ii certain that his present ardent
admirers can see their own portraits dimly
sketched in the absve lines.
If the story Of the throng on the wharf and the
story Of this card ltering ctions, they the
fctions of those who have the lion in keeping
They are the weak inventions Of the advertisers
motive (no doubt there il plenty, looking at the
thing in the sordid view taken by show people and
some others. 1t ID the business Of Mr.. Dickens
agent to make q noise, and thereby sell all the
seats for the show; not only here, but
in the vet undevsoped towns west OF
4his meridian. He must keep people
talking about Dickens--keep up the fuss and fer