Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-10-27

give his real name and still speak as freely
as we wish to do oflis difficulties in mount
ing. Shocks was a Manchester boy of good
birth, brought up to business-his position at
home about equal to that of merchants son
in New York. He began writing verses for
country papers, and at last succeeded in get
ting an article into the London New Month
ly, and with this encouragement came up to
town to follow literature for a livelihood.
With moderate stipend from his father, he
lived very quiet life for couple of years,
finding it rather difficult to give away his
productions, and quite impossible to sell
them. There was no opening at the same
time through which he could even make an
attempt to get footing in desirable society.
In the third year, he became proof-reader to
one of the publishers, and being called upon
TO write anticpatory pulls of works he had
examined III manuscript, he came under the
notice OF the proprietor of one OF the week.
lies, and by lucky chance was soon after
employed as sub-edilor. This was his first
available foothod. 1t was his business, of
course, to review new books, and, as a tel
ler' in the bank Of fame, he was person OF
some delegated importance. His first agree
able surprise was the receipt of "a parcel in
scented paper, containing the virgin illusions
of Right Honorable Lady, who in little
note, with her compliments to Mr.. Shocks,
flor she had enqured the name of her prob
able critic through literary friendly begged
notice of her little book, and call from
Mr.. Shocks when he should have committed
his criticisms to paper. Shocks was man
of very Indifferent personables, his hair of an
unmitigated red, and his voice of a very hair
splitting treble; but he had violent taste
for dress, and born passion for countesses;
that would pass for any body's in the world,
it was so utterly free from any peculiarly.
This last quality made him an excellent
verse tinker and he was the man of all 9TH
ers best suited to solder over the cracks and
chasms of right honorable poetry. He wrote
a most commendatory criticism of her lady
ships hook, quoting some passages, with her
and an amendation of his own, and called at
the noble mansion with the critique in his
pocket. By tins bridge of wel.born vanity,
paying the humiating toll of insincere praise
ha crossed the repelIing barrier of aristocaiic
life, and entered it as the necessary Incum-
brance in her ladyship's literary fame. Her
lady ship was 'at home on Thursday even
ings, and Snooks became invariably the first
conner and last goer away; but his happi-
ness on these Thursday evenings could only
be called happiness when it was reconnoited
from the distance of Manchester. He went
always in an irreproachable waistcoad, fresh
gloves, and vanished shoes, bu, his social
performances for the evening consisted in
his first bow to her ladyship, and her lady
ships show dye do, Mr.. Snooks.' After
this exciting conversation, he became imme-
diatey interested ia some one ofthe byOu1
upon the table, striding off from that to look
at picture in the corner, or TO procure the
shelter of ii bust upon pedestal, behind
which he could securcy observe the people,
SO remarkably unconscious of his presence.
Possibly, toward the latter part of the even
ing, dandy would level his glass at him and
wonder how the devil he amused himself, or
some purblind dowager would mistake him
for the footman, and asked him for glass
of water !; but these were his nearest ap-
proaches to an intimacy with the set IN which
he visited. After couple of years of inter-
course with the nobility on this footing, he
becomes acquainted with one of two other
noble authors, at the same price; frequents
there parties in the same way, and having
unquivoca evidence lin notes of invitations
that he visits at the Yves, End, he now finds
a downward door open to society in RUSSELL
square. By dnt of talking automatically Of
My Lady this, and My Lord the other, he
obtains vogue at the East End which he
could only get by having come down from a
k;ubar cr,baro AND sI,rnnrh Of, II
arisiocratc contempt he descends to the
highest society in winch he can ever be ia
mliar. Mr.. Shocks has written novel in
three volumes, and considers himself fully es.
tablished as one of the notabililies of Lon.
don; but fish out of water is happy IN
comparison with Snooks when in the society
of the friends he talks most about, and If he
were to die tomorrow, these very friends
would with difficulty remember anything bu,
his red head, and the exemplary patience
with which he submitted to his own society
The fact is, that the position of mere
literary man IN England, in any circle above
that to which he is born, is that of jackall
: He is invited for what he contributes to the
entertainment of the aristocratic lions and
lionesses who fed him. He has neither pow.
er nor privilege in their sphere. He dars
no, introduce IA friend except as another jack
= all, and il would be for very extraordinary
: reasons, ,hat he would name at the table.
where he is most intimate, his father OF
L mother, wife, sister, or brother. The foot
man who sometimes comes to him with {
note or book, knows the difference bet xeer
him and the other guests ofhis master, ant
. by an unpunshable difference of manner
: makes the distinction in his service.-Th,
f abandon which they feel in his presence
= he never feels in theirs and we doubt wheth
S er Thomas Moore himself, the pet OF tn,
g English aristocracy for forty years, ever for
e got, in their company, that he was in tin
presence of his superiors and an object o
il condescension.
il Now we have many people in this countr,
J, American born, who are monarchists, ant
r who make no scruple in private conversation
: of wishing for defined aristocracy, and 9th
er intangible distinctions between the diff
a erent classes of society. In the picture the
y draw, however, they themselves figure a