The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-12-29

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nv ear, called after me from the half-Openesi
glass door Of the library, 81 say! come and
dine with me tomorrow at two-thirty."
While was gladly accepting the invitation
the host came out and took us both back to
smoke, the ladies and other guests having in
the mean time lef. We sat ill a late, or
rather early, hour. Thackerary was At that
time furious smoker, choosing the strongest
cigars and despstching them in rapid sue
cessiOn. Part Of the talk ran on Dickens, Of
whom he spoke in = somewhat different
strain from what he used in public. Our
host had introduced the subject BY sayings
after some censure Of that popular novelist,
extravaganceiea, ''Bm I like Dickens person
ally: he Is 50 genial and frank" Genial,
ye," was the reply; but farmland
twinkle came from over the spectacle
well. frank as an oyster. "-'Dickens," he
said afterward, sPropos Of some remarks on
literary genius, sis making ten thousand
pounds yesr. He is very angry at me for
saying 50, but xillsay it, for it is true. He
doesn't like me; he knows that my bucks are
q protest against his-that if the one set are
true the other must be false. But Pckrick
is an exception; it is capital book. 1t is
like glass of good English ale. wish !
had il TO read before going to bed tonight"
And he made slight inaudible motion with
his iP<, as if tasting the beverage he had
mentioned.
Hawthorne says in his English Note Books
that he had heard Thackery could not en-
dure to have servants about him, feeling I'M
easy in their presence, and he goes on, Ia
Hartkorns, 10 analyze the feeling. On his
second visit to America he brought with him
an attendant who looked like good speci-
men Of the best English domestics. Il don't
call him my servant" he told ME, 81 call
him nv companion. found he didn't like
the company down stairs' this was at no
tell, $50 make him sit beside me at the
table dkote." Yet Thackeray was a man Of
aristocratic feelings, and the last person in
the world to be hail fellow well met with
every one who chose to accost him. Atouch
on the shoulder from railway conductor
ter the manner Of those "gentlemanly" Off
cials-made the blood tingle in his finger
ends, and LEFT a feeling Of indignation which
burned anew as he recounted the occurrence.
He demanded civil treatment, but hauteur or
condescension was not his disposition.
Standing in no awe Of the highest, he had no
wish to inspire awe in. the lowest. One day
after we had lunched together al Parker's,
ne haneeu : ecs' Piee1 W 'ne waiter, Syi"e'
MY iriend' Will you 90 me the FAVOR 70 ac-
cePt a sovereign am very much OBJ
hged TO you Mr. ihacSeray, was the man $
reply; he had not read tdIny TdT Or rs,
moad, imagine, but he had probably tasted
their authors bounty on iormer occasions.
let Ihackery would sometimes be whlm-
,hs &, Of rapsI 'I he ~"ad say TO visii eF
I 4 i
who was laying down card on the table;
III has cost you two cents, and VIII be Just as
good for your next call
1t was ON bright day, though the month
was November and the place London, IN
1866, that called upon lhackeray al ms
red brick ho,,se.the only one OF the KIND
ESQ he thought IN the metroPohs.iooklng
out on the OLE. 1s''e' oi henslnston Gardens.
There had been no correspondence between
us since l had seen HIM last, but two or
three kindly messages had reached me, and
! had read passage IN letter to friend at
whose house We had met, m which he wrote,
How often l think should IKE 10 he s't-
ting with YOU and n nj the table IN
street, with that cd butler putting ON anoth-
er bottle OF the 1t was little past
noon, and ! was shown up To his bedroom, a
large and cheerful apartment, with little FUR
niture besides the bed-the bed IN which 50
shortly after he was to be found lying calm
IN death. There was dre'Sing-room be
hind, to which he went al times while max
ing his Toilette, Keeping up the con
versatlon through the open door. His
appearance showed change for which
was no, prepared. 1t IS hard to understand
how ms medical men should have allowed
him To continue writing with signs oil I'M
pending aPoPiexy so apparent To the unPro-
iesslonai eye; In answer 10 my inquiries
about his health, he SAID ne iet internally
Old. What was missing IN ms manner was
sort oil hight eiee with which IN former
days he had been won. 10 tell an aneedote oil
say good thing. The twinkle, too, va,
less bright the ErSsit,ide more decided ana
the sadness winch lay deep IN his nature
and against when, tnink, ne always ioiSht
seemed 10 DE gaining 'he upper hahd. HOW
ever, Inc sarcastic power was no. extinct
and ne eHPe'nei severai nlhes Oh 'lie edi'o'
infinite conceit AMI of never failing Ignor
ance. The war in America formed, q