The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-23
CHARLES DICKENS READINGS.

1hstey'S bdgd-ine:--
Nearly eleven years have passed since Mr..
Nharles Dickens commenced his career as a pro-
lessional "Teader." He had read the "Christ-
mas Carol' and the "Chimes" before public
audiences on several occasions, but always
IN aid OF the funds of some charitable insttu
tion. II was not until the evening of Thurs
day, the 10Th of April, 1858, that he ap
peared in st. Martins Hall (Dow converted
into the New Queens Theatre) to give read
ing for his own benefit. This reading Mr..
Dickens prefaced with little speech explana-
tory of his reasons for appearing in public
which, now that he is about to bring those
public appearances TO a close, will possess
peculiar interest. He said:-
Ladies and Gentlemeu-It may perhaps
he known to you that for few years past, |
nave been accustomed occasionally 10 read
some OF my shorter books, TO various audi
ences, in aid OF a variety of good objects, and
Al some charge to myself both in time and
money. 1t having at length become impossi-
ble in any reason to comply with these
always accommodating demands, l have had
dehnitively to choose between now and then
reading on my own account, as one of my
recognized occupations, or not reading at all.
have had little or no difficulty in deciding
on the former course.
"The reasons that have led me to it-besdes
the consideration that it ptcessitates no de-
parture whatever from the chosen pursuits of
my life-are three-fo -fold:-Firstly, have salts
fed myself that it can involve no possible
compromise of the credit and independence of
literature; secondly, | have long held the
opinion, and have long acted on the opinion,
that in these times whatever brings public
man and his public face TO face, on terms of
mutual confidence and respect, is a good
thing; thirdly, have had pretty large ex-
perience of the interest my hearers are so
generous as to take in these occasions, and
fhn tnht - 60
tried means of strengthening those relations
i may almost say OF personal friendship
which it is my great privilege and pride, as
1t is my great responsibility, to hold with a
multitude of persons who will never hear my
voice nor see my face. Thus it is that come,
quite naturally, to be here among you at this
time; and thus it is that l proceed to read
this little book, quite as compOsedly as might
proceed to write it, or to publish it in any other
way"
Since then, as is well known, Mr.. Dickens
has frequently given readings from several Of
his works in London, in the principal towns
of England, Ireland, and Scotland and in the
United States. At many of these readings,
given before all sorts and conditions of men,
have been present, chiefly for the purpose of
watching the effect produced by the reader
upon his audience. The result has been to
confirm me in long -entertained and hence
forth never-to- be-shaken belief that, let him
what they actually are or what they really
ought to be, appeal to their human sympa-
thies or their higher aspirations, this great
and God-gifted genius holds the hearts of his
audience in his hands, now moving them to
laughter, now melting them into tears, but
invariably concentrating their attention, even
upon an infection of his voice, and creating
in all, even the most hardened and battered
in the hourly skirmshes of this workaday
world, proud, honest, hearty, human SYM
pRthy.
But although amongst his friends and such
of the outside world as had been admitted to
the private performances of the Tavistock
House thestricals Mr.. Dickens was known to
possess much dramatic power, it was not
until within the last few weeks that he found
scope for its exhibition on the platform
Although the characters in his previous read
inps had each distinct and defined indivi
duality-and in true artistic spirit the com
paratively insignificant characters had a!
much finish bestowed upon their representa-
tion as the heroes and heroines, e. g., the ia
man on 'Chapge who replies "God knows, " t
the query as to whom Scrooge had left hi
money-a bit of perfect Dutch painting-on,
could not help feeling that the persOnatioI
was but half personatiOn given unde
restraint that the reader was 'under
acting'' as it is professionally termed
and one longed to see him give his drsmati
genius full vent. That wish has now beer
realized. When MIR. Dickens called r0unC
him some half hundred of his friends and &C
uuantances on whose discrimination ant
knowledge of public audiences he had reliance
and when, after requesting their frank yer
dict on the experiment, he commenced tn
new reading, "Sikes and Nancy" until, grs
- dually warming with excitement, he fun
aside his book and acted the scene of tn
murder, shrieked the terrified pleadipgs of tn
girl, growled the brutal savagery of the muI
derer, brought looks, tones, gestures stimuli
taneously into play to illustrate his meaning
there was no one, not even of those who ha
known him best or who believed in him mos
but was astonished at the power and the We
satility of his genius.
Grandest of all the characters stands OF
Fagin the Jew. OF late years plague of Jew
has fallen upon the London stage. Comic Jew
the chuckle- headed, amongst the audienc
First in date and in excellence was "Melt
Moss" in the drama of the Ticket of ..Leay
originally played by Mr.. George Vincent, wit
great humor and appreciation of characte
and subsequently degraded by the same soto
nader the patronage of gallery outlaws, into
senile buffoon. 'Melter Mess" was too popul
q person to escape piracy. So we soon had
diluted version of him in play called II
Great City. This misrepresentation OF the H
brew race was remal kable for nothing save
dissimilsrity to any previously seen specim'
of the Jewish nation. His study OF oharact
N had apparently induced him to believe that Il
assumption of a palpably false pssteboard nos
and the occasional utterance of the asseveratio
"S'help me |" would carry him through.
imbscility was his safeguard; had he been mo
forcihla ha xunuld have hAau intOlarabl