The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-11-18
THOMAS HOOD.
BY AMEs p A R TO N


-
1t is a curious fact that those who
contribute TO the merrimenJ of man
kind are, as a class, among the
least happy of u species Comic
actors, for example, n usually We
ry grave men, often subject to mel
ancholy, sometimes to i'll temper /;
and, in come notorious instances,
they have been cruelty unfortunate.
/ have been behind the scenes of q
theatre Two or three times in my
life, and l was always struck with
the serious demeanor of the comic
men when they were off duty.
/ we'll remember one evening,
when the curtain went down upon
the gay comedy of "Tbe Honey
moon" the startling change which
came over the countenaDees Of the
comedians at the very moment they
were hidden from the gaze of the
audience. Every face collapsed in
to an expression of mingled sad
ness and fatigue, and they all SEEM
ed to stink away, In their fine
clothes and staring paints, as if
they were thoroughly sick of the
whole business, and never meant to
appear on the stage again. The ex-
celIent artist who played the part
of the 'sMock Duke" passed me as
he went slowly and YEARLY up to
his dressing room. 1 shall never
forget how tired aid detected he
looked /; and / have since learned
that he had abundant cause TO be
detected He was amusing the pub
he and keeping multitudes in a roar
of laughter, when his heart was
torn and desolated by the most ae-
ute domestic Affections.
Humorous writer's, I should sup
pose, are not more happy or moro
fortunate than their brethren of the
stage. l could mention some strik-
ing examples among the living; but
it seems to be a necessity o. the
case. that those who cheer and n
terrain us by their pleasure-glving
talents, should themselves tread the
wine-press alone, and receive little
help and sympathy until neither
can do them any good.
The life and death of Thomas
Hood, author of the Song OF the
Shirt, and editor for many years, of
the Comic ANIMAL, seems TO me to
be one Of the most pathetic trage-
dies Of modern times. Observe this
passage from one of the letters to
his wife :
"All Tuesday, Hood has been IN
such an exhausted state that he was
obliged TO 60 to bed ; but | was up
all night rendy to write at his die
tation if he felt able , but it was SO
utter o p~rostration of strength, that
he could scarcely speak. much leas
use his head at all. The doctor
said it was extreme exhaustion from
the cold weather, want of air and
exercise, acted upon by great anx-
iety of mind and nervousness. =
The shorter the time became the
more nervous be was, and mcapa-
bic OF writing. x 4 His distress
that the last post was come without
being able to send (manuserIpt 70 a
magazine) was dreadful"
1t was jests for q ecmIc periodI-
cal that poor Hood struggled to in
vent thai night, wbile his wife sat
at his side waiting to write them
down at his dictation. Such scenes
occurred many a time in the auth
or's room-he, 80 racked with ago.
ny that he could neither write nor
draw, and his wife sitting patiently
during the slow hours of the night,
waiting to see If her husband To'd
have an interval of ease when he
could exercise his powers. The fol-
lowing is a portion of an apology
once inserted in the magazine CALI
ed Hoods Own
sup TO Thursday, the twenty
third, Mr.. Hood did not relinquish
the hope that he should have sufi,
Gent strength TO continue IN the
present number the novel which he
began IN the last 4 x On the
same evning, sitting up in bed. he
tried to invent and sketch a few
comic designs; but even his effort
exceeded his strength, and was fol-
lowed by the wandering delirium
of utter nervous exhaustion"
And yet, wen in such desperate
circumstances, he could sometimes
throw off O great number of excel
lent jests and amusing pictures
On that very night just described
he succeeded In drawing two hum
orous sketches, which were publish
ed in the magazine. One was a pic
ture of maybe, with a hawks
hood on Its head, which was called
Hoods Mag" The other picture
was a collection of bottles, leeches
and blisters ; and this was styled
1.-THE Editors Apologies" During
the last twelve years of his life, be
scarcely ever wrote except with
great physical PAIN or lnconven'
fence. Nor was 1t possible for him
to rest for the compensation paid
TO contributors was smaller ther
than now , be vas in debt through
the fault of others, and 1t required
the utmost exertion of his powers
TO keep the wolf from the door.
His father was @ London book.
seller and author-more successful
however, IN selling than making
books. He wrote two novels, which
have long sInce passed into obliv.
ION; but as a bookseller he was sue,
cessful enough to ear his family
respectfully, and give his children
such education as was usual ct thai
day. in his sphere of life. His SEE
ond son, Thomas. was born in tht
last year Of the last century. Los
ing his father when he was o boy .
fifteen, he was apprentlced to al
engraver, under whom he acquired
that skill with his pencil which b,
turned to account as the editor o
oo- -~n-oI,aolo IT, b.a -,1N-