" That the evils we complain of are not, and were
not, fully perceived by Mr. Dickens himself, cannot be supposed for
a moment. Had his book been published in the old way, we should have
seen no traces of them whatever.
The design of the general work, "Humphrey's Clock," is simply the
common-place one of putting various tales into the mouths of a
social party. The meetings are held at the house of Master Humphrey-
an antique building in London, where an old-fashioned clock case is
the place of deposit for the M.S.S. Why such designs have become
common is obvious. One half the pleasure experienced at a theatre
arises from the spectator's sympathy with the rest of the audience,
and, especially, from his belief in their sympathy with him. The
eccentric gentleman who not long ago, at the Park, found himself the
solitary occupant of box, pit, and gallery, would have derived but
little enjoyment from his visit, had he been suffered to remain. It
was an act of mercy to turn him out. The present absurd rage for
lecturing is founded in the feeling in question. Essays which we would
not be hired to read- so trite is their subject- so feeble is their
execution- so much easier is it to get better information on similar
themes out of any Encyclopaedia in Christendom- we are brought to
tolerate, and alas, even to applaud in their tenth and twentieth
repetition, through the sole force of our sympathy with the throng.
Pages:
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110