Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19

the founding, the outcast. the worthy
poor, as in the breasts of lords, and vastly
more interesting in the former than in the
latter, he chose to delineate He showed
us humble homes humble lives in humble
surroundings, and proved again, with in
Vulnerable ramifications, the old saw that
virtue Is Its own reward. 1t were useless
to expatfate upon the qualities that We're
peculiarly his. But we may well comment
uron one series of his efforts, the famous
ana undying Christmas books. How
Christmas seemed to awaken his MOWERS
and urge him to the utmost
A Christmas Carol.
He is humorous at all times, but never
more so than in "a Christmas Carol"
CHEEKY. but surpass, If you can recall an
instance. the bluff, hearty cheeriness of
John Peerybingle and the adorable Dot:
satlrcal but most so when he contra stad
Irotty Week and Sir Joseph and Alderman
Cute; out In only one other instance was
ne more pathetic than in telling of TINY
Tim, and that was when he drew JittIe
Nell VINO died, but in Christmas stories
NOBODY must ever die. Oh! dear no. nor
must anything dreadful happen, and If
any one We're to tell us that there existed
In or out of fiction a person as l1dicrous
as THY Slowboy, why, sir, We not believe
MN; no. sir! not even If he were to take
ms oath ana affirm that he knew twice as
much we did
And as for Christmas cheer! he is. the
very poet of Tasty Edibles. He makes our
mouths water in the inimftable scene where
Irotty Weeks daughter makes Trotty puess
what she mas so smoking hot in the basket.
ior MIN to dine upon, and which proves 10
De nothing more or less than tripei But
may such appetite bless us, one and all.
as that with which the PHILOSOPHER Trottv
dcwned the unexpected treat Ana vel
grown weary of surfeit, and cloyed with
abundance, come with us to Bob Cratcbit,s
as :! did the spirit of Scrooge and learn what
IT Is that makes a feast. Not plate ami
iackeys and Lucullcslike dishes, but appe-
ute, humor. content and love between us
an The sublimation of the ignoble was
I'M, tine ann OF Dickens efforts. And therein
lies the reason of his ascendancy, and the
.ove we bear him, for most of us are
tnreadpare, and the punch of our lives is
served in two tumblers and a custard cup
Cratchist. but from him we learn to drink
Il IN peace. and to say heartily with the
head OF that most worthy family, "a merry
christmas to us all, my dears. God bless
Cricket on. the Hearth.
No doubt the solldness of Dickens repu-
tatfon and. beyond peradventure. the affec-
ton with which be Is regarded, are attrib-
utable. in large measure, to the Christmas
the first Of the series, IA Christmas Carol"
Second in ~ the order Of mf1t comes the
possibly, more familiar to those not pro-
tossing literature. by reason Of Mr. Joseph
Jenersons inimftabfe characterization of
Caleb Plummer. Brother Agarias saws Of
the Christmas stories, that they win be as
lasting as the English language, and priced
Wherever a hearthdre burns tile yule log,
Or the holly tree thrives." "A Christmas
CaroP 10 the very poetry, the essence of
that indescribable warmth Of heart and
CHEEKY good will which animates even the
coolest OF US at Christmas time. How deft-
" he handles his themei Scrooge's pitiiess
nature. and his pitiful lack Of ordinary feel
ing OF mankind; the contrasting figure of
Bob Cratchit. and the heart and tear-sweIl-
Ing picture Of Tiny Tim. II situation, in
all nctton. more beautifully combines
humor and pathos than ths description Of
Caleb Piummer's deception OF his blind
daughter, We have not yet come across It
The Chimes presents q CONTRAST between
the poor. the reai poor ana some ct those
bsnevolently intentfoned. but not accurately
Informed. rich. In "Trotty Veck." Dtckens
himself again. thu broad. piquant hunor,
which changes before we know II into q tue
ct our heart strings, the dr0llery OF coua-
paris0n and all Albeit. this tala - Soma.
what heavy and cheefless; there r sons
thing too depressing about tbs fanctsd for
tunsa OF Meg and something that We cannot
quite snderstand.