The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-04-28

vi lHb heRlsteT lno lOhpNh'5 '"N
most ridiculous manifesiatot of the seas
son is the senseless laudation of, and the
meaningless parade over the readings of
that stupid old beer drinking specimen of
English conccit. Dickens His novels,
when we get over his verbose and proesy .
introductions, are exceedingly readable, /
but hi7 readings, bah What won't a
little celebrity do for man of ordinary
genius p One thing that strikes me as
peculiar about this is, how man of ''oro
binary genius" could acquire such 'celcJ'5-
IT. as Dickens has among men Of high
literary standing on both sides of the At.
lantc? Longfellow would not be always
in the same seat in all weathcrs to listen
to a man ''of ordinary genius" | do not
| know who wrote the above, | would not
undertake to say ihat the writer never
heard Dickens. But if he has, and can
at all appreciate admirable and llle-like
renderings of different characters in
story, am am surprised at his evident
nausea in the stomach 'bdh."
It has been my fortune to hear Mr.
Dickens read twice, heard him first on
the ooh OF April 1867, in CT. St. james
Hall, London. On that evening he read
from Nicholas NIckleby ana the trial
from Pickwck. His rendering of the
characters Of Mr. and Mrs Squeers was
true to life. He set forth all the char
aclers 50 truthfully, and with such APP
propriatc expressions Of countenance in
every case, that | found myself involun-
tarly selecting ircm the circle of my
acquaintance some one for Mr. Squecrs ;
another Tor Mrs Squeela; another for
"Knickleboy, as Mrs Squccrs called
$ Nicholas; another for that capital speci
men Of Yorkshire Englishmcn, honest
John Browdie. Any number of repre-
q
{ with IN the streets OF London Mr..
Dickens was So faithful in exposing the
curiosili1s OF Yorkshire schools and school
masters, that several Of this profession
-'";'"o1 'o b." 'io Mr. Squccrs Of Nicholas
Nicklchy, and proposed to sue Mr. DlcE
ems for SANDER The likeness must be
very accurate, if man can see himself
in it,
The second time heard Mr. Dickcn:
was April 9Th 1863. in fremont Tempt,
: Boston. On this occ 81 ION he read from
"DaYiA Copperlieli,' and Mr. Bob Saw
yer's party" from "rickwicl,' When
he came upon the stage, it was tie III
| Dickens Of one year ago As IN 81
r James Hall in London SO in fremont
Temple in Boston, he came lightly and
brisAly upon the stage,-half running.
half walking-dropped bis book upon
the stand, and without delay, after his
usual brief preface. ''Ladies and Gentle
men, have the pleasure Of reading to
you this evening David Copperield," be-
gan with, II had kno"n Mr. Pcggotty's
house very we'll IN my childhood" Da-
yid Ccppe'fiell was the very first of
Dickens works ever read, and il will
ever heu matter OF qualification to me
that | can associate the thoughts of his
brain with rhe expressions of his counte-
nance and the tones OF his voice. His
rendering OF some OF the passages was
truly thrilling, and held that vast and Sc
lect audience in Tremon! Temple spell
bound
Mr. DicIen, has behind him screen
Of dark red cloth about 10 by 10 feet -
10 etanis upon a carpet of apparently
The same material IN front Of him is a
reflection Of the same color, constructed
so that it looks like the signs of r. r.
crossings. He stands at a stand, covered
wiz fright red velvet, with shelf at the
side for water &c, and with an elevation
at the opposite corner. like cigar box,
upoE which he lays his book, winch he
scarcely ever loo!.s at. The apparatus in
Boston was so like that in Londo", that |
forgot for the moment that ! was not in
1T James Hall.
The great excellence Of Mr.. Dickens is
in reproducing the creations of his own
brain with fine etfec. IIi- reading is not
to be compared for example with that of
Fanny Ken.ble, 1t is of another kind
and order, Mr. Dickens presents at times
tho peculiar upward stride at the end OF
sentence for which English infection is
noted.
AT his final reading, April 9Th, all the
distinguished men of culture and refine
mept were in his audience, Longfellow
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