The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-09
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From Ticknor & Fl
James s. Waters.


James S. Waters:
MEMORIALS OF THOMAS Hoop. Collected Arranged and
Edited by his Daughter with Preface and Notes by
MS son, Illustrated with copies from his sketch
es' IN Two volumes, limo, PIP. 3l0-327. 1860.
1t is difficult to realize that a new generation of
readers has arisen since the death of Thomas Hood
and the illusion that he is but lately departed is
deepened and colored by these flial and very beau
| utul Memorials" Of his life and death lust now
mace public That they have not been before pre-
scented is simply explained as involving for his
children ga task, how solemn, how sad and how
unutteraby absorbing!'
1t Is chiefly (says the preace) owing to this fact
| that the publication of these volumes has been so
| long delayed To us to turn over the MSS for
theSe pages, to consult the letters written in that
| well known clear hand, was to recall to memory
| sach Hood of recoections of dead lows of lone
past SORROWS OF gentle loving deeds and words that
we may well claim to be excused if we were SLOW
| IN our progress and fingered somewhat over naqes
| that were often hidden from US by our tears
Looking back now on my emotion while read
ing over these memorials can scarcely think how
snould De SO moved after the lapse of fifteen years
ana can fully realize how intensely powerful must
the compilation have been to my sister, who as the
elder, was more intimately connected with and has
cie"'eF memory OF the events chronicled than |.
This is not the language of affected or ostenta-
tious sorrow; and though such details should gen.
orally be kept, as in the beautiful words of Hood
| himself
| Amongst the privatest of mems affairs"
| we excuse them here, and accord full credit and
sympathy to the genuine feeling by which they are
prompted. Devoid, indeed, of natural love must
have been the hearts of children who could coov
turn over the constantly recurring evidences of
such fathers devotion to themselves, without
more than ordinary emotion. Thomas Hood, the
| humorist, most thorough and most genial-the
poet author of lyrics of unequalled beauty and pa
| thos-the wizard who held the smiles and tears of
mankind equally at command and often drew both
oy the some touch of his wand-is known of all
| the world. The world, however, does not so
| Wen Know him in the relations of husband
! ia'her ana friend; as an earnest and dill
gent laoorer, struggling at the same moment
win hopeless disease, Tor life and with pecuniary
difficulties Springing from no fault of his, for the
means OF lie, with all manly courage and constance
IL Is lor the light shed in these particulars that the
memorials" have their peculiar value, and none can
read them without feeling of respectful love for
the man even stronger than all their previous ad-
miration Tor the genius. Hood touched nothing
upon winch he did not leave some impress of his
grotesque Imagination. He could not have ac
ceP'eo an invitation to funeral, written let
Ter OF coincidence without touch of humor
some play OF words which, however, would only
nave heightened instead of marrng its pathos.
throughout these memorials, which are chiefly
composed of his familiar letters, as in all his
published works, we meet with continual evidences
thaths, was genuine vien perpetual living spring
OF wit, always full and flowing. Pun and epigram
flashed from him freely and unconsciously as the
natural and simple expression of his ordinary ideas
1t would have cost him more effort to be dull than
almost aDV other m IN hn brilliant as ba wa,
without any effort at all.
1t is not, however, in this respect that we attach
much value to the memorials We need no new
monument of Hoods humor and genius. He has
suffered perhaps in the public estimate by his ex-
huberance OF wit-his perennial overflow offun. He
may possibly be still moderated by some as a pro-
fessiona and practiced jesterthe licensed clown of
Apollo's Court. 1t needed memorials like these to
restore the estimate of his character to its true
balance, and therefore in the few remarks we shall
have space for, we will consider them solely in that
point of view.
Thomas Hood was the son of Thomas Hood, the
bookseller and publisher, a member of the once
prominent firm of Vernon Il Hood He was born on
the Esd of May, 1899; married on the 9Th OF Nav,
1924, and died on the Sd day of the same. for him.
eventful month in 1845, being thus within few
days of the exact age of 46. He was always of
delicate constitution, and described his own life as
one "lingering dsease''-a description which ap.
piled particularly to the married portion of 1.-THE
only part much developed in these volumes. His
wife was Jane Reynolds, woman represented to
have been "of cultivated mind and literary TASTE
and well suited to him n companion
lie had such confidence in her Judgment that he
READ and reread and corrected with her all that he
wrote. Many of his articles were first dictated to
her, and her ready memory supplied him with his
references and quotations. 3 OF late wears
her time and thoughts were entirely devoted to
him, and he became restless and almost seemed
unable to write unless she were near.
Many of the letters published in the "Memorials"
are addressed to her. and it is to be remarked that
in these than eny others of his correspondence
he is comparatively serious-showing the presence
of genuine and earnest sentiment on his part
On these letters his son remarks:
We have been frequently obliged to omit large por-
tons his letters to her. Itwoud have been sacrep
to alter them, and did not feel it right publish
what was intended for her eyes alone-tender cpl
thets-the love talk so fond and vet so true |
quote here one passage sample of those which
occur SO frequently in the letters. 81 was never
ANYTHING, dearest till knew YOU and | have been
a better, happier, and more prosperous man ever
since Law by that truth in lavender sweetest. and
remind me of it when fail. l am writing warmly |
and fondly, but not without good cause First, |
your own aectionate letter just Ieceived-next the
remembrance of our children, pledges-what dar- |
ling ones of our old familiar love-then a de- !
licious impulse to pour out the overfowing of |
my heart into yours, and last, not least the knowl