The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-19

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and It 30 darkens the character of Dickens that
sorrow.
ruK sncoNp vHfr TO AMERICA
Two chapters OF ths volume. IN all nity pages,
are given to the experiences OF Dickens IN Amer
tea This event attracted 40 much Interest at
the time and was 30 marked an incident. remem-
bering his visit In carrier days that these chapters
VIII oe universally read. Mt. Forster confines his
narrative OF the tour 60 Mr. Dickens own language.
as written to himself and other friends In private
and letters from day 70 day. We learn that ~ 20
the last moment he 'had not been able 10 clear on
wholly q shade OF misgiving that some OF the old
grudges might make themselves ieit" but IRON
the instant OF his setting loot In Boston not
vestige OF such fear remained The greeting waste
the full as extraordinary that twenty hve years
before" Boston particularly impressed Dickens,
reminding him OF Edinburgh. Nothing en-
chanted him SO much as what he again saw OF the
delightful domestic lie OF Cambridge simple self
respectful. candid and afcctionate." Boston had
grown more mercantile. and the cost OF living he
found enormous. and his FIRST reading was so sue
cessfu that he wrote Mr. Forster. at is really TIM
possible to exaggerate the magnincencc OF the re-
ception or the eject OF the reading" Still he
added ave are all In tile clouds until have broken
ground in New York"
FIRST APPEARANCE IN NEW YORK.
We learn that before coming to New York he
was making q clean pront OF over $4,000 week
He gave his first reading at Steinway Hail Decem-
Der IA, 1867. and next morning wrote :--"Amazing
SUGGEST very fine audence-far better than at
Boston. Carol and Trial On nrst night great-still
greater Copper1eld and Bob Sawyer on second"
The houses paid nm about $4,000 an evening, and
we fnd him sending f30oo 10 England by the first
packet. Here we have little story about the
Westminster HOTEL
s'Last night was getting into bed Just at twelve
O'Clock. when Dolby came to my room to inform me
that the house on fire. got Scott up directly,
told him first to pack the books and clothes for
readings; dressed ana pocketed my jewels and
papers, while the manager stuffed himself out with
money. After a time the fire was traced to CRATE,
and then everybody talked TO everybody else-the
ladies being particularly oquacous and cheerful.
may remark that the second landlord no sooner
saw me, on this agtating occasion. than, with mis-
property blazing, he insisted on taking me down
into room full OF hot smoke to drink brandy and
water with him!"
IMPRESSIONS OF NEW YORK.
Dickens was in New York week before he could
recognize its prodigious increase. ''The only por
tion,n he writes, shat comes back to me even
now is the part OF Broadway In which the Carleton
Hotel used to stand. There Is q very fine new
park in the outskirts, and the number OF grand
houses and splendid equipages Is quite surprising.
There are hotels here with 500 bedrooms, and
don't know how many boarders." The "Black
Crook" he found to be "the most preposterous peg
to hang ballets on that was ever seen. The people
who act IN it have not the slightest idea OF what
it is about, and never had; but, alter taxing my
Intellectual powers to the utmost. fancy l have
discovered "Black Crook" to be . malignant
hunchback leagued with the Powers OF Darkness
to separate two lovers; and that the Powers OF
Lghtness coming lin no skirts, however, to the
rescue, he Is defeated" We had little excite
ment about the Fenians; and Dickens makes a
note oft. 81 do not think" he says, shat there
is any sympathy whatever with the Fenians on the
part OF the American people, though political adj
venturers may make capital out OF show OF It,"
''The local politics OF the place are In most de-
PRAYED condition, II half of what is said is true.
prefer not to talk Of these things, but at odd In
tervais I look round for myself" Furthermore,
we note, "great social improvements In respect Of
manners and forbearance have come to pass since
was here before; but in public lie see as yet out
little change" In those days Tammany reigned,
and 1t is interesting to note the impression its do
mnion made upon the great writer.
POLITICS AND THE POLICE.
The season was unusually severe-during the
winter visit, mem0rably severe, as all remember
with extreme cold and heavy falls OF snow. ~
turned out" he writes. Sin rather q gorgeous
sleigh yesterday, with any quantity OF bunaio
robes, and made an imposing appearance" And
again TO bis daughter :-"f you were to behold me
driving out, urred up to the mustache with an i'm
mense white, red and yellow striped rug for COW
ering, you would suppose me to be OF Hungarian
or Polish nationality" He was not pleased with
the railway travel The roads were truly alarm
ing" "much more than when was here before"
The treatment Of the baggage he found to be per.
fectiy outrageous nearly every case he had being
broken, and he describes his servant Scott in q
railway car near Boston weeping bitterly over .
smashed writing desk. We are pleased to note his
where" he writes, Eat home or abroad, seen 80
fine a police as the police Of New York, and their
bearing in the streets Is above all praise" He
must have had his own troubles about crossing
Broadway, for we note his opinion that ''the laws
concerning street traffic and travel are wildly out
ragged by the people for whose benefit they are In
tended" Yet, notwithstanding the Fenians and
the baggage smashers, the spectators in tickets
and the omnibus drivers and Tammany, New York
seems to have pleased Dickens for he again adds
"there is undoubtedly Improvement In every dl.
rectiOn."
JOURNALISM IN AMERICA.
Christmas came to Dickens in Boston, and we
have pretty story Of branch of holly with real
red berries, which certain Captain Dolliver, OF
the Boston Custom House. imported and put on
his breakfast table on Christmas morning. 'In
such anectlonate touches this these New England
people are especially amiabie" He regrets that
as general rule whatever Is said about him
IN the newspapers is untrue, and finds that
fires In America are matter OF course.
The newspapers were civil, but their abuse Of
Mr.. Dolby. his manager, annoyed him. There is
o strange story about one Boston paper. "The
editor had applied for our advertisements saying
that it was at Mr.. Dolby's disposal FOR paragraphs.
The advertisements were not sent. Dolby did
not enrich its columns geographically; and among
its news to-day is the item that this chap calling
himself Dolby got DRINK down town last mint md