Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-02-05
Charles Dickens Readings.

Charles Dickens Readings.
The first reading of Mr.. Charles Dickens
took place at Carroll Hall last evening, and
was a. complete success. The hall was crowded
and the audience was one of the most brilliant,
Intelligent and appreciative that ever assem-
blcd in this city, and the cordial reception given
to Mr.. Dickens, on his first appearance on the
platform and throughout the evening, must
have been most gratifying to bis feelings. ia.I
Mr.. Dickens is an artist 10 al that he does,
and seldom have we seen q more finished piece
of work than his whole performance OF last
evening So careful is he Of every point that
nothing Shall go ami5@, that he has brought with
him from EuglAnd all the appointments by
which he is surrounded when he reads at home.
At the back of the reader on the platform Is
stretched a long screen covered with dark red
cloth, AMI in front Of it stands a table with
square legs, covered withrch crimson velvet
the top, also covered With the same, hanging
over The edge, and brraered with a heavy
fringe. At one side of this table projects a
little shelf, also covered with velvet, on which
arc a wafer bottle and glass, and at the lett
hand corner is a square block about eight in
ches hiah-that also covered, top and sides,
with velvet, like the rest. On this block the
reader rests his book, and uses it, besides, as all
accessory in his BY play. Now tits Bob GRAFT
chite's desk in Scrogg's Office. Now it is
Mr.. Fizziwig' desk, from which he looks be.
nignantly dawn on his apprentices. Now it is
the desk on which :eS's the Christmas goose of
the. Cratchite family. y very useful little vel
vet box Mr.. Dickens makes ii, and the audience
get to look upon it as quite a delightful! piece
OF furniture. !. ..'.'.-' -
Mr.. Dickens enters, holding the book in 10th
his hands; and, standing at his velvet desk,
proceeds to work, like a man Of business. lie
is dressed with perfect neatness and simplicity,
not a trace of the old foppery is seen in his
and a pink rose bud on his shirt front. There
stud. lie has, 10 be sure, considerable watch
chain, and on his finger a diamond ring-but
nothing is noticeable in his dress. He stands
there aquiet gentleman, plain Charles Dickens,
and that name is grace and ornament enough.
In reading these works Of, his, Mr.. Dickens
neither follows the original text, nor adhcres
closely by any means to Tie text of the pretty
and convenient hand books which he has him
self condensed and prepared. His delivery has
marked pccuIiari.ies, and is thorough bly, Original.
He deals much in the rising infection at the
end Of sentences, is sometimes monotonous,
and keeps up old pronunciation that we seldom
hear on this side Of the water. But on the
whole, his accent and recommendations are not
what we call English. The great difference
between his delivery and that of our best Amer
leans is in its slow, deliberate, c~learcut dis
t~inctness. This is in the descriptive parts.-
Where it suits the occasion, bis delivery takes
every shape, and is good for all moods
Scroeg's growl-Bob Cratchite's trembling ap-
peal - the pompous buster of BuZ!uz-Mrs.
Ciupp'n's Numbering whine and Sam Wei
Ier's manly yconan $ shout, are all echoed by
that magical voice, which will be recoguized
wherever it is heard in America as The voice
Of a great author, and of the greatest, perhaps,
Certainly in. versatility Of power, the greatest,)
that has ever CHI 4rmed our people.
A singular funny incident occurred while
Mr.. Dickens vas reading Sergent Buzfuz's
speech to the jury. The most perfect silence
was broken by the sudden barking Of a black
dog, which so excited the laughable in Mr..
| Dickens and the audience, that the readicg was
| delayed for several minutes Wash Rep.
WASHINGTON ITEMs.-Thc gentlemen in
WASHINGTON who have embarked in an enter
prise, under the name of the Chesapeake and
| Delaware Transportation Company, met on
Monday, and organized by the choice Of the
following officers, viz: John 3. Turton, Presi-
dent; George T. Mcclellan, Treasurer r. I.
Dodge, Secretary. The object of this enter
prise is to establish lire of steamers for the
transportation Of c1al direct from the mines, on
the Schuyikill canal, to Washington, without
trans-Shipment in Philadelphia. .f .
There was a full house last night, to hear
Mr.. Dickens read David Copper6eld' aud
"Mr. Bob Sawyer's Party" Some less than
two hours were occupied in the pleasant enter
tainment. " ..l..
Mass meetings seem to be very popular 10
Georgetown just now, and last night another
was held, it being the fourth in the short space
of seven days. The occasion for all this assem-
bling of the citizens and the incidental %oratori-
cal efforts of The prominent citizens is the pros
pectlve action OF Congress for a consolidation
of the District Of Columbia under one govern
ment. The majority Of the citizens are utterly
opposed to the consolidation movement.
A number of butchers, in Georgetown, were
arrested yesterday again, on the charge of es-
tablisbing an individual marketcontrary to law.
Those arrested we're some time ago excluded
from the Georgetown market, and they obtain
ed licenses from Washington, and Were work
ing under the licenses so obtained. Justice
Morsell, before whom the case was tried, re-
| served his decision until after consultation with
the District Attorney. u z s4 .
Destructive fires occurred Yesterday, at