The New York herald., 1868-04-19
THE DICKENS DINNER.
Grand Banquet At DelmonicO's in Honor
Of "Box" dickens ON the Stool of
Repentance-Remarks by Horace
Greeley and Henry J. Ray
mond-The Bohemians on
Full Dress Occasion.

hnhih ON tAe part OF the b0hemans OF their very
profound appreciation OF the author OF "pickwickr
ana sundrs other very readable novels. the titles OF
which would alone OH half q column; and, of
course, u being highly improper to permit
the lion TO turn TO has lair without testify
ing that they appreciated the condescension OF the
non In .eaylng his lair at all and making prey OF
them, the Bohemians betook themselves 10 the task
OF getting up dinner for the lions especial benefit
and deeciation. Besides. Il was the only way in
which the above hrsn could be induced to take the
slightest notice OF them. and this fact the Bohemians
appreciated 10 its fullest extent In other words.
''Box" was judged by the general self OF the
bohemian Clique not of whom can be induced
not 90 he present wherever the freedom of an
excellent b Of fare Il offered. and no, one OF whom
can be induced 10 leave the table until the said ex.
ceent bin Of fare has been exhausted In every item
from pota0s 10 nrsm et dessert. including the dis
titled amber which rzzes In the cup and nzzes
in the head as well. II s part OF the
ethics of the nomadic Arabs OF literature
not 10 miss a meal when the meal can he had
grafs-a faci which Is due partly to the accessory
fact that their meals few partly TO the further
accessory fact that TO the Bohemian the world is
simply an oyster which it IL his business to open,
gorge and mssticate without any particular regard
10 the propretorship OF the oyster TO his
own bivalvular person. By this principle OF
their ethics therefore. so natural 10 their
modes OF thinking. a2d therefore 50 excusabe
on their part, the Bohemlans judged "Boz"
the author Of "Pickwick;' and 80 judging, laid Del
monlco under contribution for the consideration OF
dinner which was TO have taken place yesterday
afternoon at Ave O'Clock. sharp. but really did not
take place-greatly 10 the disgust OF all present
whose palaies had not been tickicd with deicacies
for q week or more-until about six O'Clock. Mean.
time, the salon had been nied and there was
an inesiimable quantity OF sound emitted from
a great number OF throats which would bear
40 othsr denomination than intudible buzz
that IL, intermitting sound without particular
articulation. In judging Dickens upon their own
ethics, the Bohemlans had judged rightly, and
hence the dinner TO come on; though when the
minutes loitered past like laggards aad the hon of
the occasion had not put IN an appearance which he
did not until an hour past the regular dinner time
there was some falling OF crcSis and little vague
quesionings as 90 reasons, 90 whlch reply was made
that Dickens was gouty with go1I living. and there
might he some doubt whether even a nseas from
Delmonico could tempt him nom his snug iiifle
retreat al the Westminster 90 the excellent vine 0f
which he was indebted for his gontlnes. Word went
round, therefore. when the guest Of the OCCASION dd
not manifest himself, that the temptation had not
been sufficient; that Dickens IN nOod - dine
on members OF the press: thai The iiun was gorsed
and gouty ON other fare than thai 81 wspapcriaen
that, IN fact, Bohemians u ~ nOfs with ink sauce
were not 10 his liking and he would have none
nlng to he canyassed brfore haifpssi ave oclock.
for the guests had promised their palates something
Tais isn, I se done oas 81 picssns bSs newer "% ~
their dinners; and, after, all, the dinner was of
far more practical importance more prsctica
isted than these same-than esther Mr. bick-
ems or Mr.. Dolby, his bu-ns-s shallow; OF
who was 10 sit at hts right hand. jusi where the
sheep were IN the New Testament ~ Mcssrs- Qulrk
tongue make Il their business on ali occa~lans oi
the sort o. amu-e the company VITA wniici.nl- Tor
the consideration IA return oi things more paiai.he
and more substantial u had been nearly decided
therefore that the Dickens were to he 0s The dinner
must not be, when somebody brought word that the
expected guest, being gouty had been detained -ome
minutes Ia getting his legs M working or wsiking
order, and n was concluded best 60 ai. thus com
bining the glory OF the presence Of the guest VITA
the more substantial pabuum OF the biil of fare
Besides, the bill Of fare had been managed with nv
markabe wit, the point OF which wonid be lost VIA.
out the presence OF the individual % whom n
pointed. There oysters the half shell. to BE-
sure but these were the only things which had not
been dignied with the odOr of some literary name
There was oonsolanse a Ia Srlgss. and u could not
be eaten without Dickens; there was creDie dasg-T
ges q Ia Dumas, and, Dumas not hcing present
though present many OF his disciples u could
not be swallowed without Dickens; there were ies
petftes Zlm6aies a Ia Dsckes. and these certainly
could not be guiped with Dickens TO assist IN the
gulping: there were ug,tes a ~ uctu4a.
pap rHdhenne; there was gI@ d. brsu
"a L,,c. a,,c"s; ,,. there Wa sg''o@ ss,. '"r,,
brdnts q Ia siGnor0; there were c'O"si1des a. rn
de Ia Douglass; and there were ooeieties Ia
Fenimore Cooper; and not one Of these would have
any point, plquancy or naNor.woald, 10 isct. -,lck
in the throat and throttle the swalower unless
ceremony of swallowing; for. be ~ remembered.
the dinner was given by the New York Press
Club, and not one OF the club could have
failed OF getting his limbs In excellent working
order to say nothing Of preparing both teeth and
tongue and ears for the excellent repast. wistfuly
thavr I'm Ia Inc
sure; but there was no help for the waiting. and
wait they must and did, behaving themselves IN
this respect with remarkable propriey, considering
the fact that the door from the parlor 20 the s1O
had been left ajar, thus exposing them 20 double
temptation and considering the further fact that the
gentlemen OF the club are accustomed 10 yield rather
easily to gastronomc temptations OF any sort. True,
some few wandered disconsoately into the salon.
putting nothing in their pockets but their hands-tO
their credit or the credit OF their manners be " said
and taking no further liberties with Delmonico's Ak
ings than a rather minute and unsatisfactory exan
nation of the bill of fare which, being In unknown
tongue that was Greek or Hebrew or Arabic 10 most
Of them, gave very little consolation As TO pdiatine
not be interpreted roast beef or corned beef and cab
bage-that was certan-and therefore there
very little use in attempting to anticipate that which
could not be definitively anticipated
In the meanwhile, however, there was some won.
der about the pieces mo,l.es, which means, being
In all eight, OF curious sugar manufacture most of
them labelled Dickens IN very larre red letters
at the top and all stuck full of "plckenscs" IN
small sscaps" and brew er from top TO bottom. The
first and most elaborate OF these pieces calln
the Temple Of Literature, and presented some
rather remarkable features Here was little sugar
statuete at the top and by way OF climax, which
kept blowing an inaudible trumpet, and was un-
doubtedy meant as the Goddess OF Fame. The deity
OF the hundred tongues was attircd IN tnse Of the
latest fashion, thus ypifying modern fame most par.
ticuary and kept her eyes cast down very modestly
in the direction OF the name OF Dickens, which wa-
printed in large red caps" upon the pedestal The
cornices OF which were embellished with literary
names rather curiously concatenated. Dickens. Ad-
olson and Byron with shakespeare, Door dramafist,
inserted between: Bacon, Bulwer and Dickens. with
Carlyle in red letters by way OF bringing up the
| OF the second division; and then Locke. swim and
savage with Walter Scott, whose name male an ex.
| cellent rear guard; and thus wa- completed the
upper cornice. The lower cornice began with
| Goldsmith i'm red who seemed 10 slink
frightened into the candy house In the presence VI
johnson, his next neghbor; and then came Milton
porary wadding along in the rear Of the author Of