Caroline Cowles Richards • 28 december 1867

• Caroline Cowles Richards (1842-1913): Village Life in America 1852-1872, Including the period of the American Civil War as told in the diary of a school-girl.

December 28.— A large party of Canandaiguans went over to Rochester last evening to hear Charles Dickens’ lecture, and I enjoyed it more than I can possibly express. He was quite hoarse and had small bills distributed through the Opera House with the announcement:

MR. CHARLES DICKENS
Begs indulgence for a Severe Cold, but hopes its effects may not be very perceptible after a few minutes’ Reading.
Friday, December 27th, 1867.

We brought these notices home with us for souvenirs. He looks exactly like his pictures. It was worth a great deal just to look upon the man who wrote Little Dorrit, David Copperfield and all the other books, which have delighted us so much. We hope that he will live to write a great many more. He spoke very appreciatively of his enthusiastic reception in this country and almost apologized for some of the opinions that he had expressed in his “American Notes,” which he published, after his first visit here, twenty-five years ago. He evidently thinks that the United States of America are quite worth while.