The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-03-18
Miscellaneous.


GeO.W. Curtis On CIlas. Dickens.
Trenor's Lyric Hall was densely filed
| last night, by a select and highly intelli-
gent audience, TO hear lecture by the
Hon. Geo. VIM. Curtis on the character
and writings of Charles Dickens.
Mr.. Curtis commenced by saying that
1 delight in tales of the Imagination was
characteristic of human nature, and no
more. After q beautiful description of
works of fiction which now form a part of
our English literature, he said In 1885, a
young reporter of The Morning Chronicle,
! twenty-three years old, became the author
Of some sketches, published over the sig
nature Of Boz. By these sketches he added
somewhat to his salary as a reporter. A
volume Of these were published with il
Illustrations, by Geo. CrHikshank.y This
young author was Charles Dickens, the
subject of the lecture. a publisher who
had noticed the Sketches went to Mr.
Dickens and proposed that he should write
a little monthly publication, adapted TO
some drawings by Seymour. Dickens
agreed to do SO, but his friends told him he
had made a great mistake, and that the
work was undignifed. Mr.. Dickens re-
piled that be must be permitted TO judge
for himself-he did judge for himself and
for US, and she first nun bers of aThe
PosthumOus Papers of the Pick wick Club"
were published. Dickens came into the
field of English literature as the friend of
the world, meeting it with q more hearty
grasp Of the hand. Instead of costly bat
Elements, and kingly castles, we were
simply introduced into a simple parlor, or
country house, and among common peo-
pie. s- a't
The feudalism of English literature died
with Scott. The humanity of English lit
erature was born with Dickens. Carlyle
indicated its beginning-the old Carlyle of
eOufse-for with all his bitterness, he was
telling of the possibilities of this world
1t was left for Dickens to come to this
world In his genial, sympathetic spirit and
give us pictures. Since Dickens began, a.
host Of others had followed writing in
unison with the great heart of humanity
Walter Savage LandOr, Charlotte Bronte,
Charles Kingsley, Robert Browning, and
many others had written in the same
spirit. The great object Of story-writing
was not to amuse the Imagination simply,
It was to make us better men and women,
and tO-lead us in the paths Of virtue. The
juggleF could amuse US, and the silly jests
of the buffoon could make as laugh, If
these were the objects to be sought. What
we wanted was to be made happier, kind
er, more thoughtful of others, and less care=l
ful Of ourselves, and this was what Dick
ems had done. (Applause.) He had touch
ed the great heart of humanity, and In-,l
spiTed nobler and iEindlier feelings among
men and women, one toward another
Dickens in literature means what Jenny
Lind means in music. Dickens had dealt !
In real characters, such as we meet on the /
street every day-all of them, however, |
somewhat exaggerated, or rather earica-
fured, Like the pictures in Punch; vet the |
likeness was always so correct that we
could recognize the parties they represent
ed, just as we recognize the pictures of
Lord BrOugham in Punch. In Dickens's
stories every object was alive. Bulwer's /
heroes never made any permanent impress /
sion on the memory like those Of Dickens,
which in our memories become real per-
sOnalities, and which we remembered as
distinctly as men and women with whom 4
we had been familiar in life. Though the /
spea ker had participated somewhat in the
feeling against Mr.. Dickens on. account of
his American Notes, descriptive Of his first /
visit to The. United States, he was disposed /
to apologize for him, He came to this |
country, to look after an International /
copyright. and not to be feted and Honized. /
He went back disappointed. Though Mr..
had made many mistakes, he had
also told many truths. Upon the whole,
the "Ameriean Notes" was just about such
a book as such man might justly be ex-
pected to write.
The speaker closed with atouching de-
scription of Mr.. Dickens's last reading in
America, at Steinway Hall. As he passed
away from our city and from America
forever, who did not say, "Farewelll 4
farewelli May God bless my friend, and
the worlds friend, Charles Dickensi"