"THE CHRISTMAS CAROL."

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1091, 11 December 1857, Page 4

"THE CHRISTMAS CAROL."

Read by its Author. Last evening St. Martin's Hall, Long-acre, was crammed — literally crammed, in the Body of it, in the Stalls, and in the Galleries — by an audience assembled to hear Mr. Charles Dickens read his Christmas Carol. It seems very cold-blooded to put the matter simply thus, in a way so perversely and miserably matter-of-fact Rather let us say then, that— Glorious Charles Dickens read his immortal Christmas Carol yesterday ! Add ng, that he read it to an andierce as attentive as was enthusiastic. We don't remember ever to have witnessed a more stirring ovation than the one accorded by thai audience to the most popular writer of our generation. His appearance upon the platform was hailed by round after round of applause—applause so earnest, prolonged, and sustained that it almost seemed to threaten to postpone the reading indefinitely. However, the reading did come on at last, and having continued (with only fi\e minutes interruption, about midway) from 8 p.m. to very nearly 10*30 p.m., the close of it was the signal for an outburst of cheers, mingled with the waving of hats and handkerchiefs. There was a genial " grasp of the hand" in the look of every kind face turned towards the platform, and a " God bless him" in every one of those ringing cheers— the last but an echo, in truth, of the memorable benediction of Tiny Tim with which that matchless " Carol in Prose," it will be remembered, terminates. It is hardly necessary to obierve that throughout the two hours and a half occupied by the reading of that little golden masterpiece, Mr. Dickens was interrupted again and again by reiterated roars of laughter I And no won der ; for apart from the glory r f the book itself, there were the marvellous mimetic powers of the author reading it — giving piquancy to the dialogue, poignancy to every jest, and * new provocative to merrimeiit in the turn of every humourons expression. The most telling bits of all were unquestionably and beyond any manner of doubt - the Christmas Dinner of the Crotchets —the Dance at Fezziwig's — and the after-dinner fun at Scrooze's Nephew's! We can't, for the life of up, fancy people laughing more than they did last night at the calves of old Fezziwig's legs " shining like moons" in all parts of the dance, or of his ultimately seeming to wink with them when he " cut" ! Peter's shirt collars too were, in both senses of the phrase, an enormous success whenever mentioned — from the time when we were told that he longed " to show his linen in the fashionable parks" to the climax of it, when Martha observedj thrt a -lord she saw the day before was about as tall as Peter ! Whereupon the said Peter pulls his collars up so high, that " you could not have seen his head if you had been there ." How the audience roared, too at our old friend the fiddler coming in and making an orchesira of the desk, and " tuninglike fifty stomach-aches !" And at every syllable of the account of the way in which that incorrigible Topper went after Scrooge's niece's sister in the great game of Blind-man's-buff"! It is wholly idle, however, it is altogether superfluous to particularise. The entire Reading, from first to last went off— unaffectedly, be it said, in the strictest meaning of che woid — to admiration. The crowded and appreciative audience were delighted — thoroughly. And so, for that matter, must have been the Author himself, by the whale manner of his reception. It was a treat to every one present, and one of a very rare and memorable description. The occasion of this Reading, it fhould be observed, was one constituting it the Second in the attractive Series of Enteirainnients arranged by the friends and admirers ol the late Mr. Douglas Jerrold to swell the funds of a grateful Testimonial— in his Remembranre !— Sun. t . OOfj

Advicb to Ladies. —When the spirit moves you to amuse youipplf wjth "shopping," be Biire to ask the clerk for a thousand-and-one articles you have no intention of buying. Never mind about the trouble you make him ; that's part of the trade. Pull the fingers of the gloves you are examining quite out of shape; inquire for some nondescript colour, for some scarce number, and, when it is found, "think you wont take any tbis morning" ; then keep him an hour hunting for your sun-shade, which you at length recollect you left at home ; and depart -without having invested a so'itary

cent When you enter a crowded lecture room and a gentleman rises politely and offers to give up hU seat— which he came an hour ago to secure for himself— take it, as a matter of course ; and don't trouble yourself to thank him even with a nod of your head. As to feeling uneasy about accepting it, that it ridiculous ; because, if he don't fancy standing during the lecture, he is at liberty to go home ;itis a free country. When solicited to sing at a party, decline until you have drawn around you the proper number of intreating swains ; then yield gracefully, as if it were a great sacrifice of your timidity. Flirt with an admirer to the last end of the chapter, and then "be so taken by surprise" when he makes the declaration you were driving at ! As "practice makes perfect," every successful attempt of this nature will render you more expert at angling for hearts, besides exerting a very beneficial effect upon your character. As to cultivating your mind, that is all waste powder ; you have better ammunition to attack the enemy ; and as to cultivating your heart, there is no use in talking about a thing that is fashionable ! So always bear in mind that all pretty woman is sent into the world for is to display the fashions as they come out, waltz, flirt, dance, sing, and play the mischief generally !

Hollow ay's Ointment and Pills, — Dropsical swellings in the limbs, so commonly engendered by irregular living <md exposure in the Bash and the Diggings, are uniformly reduced by the application of this Ointment. It must be briskly rubbed in. and in these and all other cases of external disease or injury , it is advisable to foment the part affected with warm water before using the preparation. As a cure for sore breasts, its effects are wonderful. In ten minutes after lubricating the inflamed, or ulcerated nipple, the pain and throbbing cease. Every species of sore, boil, tumor or eruption, yields readily to its soothing, healing, disinfectant influence, and, in fact, its sanative effects on superficial maladies is only equalled by that of Hollowav's Pills on all internal disorders.