AN HOUR WITH DICKENS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3737, 23 September 1886, Page 3

AN HOUR WITH DICKENS.

c « A lecture was given by Mr W. Davidson, 3 of the Australian Mutual Providont Society, m tho Sophia street hall, last evening, to a 3 very fair and appreciative audience. Mr Davidson first spoke of the great benefits

j«_ « n ■ J . .M. -».- " ■■■■ ■" ■- derivable by life insurance. He considered it one of tbo best institutions ever organised, foi by its means tho widows and families of members were saved from poverty and being thrown on the mercy of the world, after the death of the mainstay of the family, who by insuring his life, m some instances had the amount of his policy almost doubled by the bonuses that became payable, and whose policy wa9 often kept good even when he was not able to pay the premiums, by tho amount of profits accrued. Having spoken at length on life insurance, Mr Davidson came to the subject of the evening—" Dickens." Tho modern novels, tho lecturer said, had a wonderful influence on the reform of things affecting the social welfare of the people, but none more so, he thought than the novels of Charles Dickens, who by his beautiful writings had done more, he believed, for the benefit of tho lower clnsscs than bad any other writer of the ngo. He referred to Thackeray, Geo. Elliott, Sir Walter Scott, and Dickens, as the reformers of the age, but none hud the great sympathetic powers which had gained the love of tho people, the humour, or the pathos which Dickens had, and used to benefit the poor. After mentioning the early life of Dickens, Mr Davidson apoko of the success of the novelist's first work, " Sketches by Boz," and his writing of the "Pickwick Papers." " Oliver Twist," " Nicholas Nickleby " and "Barnaby Budge" were the next works written, and his success was then assured. Receiving an invitation from America, be went there, and his stay there or tour, throughout was one', triumphal march, and it waß there said, and justly bo, that Dickons had done more for tho people than all. the politicians m the world. On his return, ho wrote his "American Papers " and " Marl m Chuzzlewit." Most parts of Dickens' works were written m Italy, and it was while there that Dickens wrote that to him Venico and tho falls of Niagara were the grandest sights he ever beheld, and that their beauty and grandeur would ever remain stamped on his mind. Dicken3 was one of the kindest of fathers, and his generosity to tho poor and to those of his friends m need was unbounded. Dickens' humour and pathos, the lecturer thought, was next to that of Shokespere, while his powers of observation were unequalled by any other novelist. When Dickens died the whole world felt they had lost their dearest friend, and the most truthful tribute he could pay to Dickens' memory wns what had been said by some great mnn, that Dickens had been the greatest friend the poor and oppressed had known. The lecturo proved a most enjoyable ono, and a pleasant evening was brought to a close by a TOto of thanks to the lecturer.