Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-09-02

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aud In the historical essays, as those oil
the Four Georges and the English Humor.
lists. that Thackeray is most ''at home" to
us; In the novels, he Is before the public
and has to sustain a character: lust MS IL II
with preacher; too often he Is one m an IL
the parlor, and another in the pulpit.
lfyou wish to convince yourself of his
high regard for morality and religion read
the story Of Mary Ancel and that Of Beat.
rice Merger.!n the Paris Sketch Book and
listen to the following quotation from the
"Gambler's Death" 'In some German
tale, there Is an account of a creature most
beautiful and bewitching, whom all men
admire and follow; but this charming and
fantastic spirit only leads them, one by one,
into ruin, and then leaves them. The nov
elist who describes her beauty, saws
that his heroine is a fairy, and has no
heart. think the intimacy which is be-
gotten over the wine-bottle Is spirit OF
this nature; never knew good feeling
come from 1t, or an honest friendship
made by 1t; 1t only entices men and ruins
them. II Is only phantom OF friendship
ana feeling. called up by the delirious
blood, and the wicked spells of the wine"
Thackeray's attitude toward religion Is
manifest In the following extract. which
was suggested by female novelist as
sertion that we need q new Messiah. and
that the Christian religion is no more.
20 awful, awful, name OF God. Light
undesirable. Mystery uufathomable, Vast
ness, who comes forward to explain the
mystery, and gaze unblinkins into the
depths Of the light, and measure the i'm.
measureable to a hair? o name that Gods
people OF old did fear to utter, o light,
that Gods prophet would have persisted
had he seen! Who are those that are now
so familiar with it?"
Ihackeray's idea OF a gentleman is plain
ly set forth in the following, from the con-
ciusion OF his lecture on George the Fourth.
What is It TO be a gentleman2 Is il to
have lofty aims, to lead a pure life, to keep
your honor virgin to have the esteem Of
your fellow citizens, and the love of your
hreside; to bear good fortune meekly, to
sutier evil with constancy, and through
evil or good, to maintain truth alwavss
Show me the happy man whose life exhib-
Its these qualities, and him we will salute
a. gentleman, whatever his rank may be;
show me the prince who possesses them,
and he may be sure OF our love and loyal
ty."
II would be easy and delightful to multi
ply instances OF noble sentiment. culled
from every plant OF Thackeray's produc-
tions; but we must content ourselves with
one more, from 1.-The History of Samuel
I1tmarsh, or the Great Hoggarty Diamond
Ia one place he says, Happy il /. to love,
when one Is hopeful and young In the
midst OF smiles and sunshine; but be uH-
bs'T guoH t''6tTfarc" .-t1ittie- iartner on.
after pathetically describing the death OF
his child, Mr.. Ttmarsh says, amen. We
have other children happy and we'll, now
round about US, aud from the fathers
heart the memory of this little thing has
almost faded; but do belle ,e that every
VI hti tic tuiuhs DI Iup
iirst-born that was with her for so short a
while; many and many time has she TAX
en- her daughters to The grave, where he
lies buried; and she wears still at her
neck little, little lock Of gold hair which
she took from the head OF the infant AS he
lay smiling in his coffin. 1t has happened
To Inc to forget the child's birthday, but
to her never; and after In the midst of CON-
mon talk, comes something that shows
she is thinking of the child stili.-some
simple allusion that is to me inexpressibly
affecting" These are only extracts, 1t is
true, but no man who was essentially
cynic could have written them. They af-
ford us glimpses of the real person, behind
the mask OF satire which he usually wore;
they let us catch the true spirit by which
10 interpret the rest, and they prove that
as"his countenance was lit with an express
sou Of almost womanly tenderness, so his
writing Is pervaded with gentle and low
ing path os."