The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
TOURS OF DICKENS.
1~n<fdsnss'fn the Life OF the Great Author
"A Mater Passion.


George Dolby gives an account of the famous
reading tours in Great Britain and America.
Mr.. DS!by accompanied Dickens as msnsger
OF the tours which were resumed in 1886;
therefore be has much TO tell that ia beth
interesting and new about tbs experiences
Of his "chief' and himself during those en-
terprises.
Daring the American tour the demand
for tickets for the readings wss so great as TO
be incon v~enient. Clerks and servants OF in
tending purchasers of tickets for the opening
readings in Boston began to assemble outside
the ticket.ofice the night before the sale be-
gan, being supplied with straw mattresses.
blankets, food, and drink. by s o'clock in
In the morning the queue was nearly half q
mile long, and about thar time the employ
ers Of the persons who had been standing in
the streets oil night began to arrive and
take their places. But the scene in b ,s-
ton was IS nothing compared with the scene
In New York; for the line of purchasers ex-
csedsd half . mile in length. at Brooklyn,
'the noble army Of spectators" as Dick
ems described them, were in greater force
than ever. They had been in the line since
40 the previous evening. aud during the
whole night had kept up an enormous bon.
fire In the street, sleeping around il in turns
on their mattresses and enjoying their sup
pers Of bread and meat, with rotations Of
Bourbon whisky. Early in the morning,
and Just before daybreak, q body OF po-
lice appeared upon the scene, an idea having
suddenly occurred to them that in q narrow
street, composed entirely OF wooden houses,
. bonfire was q source OF considerable dan
ger TO the whole OF that part Of the city.
The police made Q raid on the bonfire, the
mattresses and SPECTATORS, and q terrific
combat ensued, in which the people farthest
Oh in the line took the most prominent part,
until they saw that those nearest the door
we're being routed, and then with broken
heads and bleeding noses rushed into the
coed places. bringing with them their mat
dresses And hanging to the iron failings to
keep possession of the places they had so
~gallantlo fought for.
Mr.. Dolby gives the following account ola
canine comedy st Washington which Dick
ems has himself described: by some means
contrivsd to force bis way into the hall, un-
seen by the police and the ushers in attend
ance. During the reading of q comic portion
of the Carol this dog suddenly made his ap.
pearance from under the front seat aud
stared lntently at Mr.. Dickens. One Of the
O0D61S t0Ok III CoIiy opportunity VI A6fin6
Che dog removed. q process which Was quietly
effected. Blu . little later the animal con-
tr1ved to return to his former position,
where he INDUCED in . prolonged howl, as
IL in great pain. This had sud q ridiculous
effect on Mr.. Dickens that he could not help
laughing. Everybody laughed, but the dog
was most unceremoniously erected, receiving
miscellsp eous kicks and rsps over the head
from sticks and umbrellas. Strange to say,
he returned the next night; but on his way
into the hall ne indiscreetiy knocked his
head sgaidst Mr.. Osgood's leg. That gentle
man was too quick for the dog. Seizing him
with both his HANDS, he threw him over his
shoulder, and he was caught like a ball at q
cricket match by the ushers and passed on
rom one to another until he found himself
in the street. He was not, however, TO be
got rid of in this manner; for or the occa.
coDpanied by another dog; but the staff
were on the lookout for him, and he did not
get in, much to his disappointment; for, as
Mr.. Dickens said, "he had evidently prom
issd to peas the other dog free"
The excitement of the public on the occa-
sion of the last readings in Scotland knew no
bounds, and the desire to hear the Murder
reading was especially intense. The great
interest taken in this, u the dead silence
which prevailed during the delivery OF it,
had the effect of making Mr.. Dickens more
vehement, If possible, than on any previous
O(I0<t0Ds III WOIkC Liz up ~ pAtOD
of excitement which rendered him so utterly
PROSTATE hat when ne went to:his retiring
room (which he reached with diff.
entity be was forced to lie on
the sofa for some noments before
could retain strength sufficient to utter a
word. 1t took him but q short time, though,
to recover; and after q glass OF champagne
he would 90 on the platform again for the
final reading as blithe and gay as il he were
Jrst commencing his evenings work. These
shocks to the nerves were not as easily re-
PEELED as tor the moment they appeared to
evening, either in the form of great hilarity
or . desire to be once moro on the platform,
or in . craving to do the work over again.
At supper one evening, the conversation
turned on the subject of speech-making, and
Dickens was asked to explain how he pre-
1upposing the speech was to be delivered in
She evening, his habit was to take q long
walk in the morning, during which ne
would decide on the various heads to be
dealt with. These being arranged in their
proper order. he 1oald, in his minds eye
wheel-he being the hub. From the hub to
the tire be would run ~ many spokes as
were the subjects TO be treated, and during
the progress of the speech he would deal
with Zach spoke separately, Celebrating
them ss he went round the wheel; and when
- L00 8OOkC0 0AOPlCts Oat OaC ~ OAACs oaA
nothing but the tire and space remained, he
would know that he had accomplished his
task, and that t.s speech was ct an end.
Mr.. Dolby gives the following account OF
what Dickens told him was said during hi.
audience of the queen in 1870: II went On
to tell me that her majesty had received
him most graciously, and that, as court eti-
squette requires that no one, in an ordinary
interview with the sovereign, should be
STATED, her majesty had remained the whole
time leaning over the head OF Q sofa There
Z Va q little ehyness on both sides at the com.
mencsnent but this wore away es the con.
verration proceeded. Her majesty expressed
her deep regret 1t not having heard one oil
tie readings, and although higly battered al
this, Dickens could only express his sorroE
that, IS these we're now finally done
With, and ~. moreover, q mixed
audience was absolutely necessary fol-
their success. 1t would be impos
Gble to crafty her msjesty's wishes in this
particular. This. he said, the oneeE fully
appreciated, quoting TO Mr.. Dickens his own
words in his farewell speech: From These
garish lights ] vanish now for evermore;
and Remaining that, even il u O thing
were possible. there would be inconsistency
in It which was evidently not one OF Nj
Dickenj characteristics After referring In
complimentary terms to the pleasure hsi
majesty had derived in witnessing Mr.. Dick,
sns acting in the Frozen Deep, as far bach