Year: 1861




Dickens appeared about eight o'clock
dressed in sumptuous manner Thus the
nosegay at his 6uttonhole was a size larger
and several hnes brighter than that pleasant
conceit of nature in fashionable circles is apt
to be- And the area Of frilled linen present.
ed by his bosom was in extent great, and in
whiteness out of reach of suspicion 1t was,
moreover, studded with doubtless extensive
and certainly snowy buttons. In addition to
this, there was that in the lie of bis white
cravat which bespoke faculties of mind not
developed. so far as ap aware, in any of
the published works Of its author The
handsome suit of black, with its crest Of daz-
zling linen, was carried off well by his Fl gure.
Some men are born to dress well, some
achieve fipe dress, and unfortunate mai ority
have il thrust upon them. Most of us pre-
fer to slouch, because conscience advises us
that broadcloth and fine linen is not our
clothes line.


DICKENS AN ACTOR.


would say, if closely questioned, that the
crownpg characteristic of Bog in print is
youthfunessj just so of Boz in person. He
is spry, staunch and bright there; so he is
here in st. James's Hail. Piccadilly
At the outset, and once for all. | must pro
test against the word read in this connection.
For Dickens is an orator :;
and the drama is all the more wonderful
because the draanatiS perSon@ are sustained
10y one man, and presenting as Mr.. Dickens
characters eminently do. the "very form and
| substance of the times" varying from lignt
to shade as truly as the natural landscape
and sustained with equal fidelity and with
the same striking success.


''scRooGE" TO THE LIFE


This is wonderful" | said to my shilling
copy of the "Christmas Carol when found
that certain gruff tones like those of Scrooge
and SO unlike the manly aud pleasant
tones of Charles Dickens-were actually pro-
ceeding from that gentlemans mouth. That
| mouth was strangely altered from the play
ful expression it wore moment since The
jaw was dropped, and in falling it had pull
ed the corners of that mouth down with it,
together with each and all the muscles of the
face in general, So that the expression con
veyed was one of tightness and hardness,
and coldness.


AND EVERYBODY TO TUE LEE.


"This IS wonderful" | observed to the
right some white flowers without any smell
that we're sticking in the copious hair of the
blonde aristocrat in the stall before me, as
out of that same mouth proceeded a snail
and pleading voice, precisely like shat Of
Scrooge's clerk; and the same remark. with
forte emphasis, was addressed to the folds of
my handkerchief when a stern, infiexible and
APPARENTLY remote voice called Scrooge to the
scenes of Christmas Past, and the audience
above ME were hoshed as have seen many
an audience pushed for the ghostly scenes of
Hamlet o. the Fiery Phantom of the Ferns"
and | expected the glaring lights of the chan
deliers in the dome would burn low for once,
and the nose Of an old gentleman few seats
distant would emit pale phosphorescent
glow; and once more, at the risk of being
;iresome, Irepeated it TO my shilling Carol"
when the sick and lame little voice of Tiny
Tim arose from The bosom of the Cratchit
family, and tnally. when hal actually seen
the mother of that family and trembled in
the company of the two other spirita and es-
tablished an acquaintance of close nature
with the street boy whom Scroogs requested
TO go and fetch the big turkey still hanging
in the corner shop and whose response con-
sisted OF the one word "WalkeE" a. Iticulaied
with shril incredulity. l saw clearly that
that remark had lost all its original force.and
was no longer applicable to any circumstance
of the case whatever. | was ready to be-
lieve all had ever heard of the charm of
those private entertainments at laNlStOCR
house, and to attribute the lions share of the
success TO his master and proprietor; and was
able to understand the interest in persons
and things theatrical which has given the
world, in the pages of his works. so many
faithful sketches of life and character "be
hind the scenes


DICKENS NOT ASHAMED OF HIS OWN GOOD THING


Besides all this versatile and truthful de-
lnealion-and entreat all persons who have
seen il and felt it to bear me ont that | have
not exaggerated its extraordinary merit
there is an element of reading which, al
though more closely allied to the personal
than to the artistic side, gives it the pleasant
er favor. | allnde to the unaffected and
hearty enthusiasm of Charles Dickens him
self. lie evidently enjoyed the thing quite
as much as any one preaent.-Harpers
Monthly