The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-07
MISS KATE FIELDS LECTURE OF DICKENS.

Miss Kate Field repeated last evening, at Associa-
tion Hall, before large and appreciative audience
the lecture on Charles Dickens which she first read
at the Globe theatre In Boston. 1t was then
unanimously pronounced 10 be "a brilliant success
and this favorable verdict OF Boston has now been
heartily endorsed by New York. The Young Mems
Uniyersalist Association OF this city made fortu
nate selection OF rs the fifth lecture IN their course
OF 1870 IL has already been Well described as short
ana crisp, brimful OF Dickens himself and bringing
the man ana the author before the listeners by
keen flashes OF description, passages from
this novel and that, bits from letters and
fragments Of conversation, and anecdotes
from every quarter, most skifully combined
to make all artistic ana agreeable WHOLE The an.
ecdotes interspersed throughout the lecture deserv
eddy won special applause They were all put to
the purpose rs well as told with neatness Of finish
which would have delighted the poet Rogers.
VINO spared no pains to make the anecdotes
which enrich his .'notes" marvcls or concseness
ana point. The illusions TO tho familiar
pages OF Dickens were no less happy and enectve
than ingenious. Mr.. David Mason, IN one OF hts
lectures on "British Novelists,n delivered to the
members OF the Philosophical Institution OF Edm-
burg In 1888 alluded TO true objection TO Dickens
that his ldeas tends too much 10 extravaganza and
caricatnre, and to certain mannerism or trick Ia
labelling his clarac ters with distinguishing phrases
or which, for instance, MIR. Micaw ber Mark Tapley,.
Toots and many others are CONGRATULATIONS. The
openly and without variation, had accustomed q GER
tain reco rom ms later writings among the cult
slet any one observe our current tabe.taik or
our current literature, and, despite this profession
OF dissatisfaction and 10 the very circle where II most
abounds let him note how gladly Dickens IL used,
and how frequently his phrases IN fancies. and the
names OF his characters come In, as Illustration
embeiiishment proverb and seasoning. Take any
periodical In which there Is o severe criticism OF
DicKens' last publication, and, ten TO one, IN the
same periodical, aud perhaps by the same hand
there win be leading article, setting out with
quotation from Dickens that flashes on tho mind Of
the reader the thought which the whole article Is
meant to convey, or containing some auslon to one
the middle and hoods II an inch round with
color aud humOr.n Ii this be true In
such case 1t can easily be imagined
now much more true 1t is OF SO enthusiastic eulogy
OF Dickens as that e.Oqnenty delivered last evening
by Miss Kate Field. Perhaps Miss Field may have
derived her Impressions OF Dickens too exclusively
from his writings and from the necessarily partial
views OF his intimate associates; but after ALL may
not an author OF his stamp have bequeathed to the
world his true, Utmost character AZ a man In his
worksp Miss Fields indignant protest against the
charge that Dickens ''was no Christian might well
smie purltanlcal Fulton with conviction as well
n