The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-04-20

found that Mr.. Dickens had begun his
famous readings, it was very plain to us
| that in one way or an0ther we must
hear him.
The chief difficulty lay In the fact that
he was reading only in the provinces,
| and 1t was by no means easy to find out
where or how to catch him. The Coun-
Gil of Three had protracted meeting,
the result OF which was, that my BROTH
er wrote directly to Mr.. Dickens, telling
him OF our desire, and asking II he would
be kind enough to advise us what TO DO.
Quickly came back little note, asking
Us to meet him at Colchester, where he
was to read on certain evening the
trial from "Pickwick" and selections
from "Nleholas Niekleby,"
Well, q few days later, In the autumn
nal twilight, we were met on the pl al
form mt colchester by the young man
then officiating as Mr.. D,okens' secre-
tary, who took us at Vnoe 10 the queer
old English inn-than which we could
have found no filter place wherein to
meet him who wrote OF "Roots at the
Holly-tree lnn,h aud those Two dear
little runaways,
Can anybody imagine how we felt
wNsn, half an heuT later, lat and sol
emu wsltec appeared At our door tu in
torm us thst "Mr, ID okeps, llsselt had
Aordered supper tor 0<F Aud can not
everybody understand that our appe-
tites were rather taken away Than
stimulated when we found that our sup
per WAS evidently the work OF most
W no remembered the days of his youth,
and had found time TO give thought t.
the young people ne was entertaining?
Every thing that the appetite OF sixteen
WAS likely TO fancy was there-eVen to a
certain Kind OF little custards which
MIR. Dickens, ha selected as being sure
10 please the "YOuug ladies'"
Aud then we were takea OF to the the
ater and enscOnced IN corner where
we could see and hear better than any
body else, and where we caught, more
than ouce during tue evening, sideWay
smiles from the world-knoWn eyes and
mouth that were SO quick and keeu in
their glances and expression. Oi the
reading itself l can say nothins; ask
your parents about it; those VINO have
heard 1T know what it was TO them;
while to those who have not been SO lor-
tunate, descriptions can only be an ag-
gravati0n ot their i'll luck.
We, at least, were more than satisfie
as TO the greatness OF our favorite, and
after the reading was over, it was wi u
not little trembling mat our insignIf-
cant feet followed The atte ndant to the
dressing. room, where Mr.. Dickens, in
has shirt sleeves, was walking rapidly
up and down, as means OF getting
throu sh with the cooling and calming
process which was always necessary al
ter the great excitement and eXertion of
his reading.
Tue thing which struck me first, and
which has always remained my strong
inn oh IA IN ,i
.of putting himsei in com plete sympathy
with other people; and believe that to
be the Keynote Of his genius. During
that hour, and the hours which followed
iL-for we went back with him to the inn
and sat beside him while he ate
his hearty supper-he was liter
ally one Of us-a boy-only a |
boy beyond compare in eXu-
berance OF mirth, qulckness OF wit, aId
inexhaustible capacity for happiness.
He was absolutely never still, mentally |
or physically; thoughts, words, and ges- |
lures followed eacn other in bright sue
cession, till it was little wonder that nv
sister ana l went to bed thoroughly eX-
hausted, to pass night OF mingled
dreams and sleeplessness, under the
canopy OF our queer Old dingy four
poster.
III Ine noAHlhS, VIC "oho W uHu
smart little snOM-storm gong on, but
none the less cheery was The breakfast
with Mr.. Dickens; Tor MS was "a gayety
dependent neither on weather nor hours,
nor people.
Through the softly falling snow we
came back together to London, and on
the railway platform parteI with a
hearty hand-Shaking rom the man who
will forever be enshrined in our hearts
as the kindest and most generous, not
to say most brilliant, of hosts From
Our Letter." st. Nicholas for May.