The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-09-21
Dickens Farewell to America.
By Geo. c. Roul d.

pickons's Farewell to America.
BY Geo c. Round.
Charles Dickens first visited our
county in lsl2. AT that ume his o0'
servations concerning his cousins ou
this side Of the Atlantic as expressed
in American Notes and VI lrtln Jhnz
zlewit. were anything but hatterng.
He. visited America for the second
and last time in the fall Of lo61, liter
a lapse of exactly quarter ot cen
tury. lie gave n course oi puolic
readings from his OSn wo ks ia New
York city soon after his rival lie
entertained immense audiences ia
the principal cities OF the United
States during the following winter,
and after he had travelled extensive
ly. he returned again to the great
metropolis on his way homeward
On this occasion be gave a second
aud farewell course at Stelnwhy
Hall.
AT this time was a law student at
Columbia College IN New York city,
and occupied fourth hoor room
with two other law students, Patton
and Atkins. Patton had relative
who travelled in this country win
Dickens, and who had the J'0 OF
selling his photographs and sPecl'
ally prepared copies OF his readings.
Patton would frequently e. mp TO tae
hail and help his friend passing
through the audience before the oPru'
ing aud during the recess, selling the
books and pictures, aud thus had
splendid chance to hear aud sec The
great novelist. Patton had won
derful memory and he would enter
tain US by the hour with limitations
of Dickens. | supposed at the time
that they were csricstures, but found
sfterward that some OF them We're
very exact renderings.
Ii should be borne IN mind that
Dickens did not read directly from
his novels. He rC.wrote pass ges
specially adapted to public reading
usually abrldging them largely, but
often changing and sometimes am
plifying. These readings were
printed and bound IN paper. each
evenings reading by itself. / have
before me, as | write, copy Ct bis
Farewell Reading in America,
and to it is attached the stub OF my
ticket bearing the date, Monday.
April 20, lSGS, which ! have pre-
served as a memento Of that inter
esting occasion.
OF course, from the time Of Dick
ens's arrival, l expected to hear him
once at least. But all the tickets Tor
the first course were sold, even be
fore it had begun. Many of them
had been bought by spectators
who sold them out at the big hotels
at prices entirely beyond the reach
of nv purse. When the tickets were
placed on sale for the final course, |
Joined in the grand rush. Patton
advised me to borrow all the money
nv friends had and buy up tickets
for the last reading, but he also ad'
vised me first to get my life insured.
When saw the crowd at the ticket
Office, 1t occurred to me that Dick
enss friends and admirer we're not a
very polished set of people or else
they were buying tickets by proxy.
| began to understand why Patton
Gid not take his own counsel and 60
into the ticket business himself. !
was exactly four hours reaching the
box and the greater part Of that tim
was spent in crowding and pushing.
sqre ziug and being squeezed, but l
came away with four front seats IN
the first balcony for the Farewell
Night" for which paid - % a
piece. AS the time approached and
tickets for the final night came into
great demand, was the subject OF
special congratulations, as were my
three friends who had been invited
to share my good fortune. could
have readily sold my tickets for $50
apiece.
The night was rainy and one of
nv party was taken suddenly Ill,
which likewise prevented my other
two friends from attending, greatly
TO their sorrow and my own chagrlD'
At the last moment, | hurried over
from Brooklyn where my friends re
sided. arrived at Steinway Hall at
s o. M. as the performance was
about to begin. | did not feel like
sacrificing the seats which bad cost
so much effort. | esssyed to join in
the crowd of speculatOrs who were
still hawking their high priced tick
cts at the last moment, but soon
found that amid the din and uproar
| was nowhere. When, therefore, a
burly hack driver offered me $50 foi
the four tickets and would not even
consider my proposition to sell him
three, | was glad to take it, and bad
the consolation TO see him pass them
over to a finely dressed gentleman
with three ladies, and scoop IN $4I
the next minute. The hackmar
eraciously remarked to me that be
could have sold them Tor 500 half an
hour before.
Hurrying to the ticket offi e,
found that tickets were being solo
for "standing room onl y" on the
upper balcony. This privilege was
secured for $1.0O, but | was for
innate enough to find vacant seat
one of those nearest heaven and
probably the poorest in the house
Had it not been for the rain,l shoulC
no doubt have failed to secure ever
STANDING room"
| had brought with me Fl ID el4ss
and with it, as | took my seat,
caught sight of the distinguished