, 1870-05-02
THE LITERARY MEN AND Ar
lists OF ENGLAND.

farceB and odds and enua genefa4y " une |
III. George Holder, gooa.fempered fellow,-1
quite content to admire others, and ready to
be useful where be can. But Mr. Holder Is
not alwayH with the press. For the last thirty
vea.s he has, at intervals, accompanied public
lecturers rs their secretary, and has acted IN
Of various Einds- To him has occurred the
itlea Of book Others, with less oppo1tuni-
ties, have turned their experience to profitable
literary account; Why should not he? SO we
haye, to-day big volume uaea ea5ea asmoM
the curtain behind which he has stood as the
attendant upon great men. OF course, he Is
riiicnled. The book tempts one in that d1reo-
ton amazingly, but it has its interest Ihe
world really does like to know what it esd Of |
people who sneer most At the curiosity ere
often the most curious Of all
That Douglas Jeuo!d's friends were many
is illustrated by the numerous Social clubs he
established, or asHlsted in establishing.
;rel4 :. Hooks and Eyes" tour Club, ;" and |
81 The Mulbe1ries." Jcrrold had two maga-
zines but he lacked ths administrative fac
uIts, and neither WIS successful weekly
newspaper, named after him, was started IN
ls4s, and Je1rold undertook to viat Paris and
write an account of the revolution Holder
went with him, to assist N collecting matar1-
sls, Bnt Je11pId's mind was not IN the work-
he omitted to present his letters OF in1odoc-
ton to Lanartine, Ledrn ko!in, a4d a.. othe oa.e
son received an appointment N tho Treasury
ft1,m Lord John Russen, and his third BOD Was !
placed under the care OF Sir Joseph Paxton,
or aIr. Charles Dickens, Mr- Holder. who |
has been associated with him in literary busi-
saii that This complexion seemed strangely |
to harmonize with his hAi1 tfor he wore NO
1hiakers. and moustaches at that period had
not found their way TO the co99tEy), IN one
uniform tint Of iron gray; And his shirt collaf
asconded from his neck IN . ncglige manner,
WHICH might be considered sloren1y, but which
vas picturesquely effective IN its loose !uSurl-
|. auee. There was, moreover, sort OF ynle-
tudins1ian air about him, and he appeared e1-
trerucly particular as to whathe alto and drank,
ncnt. such as he was accustomed to IT home,
-. lust the wing Of 8 chicken, and "only
moderate quantity OF cherry and water" being
eanefiaDv demanded. There is touch here
OF Horace sImpole: Lord Byron's name 1
ronI WITH tho two IFS" and the II, :" short
hodder met Sheridan knowles one night IN
a tnvern t1eQuented chiefly By actors, and
found the. company, instead OF lnduig1ns IN
| the freedom OF speech which vas their 1Foat,
| siThere,e Sheridan Knowles" whispered more
| than one gentleman Of the party, and it VAS
| tl,en apparent that the dramatic author had
inspired the assembly Of players With awe. In
! the course OF a few minutes Knowles rose TO
take his departure. and ereIy man in TIE room
rose IN obcis.nco to him. Sheridan Knowles
was singn1arlr remarkable for an Ingenious
| einplicitv o! speech, together with IN extra
| ordinary absence Of mind. Before bis death
be left the theatrical work, and presched and
| enough, his son, who WAS latsly the editor Of
| HE London Rerie,c, u Conan Catholic.
| Holder Bccomparied Nh. 1h1ckcray in his
lecturing tours, and Is free in his information
! about him. His sccount is that there was 3
constitutional reaerve in the manner Of the
satiIist, accompanied at times BY cold aus
tazity which led to some misglvlngs "a to the
possibility or hin beiag the pleasant socaal
| companion his lut1mates often described him
to be and yet it il well known to those who
! 1nentH that he could be essentially Jolly when
! tte Lumor suited him, and that he would, on
| such occasions, open his heart as freely as II
the word '.1etIcenee formed no pafa o. o155 M5
keep himself entirely within himself, and an
swer question by ! moposyllAble, or Perad-
! venture by significant movement OF
! The head. At one moment he would look
an1t{ tn n It tie snatSst dsSss e End s5d ssdi
tu1p from xou with > peculiar waving OF the
| hand. Indicating that he had no desire to talk
! Men who we're members Of the same club with
| INN found he would sometimes psss them IN
the lobb'es unnotced, and ut others he would
hinl an impression that su1lenness OF hduteNr
wza wholly foreign to his nature. It should be
stated that his health for many yea1H had
never been entirely unimpailed. and ms acute
sensihility often rendered It tksome TO m.n ~. e
| Of nervous temperament, md dehcsnS u
that vigorous Hef-posseseipn which enauies
man to acuuit nimseR IN public Assemblies
Douglas 5eI5oa wss heard 1ssss 20 Ind don
. nov him yet" He valued money, but was 2
, ~ neans uucencrona- He had borrowed
. | his day.
q writing st ThaekeraY's dictation, and maxim
9 e1Hacfs from booke. AL this took plAce in tn
: authors bedroom. Often Thacketay Eonl
. light a cigar, and, after pacing the room fe'
. minutes, would put the unsmoked remnant o
Z easy to follow, as his enunciadon was Away
g lear and distinct, and he generally. Weigho
+ his words before he gayc them breath. so th1
r Lis amnnucnsis seldom receiSed . check du1
Q ing the progress Of his pen He never becsm
t energetic, but spoke with the calm deGbe1atio
+ which distinguished his public readings. .
E. The Sunday before be went to America he spok
g OF the money be should probably make the1
i | by his 1eadinga. He wanted a few thousanI
I more, he said, for he hid not yet mad "a
i n mSrazine-w1iting. The farewell dinner
, nm put him IN state Of nervous anxiety, IN
+ HoJder had to cit down beforehand and writ
10 ut dictation the heads Of speech; Charlt
e Dickens was the Chairman At a late ho1
= Dickens and some others left. and Thsekers
l. WAS about TO move, when Jer1o1d took Z
it char and Fhackerny remained. None Of Il
meu present viii forget that night. There vi
an A air OF wit about the room for three da!
r after. On Thacke1sy's return from AlaeIit !
a guifeas for each reading. He really admire
70 Dickcps, When No. 5 Of " Donbey and Son
20 came out, lie hastened to tho Punch otic
and entering the room Of tho editor (Mr; Max
u Lenon), he dashed the number on to the t
ID Bio with 7ehemence, and exclaimed: There
=; r. no writing against such power as this-one b
u y no chance Read that chapter describi1
g young Paul'e DEATH it is unsurpassod-it
he stupcndous I"
G. TGackeray's Illnesses we're the bane of b
~ life He was aeked If he received the be
of medical advice, Certainly he had" WIS
ne reniv; st.but what is the use Of advice il =,
an don't follow it? They tell ne not to dr'n
IS, aud do drink. They tell me not to s1nok
o. do eat In short, do everything that a
nc desired not to do, and, therefore, what am
=, to e1pects" .
o Mr. Dickens does not know what nerTou
~ ness means. When asked if he bad sy
OF OF felt fdgety before public occasions on viii
% % in tho least. The first time to'
~ the chair ut q public dinner I f
y y as much confidence At II + had done t
~ ~ eRne thing hundred times before" He
~ hsppy on minor occhslons- At dinner g1Fe
=. - his son, when about TO leave for China, Il
III. young gentleman became warmed WITH WIN
r. when Dickens, in returning thankB tor
OWE health. tookthe opportunity Of obsaty1' "
re- that aftcr such . generous dinner "a lit
he transaction in tea /" would do his son Wor
Of Of good Thaeke1ay, when presiding 1t . di
"a Ecr Of the General Theatrical Fund. bro
40 90 down completely. Hs Ind prepared I
~ ~, speech. and lie commenced with como learn
~ alluaons TO the car OF Thespis and the ca,
I'M | history OF the drama, when he suddenly q
~ | 1npsed, and brought his address to a clio
t is IN few commonplace observations, viii
ar, could scarcely be called coherent
OF 1 can bear out Mr. Holder when he &
IN t sc1ibes Orsiui as IN extremely amiable, una
~ ~ suuning GentleInau-unassuming aud since1
N, nj Despite the dreadful net which he pespctr:
NJ ed at last, he never spoke IN manner Viii
ali would lead to q balief that he was other Ii
Is An honest patriot, hoping and Starving for t
r. delvetance Of his country.
4e, Asaule compoeers of muslc for the p1al
ms 1ae fnrte write with the instrument before the
Of | and paper on table at thelr a'oe-oeVel GEH
be- iDc the intended results BY letting the nng
CT trayel over the keys until they have ACHE,
ce; snrt harmonious sounds as they desire.
neg late Vincent Wallace, however, could comp
,nn v1 without any instrument at all and as . pia
Ii he could glide impercephbly from one tnne
;re- another without causing the slightest checa
, II continuous harmony-so, IN fact, tnat
our hearer never knew when one tune VISA go
,or 0n to end and another one WAS about to begun
tsr The vanity OF Charles kean ia pretty
an known. Willie Hodder was writing dram
any notices, Ke.n, then at the Princess Thea
Ne ' enee to o III remark " Of yonra w 8 concerning @
ear physical energy that I was not aware t
ncs mere physical acting was enc Of
distinguishing points; and celtsin]y