Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-02-23
An Extract from Thackcrny's Last Novel;

An Extract from Thackeray's Last Novel
POrtralture of a WomRn-HatIu Lord.
These passages are from Thackeray's
novel, now being published in serial form:
He was cynical nobleman, and perhaps
morbidly conscious of his own ungainly ap-
pearance, "Of course | can buy wife" This
lordship would say. 'Do you suppose peo-
pie won't sell their daughters to man of my
rank and means Now look at me, my good
Sir, and say whether any woman alive could
fall in love with me2 have been married,
and once was enough. Ihste ugly women,
and your virtuous women, who tremble and
cry in private, and preach at man. bore me.
Sir JOHN Ringwood, of Appleshaw, is on
ass, and hate him ; but / don't hate him
enough to make myself miserable for the
rest of my days, in order to spite him. When
drop, drop. Do you suppose | care what
comes after me2"
And with much sardonical humor this old
lord used to play off one good dowager after
another who would bring her girl in his
way. He would send pearls to Emily, dia.
mOnds to Fanny, opera-boxes to lively Kate,
books Of devotion to pious Selinda, and at
the seasons end, drive hack to his lonely
great castle in the west. They were all the
same, such was his lordship's opinion. l
fear, wicked and corrupt old gentleman,
my dears. But alb, would not woman sub
NIT to some sacrifices to reclaim that un-
happy man; to lead that gifted but lost be.
inS into the ways of right; to convert to
b@ief in woman's purity that erring soul2
They tried him with high church altar
cloths for his chapel at Wingate; they tried
him with low. church tracts they danced be-
fore him; they jumped fences on horseback !;
they wore bandeaux or ringlets according
as his taste dictated; they were always at
home when he called, and poor you and
were always at home when he called, and
poor you and were gruffly told they were
engaged they gushed in gratitude over his
bonquets they sang for him, and their
mothers, concealng their sobs, murmured,
"What an angel that Cecilia of mine isp
Every variety of delicious chaff they flung
to that old bird. But he was uncaught at
the end of the season; he winged his way
back to his western hills. And if you dared
to say that Mrs. Netley had tried to take
him, or Lady Trapboys had set a snare for
him. you know you were q wicked, gross
calumniator, and notorious everywhere for
your dull and vulgar abuse of women.
Now, in the year 1880, it happened that
this great nobleman was seized with fiji of
the gout, which had very nearly consigned
his estates to bis kinsman, the Baronet of
Appleshaw. A revolution took place in a
neigbhoring state. An illustrious reigning
family was expelled from its country, and
VI IelOIu wv WUulu pretty Cer-
tainly end in revolution) were rife in ours.
! The events in France, and those pending
at home, SO agitated Lord Ringwood's mind
that he was attacked by one of the severest
fits of gout under which he ever suffered.
His shrieks, as he was brought out of his
| yacht at Ryde to house taken for him in
the town, were dreadful; his language to all
persons about him was irightfully expressive,
as Lady Qualmly and her daughter, who had
sailed with him several times, can vouch.
: An i'll return that rude old man made for
all their kindness and attention to him.
| They had danced on board his yacht; they
had dined on board his yacht; they had
been out sailing with him, and cheerfully
braved the inconvenience of the deep in his
company. And when they ran to the side
of his chair-as what would they not do to
soothe an old gentleman in illness and dis
tress when they ran up to his chair as ii
was wheeled along the pier, he called mother
and daughter by the most vulgar and op-
probrious names, and roared out to them to
60 to place which l shall not more par.
ticularly mention.