The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-04-14
THE COMMUNITY CLUB
DICKEN's ENTERTA TAINMENT

over zoo Enioy an Interesting Kyen-
mr VITA Numerous of Dickens'
Characters.
The C0ari House WEs probably as
erowGed on the evening II April sth
As at ary time during the famous trial
Isl summer and the interest IN the
Dickens presentations was happier, u
not sa tense Il was . truly delightful
Performance for which credit is due in
many directions. beginning with Miss
Harmione Garfield who arranged the
@oeaes and gave an outline Of the
story before each sketch 10 refresh the
memories u those who had read the
books. and TO inform those who had
not
Ms Garfield said In preface. Be
fore / speak of the sketches want 70
say a few words about Dickens as an
author" She spoke o. the characters
m his books which were household
words. dolly Warden, IN 'Barnaby
Rudge, had various namesakes, the
Dolly Warden way Of wearing the
hair. bright lowered calico, : certain
kind Of cake, etc. A big cotton UNI
brella was often called "A "gamp," re-
tenIng 70 sairy's inseparable COM
panion. Characters in David Copper
aeld we're familiar companions-
Barke's who was william" Mr. MI
eawber and Uriah Hays who furnished
.ueh an endless number Of quotations.
Every girl Of fourteen or fifteen aspir-
ed 10 be as altogether lovely as David
Copperfeld's wife, dora" Mrs. Al
bert Smith and Miss Frances Kelly
who were the ushers represented Dora
and Dolly Warden. Mr.. Dickens and
Mr. Pickwick who we're advertised to
heln chem were not absent but were
excused from the impersonations.
Further 10 quote Miss Canheld'
Everybody who read at all read Die
kens and ne was O part Of their daily
life. But in the 40 years, between
1870 and 1910 the bug Of efficiency ana
hustle took possession Of our systems
80 that we did not seem 20 have time
70 read Dickens long drawn out set
ting for his scenes, and il came @ be
tbe fashion 10 bcHttle his insight into
the characters and to scon bis sent-
ments. In the last few years, however
tbere has seemed 70 be q steady m-
er,lee Of Dickens readers and i is at
rueb "a time that an author gets his.
riehtful place in literature. The craze
a over. The critical reaction is over
and the authors work Is seen IN ITS
true color and proportion"
The first sketch, from Martin
Cbuzrlewit." showed Sairy Camp, "a
kind Of dome tie nurse" employed oy
the Chuzzlewit family TO watch over
Mr. ChuTy. the poor old dependant
clerk long in the service Of the Chuz-
zlewits. sairy !nvites her colleague, !
Betsey Prigg, TO take tea with her ana
10 discuss certain proposition she
has in mind Miss Mildred Dooley as
sairv and Miss Helen Bowen as Bet
scv prigg appear In Sairy's tearoom--
sittine-room where much furniture
vas packed into small space, inelud-
ING the four-poster bed, one post OF
which was decorated by clothing OF
sairv's which she had the habit OF
hanging up Just as she took 1t of ana
nlaeing her bonnet on top 50 tnat the
Ife-lllze effect sometimes led her
friends. at first glance, to believe that
sairy had hanged herself. II was
very lively scene and oapitally DONE
ali the details so well carried out. and
the characters 50 cleyerly portrayed
that Mis- Doolcy and Miss Bowen
have certainly made sairy Camp and
Bctsey Prigg established characters W
Nanrhester households and "appen-
entity" and "bage creetur acceptable
terms FOR mcrriment.
The Other three. the actors did their
own coaching, merely asgiug sugges-
.;ous AZ the few rchearsals. The cos
TUNES were copied rs well as posslole
from the book Illustrations.
The second sketch was from oliver
Tc3st~ Mrss sConey (Mrs 6. $.
Perne,tl. the matron of the Work
uonss where Oliver was born. and Mr.
Humble. the parish beadle. are com
rarf8a n TIE nlot @ o'l the tria',et .
vhics belonged 10 OIivcr's mother ard
q, tfe ae G. Stewart Bennett. in
~ n,rt y Mr Bundle. gaFe the aidi-
.--e s. hary laueh as Dee inVe7se,ied
wrs p during fes
shewe fm Tie r7m -I'l O. it-
ne exclaimed. ard. upon The re
o--e ~ mrr ceraey white tfey ~
together costly at TIE tea 'tahi2, he
tt.t eov Hatren whe peg
reralv remarked chat Size would
era an" 70 be- Mrs
eHr r-fHra HaaH