The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-17


RELIsHES.
Sliced Tomatoes. Radishes. Queen Olives.
FISH.
Filet of Striped Bass, Wine Sauce.
Hollandaise Potatoes.
EETREE.
Tenderloin of Beef. with Mushrooms.
Columbu Punch.
ROAST.
Young Chicken, stuffed Currant Jelly.
Lettuce Salad.
DESSERT.
French Vanilla Ice Cream. Strawberries.
Fancy Cakes.
RoQuefort Cheese. Toasted Crackers.
Coffee.
MAJOR PANGBoRN SPEAKS.
AS the coffee was being passed, Presi-
tent Fleming rose to intro luce the
speaker of the evening, Major ZeDina K.
Pangborn, whose address was upon the
writings OF Charles Dickens. Major
Pangboru began by saying that since
there had been SO much on paper about
Charles Dickens for the last half century,
he would not add to the total, but cou-
fine himself to a brief statement Of inn
pressions produced upon the reader by
The novelist. He recalled the days when
Charles Dickens, thrown upon his W
as a little lad, supporting him.
self aud those dependent upou him by
the most prosaic of occupations; passing
to his brief law o flee experience, then To
his newspaper career, where, said the
speaker, he laid the foundation of his
literary style and gathered much OF the
material of his studies of human nature
that fitted him to become no longer a
but a, creator of beings of his
own. The speaker referred to the
instantaneous success of "Pickwick
PAPERS," written TO order TO furnish letter
press Tor another mans illustration, so
little had the reading public heard OF
"Boz;;' of "Barnaby Rudge, "this first real
novel, "which," said the speaker. fused
to await with preathless eagerhe 8, wneu
years ago, the successive numbers We're
| coming across she Atlantic; which /
read now. after so many years, With deep
ening pleasure U absorbing interest"
Major Pangborn declared that what
ever defects of style might be detected in
his writings, viewed as works OF art,
Whatever flaws viewed as transcripts OF
nature, Dickens must be called the most
| powerful novelist of modern times
Power" said he, '.lieS in the ability to
produce in the mind of the reader che full
emotions of the writer. whether OF JOY or
or woe, pleasure or revenge. That lawyer
is powerful who sways the jury so
with his mind; that minister of
the Gospel is powerful who by his
preaching can bring his audience TO think
with him, feel with him. and when the
time comes, to act with him; that novel,
list is powerful who can, by the simple
words upon the printed page. awaken
within the mind OF his reader. the same
vivid emotion from whose strength the
passage was written" In illustration OF
this power of creating an atmosphere.
Major Paugborn read 5nat immortal eX-
ample OF pathos, the death of Little
Nell" beginning, "She is dead. No sleep
so calm, SO fair. SO free from trace or
. - u,t1 ~xt ~.P tho IunnfttRop - in
Domby and Son, preceded by the truly
Dickensian nights when the trains went
rushing bv, served to show the effect OF
creeping dread by which the novelist was
wont TO ~foreshadow the coming of
some scene of horror. In conclusion, the
speaker laid stress upon the musical
ouaIlty of Dickeus's prose, reading tie
death OF Little Paul" aud of Paufs
mother, and the scene after the wreck in
David Coppesfield," to illustrate the
metrical quality of prose which, without
a verbal cnange, might be read as excel
lent unrhymed verse.
THE OTHER D
The address was followed oy a thought
full and forcful essay from Mr.. X. o.
Babbitt, who took exception to the adula-
ton of Dickens, on grounds mainly OF
literary merit. To use a somewhat flip
| papt simiie, Mr.. Babbitt seemed to be-
lieve that the noyelist's men and women
were too much ike the little girl, pos
sessed OF a curl, who, When she was good,
! was very, very good. ct ccterG. He said
in effect that no man is elmer thoroughly
good or thoroughly bad; that Dickens's
men were always one or the other;
further that they were not men
at all, but incarnalious of some
virtue and vice. PecksniH had but one
acknowledgements. All over him in
large caps, there were the words, Il am a
Ern.1d ~ yat wa are RXnPeIQ6 10 believe
that for SO long this transparent creature
hoodwinked Il maj rs shrew d aSChuzzle-
wit. Mr.. Dombey, the Incarnation OF
pride, thoroughly and consistently Nv
ing out this lngrained trait all his life,
when finally disaster overthrows the firm
and dishonor attaches TO his name, has
no other course than to put himself put
OF existence. So far so good, but TO gain
a dramatic scene. Dickens violates all
canons of art ana all facts OF nature and
allows the daughter, TO whom Domoey
has always been a stranger, to dash aside
the pistol. Mr.. Babbitt declared that
the imagination that was his gre test
power was also his greatest weakness.
since he allowed it TO warp m ac-
tious into impossible forms. The con-
scientious novelist sees in his Characters
chronological forces which he may set IN
motion, but whose subsequent actions are
MS much the inevitable necessity OF the
tOUu1L3OAS VA WILLS oANSA
were created as If they were in reality
living human beings. Shakespeare did
not seek to turn wickedness from lis 1n-
eyirable end to point q moral; ne allo wed
the evil passion to work out It's "
deadly ends, and left the reader TO see
for himself how these things we. e so.
A LITTLE OF BOTH.
Mr.. Frank D. Cole followed with a
short speech in which he said that 1t was
not hard TO see that Dickens nau made a
bargain with the publisher for 50 many
pages before beginning to write at all.
This was his only attempt at adverse
criticism. He called atteutIon to the fact
that every novel had It's definite purpose
for the purpose OF mankind. in which It
was successful. and said That it was fro
this that they would live IN our litera-
ture.
The president told his experience When
Dickens was reading here, at SreiuWay
Hail. and he went ever 1t 4 a. m.to DC III