The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-15 00:00:00

W. M, Thackeray and Robert Bell ; Or, the
Stolen Watch and the Spectacled Spirit.

An anecdote related by M. Louis Blanc in a letter to _Le
Temps, a letter full of the most generous feeling, and of
fine and penetrating criticism of the genius of our great
departed humourist, whose friendship he (M. Louis Blanc)
had enjoyed :—" A few years ago the London papers an-
nounced that a Frenchman, whose name I need not give
you, was going to deliver in English what is here called
a lecture. Foremost among those who were moved by a
feeling of delicate kindness and hospitable curiosity to en-
courage the lecturer with their presence was Thackeray.
When the lecture was over the manager of the Literary
Institution where it was delivered, for some reason or
other, recommended the company to take care of their
pockets in the crowd at the doors—a hint which was not
particularly to the taste of a highly respectable and even
distinguished audience. Some even protested, and none
more warmly than an unknown person, very well dressed,
sitting next to Mr. Robert Bell. Not content with speak-
ing, this unknown person gesticulated in a singularly
animated manner. Isn't such a suggestion indecent, sir ;
insulting ?' said he to Mr. Bell; What does he take-its
for ?' &c. After giving vent to his indignation in this
way for some moments the susceptible stranger disap-
peared, and when Mr. Robert Bell, who wanted to know
how long the lecture had lasted, put his hand to his
watch-pocket, behold I his watch had disappeared like-
wise. Thackeray, to whom his excellent friend men-
tioned the mishap, invited Robert Bell to dinner a
day or two after. When the day came, Robert Bell took
his seat at his friend's table,round which a joyous company
of wits were gathered, and soon found himself encircled by
a rattling fire of banter about an article of his which had
just appeared in the Cornhill Magazine, then conducted by
Thackeray; an article remarkable in all respects, and which
had attracted universal notice, as a faithful, serious, and
philosophical account of some effects of Spiritism, which the
author had witnessed at a seance given by Mr. Home. Mr,
Robert Bell is an admirable causeur ; his talk is a happy
mixture of an Englishman's good sense and an Irishman's
verve. So his questioners found their match in brilliant
fence. Next day a mysterious messenger arrived at Mr,
Robert Bell's, and handed to him, without saying who had
sent it, a box containing a note, worded as nearly as I re-
collect, as follows :—' The Spirits present their compliments
to Mr Robert Bell,and as a mark of their gratitude to him,
they have the honour to return him the watch that was
stolen from him," And a watch it really was that the box,
contained, but a watch far finer and richer than the one
which had disappeared, Mr, Robert Bell thought at once
of Thackeray, and wrote to him without further explana-
tion—' I don't know if it is you, but it is very like you.'
Thackeray, in reply, seat a caricature portrait of him-
self, drawn by his own hand, and representing a winged
Spirit in a flowing robe, and spectacles on nose,
Thackeray had in early life taken to painting, and perhaps
if he had pursued his first vocation, he might have come
in time to handle the brush as well as he afterwards handled
the pen, At any rate, the drawing in question, as I can
bear witness, was one to bring tears into your eyes for
laughing. It was accompanied by a note as follows

The Spirit Gabriel presents its compliments to Mr. Robert
Bell, and takes tho liberty to communicate to him the por-
trait of the person who stood the watch.' Now, is not this
bit of a story charming? 'What grace! what delicacy I
what humour in this inspiration of a friend who, to punish
his friend for having done the Spirits the honour to speak
of them, sends him with a smile a magnificent present !
llonourable to Thackeray, this note is equally so to Robert
Bell, who could inspire such feelings in such a man. And
this is why I feel a double pleasure in relating it."