The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-05
MIR. THACKERAY'S SKETCHES

MR.. I'HACKERAY'S SKETCHES
The immediate object of the publication is
| to give a little genuine memento.of Thackersy
and of the style which was peculiarly his
own, with the sanction of such authority as
marks the work authentic. The "Orphan
of Pimlico," which gives its name to the pub
LEGATION, is very slight sketch in the style of
the "Novels by Popular Authors" of which
already we have various specimens from his
hand. Miss Maria Theresa Wiggleworfh,
"for many years governess in families of the
highest distinction" and whose irreproacha-
BILE character is supported by reference
to the "revered clergy of the district, is
not, however, presented to Us as q
! parody, but upon her merits; and the
| tale of lova%despair, betrayal and punish
ment, whichNshe tells in the most elegant
language, is illustrated with the portraits of
all the fine people concerned, in various SEN
sational moments, ending with tragical
tableau, in which q weak-minded husband
| and wicked lover perish almost.at the same
| moment, and general woe is distributed in
Just proportion to all concerned. Both the
composition of this highly. moral, exciting,
and moIrnful tale, and its illustrations, are
eminently characteristic. They were first
| "begun at Kensington, one evening by lamp.
light" and done in scraps, the last first,
| with the caprics of a family joke filling the
quiet evenings with fun and laughing occu-
patton.
Another set of drawings deal with the ad.
| ventures of Prince Polonio, q precu4o-, az
parently, of Prince CYCLIC, the hero of the
sRose and the Ring" I'm the first rage
space) the travellers come upon q mysterious
parsonage called the Little Assessor of Tubin.
gen, lying asleep under tree, with blue
facings to his coat. My father would never
explain who the Little Assessor was or what
he was doing. He said it was mystery"
The playing cards belong to the same playful
portion of holiday work. All kinds of imagi-
nations play about the black and red pips,
which come in with the most whimsical effect,
thanks to the skillful manipulation of the
artist Sometimes they are black "nigger"
faces, illustrating fantasies of his American
tours - sometimes historical silh0uettes. A
three of clubs. in which the Duke of Marl-
borough is the hero, one spot representing
his own pigtail, another that of his horse, and
third nesting in his cooked hat, is very
clever.
The red cards require. still more pains and
trouble; and the back view of Miss Smith at
the piano, with q diamond let into her shout
ders, in delightful adaptation to the costume
of the period, is almost as good as the scene
representing Napoleon in the midst of the
Old Guard" where one of the. spots of the
eight of diamonds comes into the dress of the
Emperor with the most admirable effect.
"My father once said," says Miss Thackeray,
"that one of the achievements of his life
which had given him most unallOyed satis-
faction, was the introduction Of Nspoleon's
waistcoat as it appeared in this battle scene"
Never was more delightful, genial foolery.
DR.. Birchs school, perhaps less elevated
eff1rt, ought to go to heart of all schoolboys,
with the comical the victim in the foreground,
and the ruful faces of the "boys who 60 up
next" These are nothings, the reader will
perceive; yet they are full both of fun and
pathos, and more significant of the workman
than matters much more important.
Along with this genial play of exuberant
and delightful nonsense, are q few more
elaborate drawings. Perhaps the best of
these is the figure (as is supposedly of gen.
tleman with whom the public made acquslnt-
ance at Mrs. Perkins's ball. "This drawing"
Miss Thackeray says, entering into it with
hereditary humor, "may recall Mr.. Fred
erick Minchin, in the vivacity of early youth.
before he had attained to that dignity for
which he was sfterward remarkable" The
flying figure of this, alas now somewhat an
t qsated beau. in high black stock and collar
AIRY as Terpsichore herself, yet serious az
| all great performers are, in full impulse of o
to SEES delightful. Hs is afoat, but deco
rous, poised in air, yet, one feels sure. certain
never to come down upoL any partners toes,
or otherwise commit himself by pranks unbe.
coming the perfect propriety of this model of
all the graces of the ballroom. This is pure
comedy on its genteelest level. There is q
touch OF tragedy, however, in the somewhat
appalling little picture of children playing in
the Glasgow CUTTERS drawing in which
there is almost Hogarthian touch, in its
keen perception of the misery and unloveli-
ness Of the little group, which yet are not be.
yond the reach of childish grace and mirth.
The two Scotch sketches, indeed, are little
favorable to our beloved country. A more
truculent audience could scarcely have been
than the MacGuffies and MacDuffies whom
the lecturer sees before him, and whose harsh
countenances he leaves on record. Let Us
hope we are not quite so appalling in the
flesh. One of the most amusing of the
sketches is that which represents the interior
Of railway carriage in which an old clergy
man is lecturing q poor lady, convicted of
having the Objectionable publication in her
hand, on the enormity of reading Punch, lin its
early days., while Thackeray himself and
Douglas Jerrold look on and listen on the
1
the conductors Of that paper? and that they
are Chartists, deists, atheists. anarchists and
socialists to man? I have it on the bes:
authority that they meet together once o week
in a tavern in st. Giles, where they concoct
their infamous print. The chief part of theil
income is derived from threatening letters
which they send to the nobi ity and gentry
Their principal writer is q returned convict
To this conversation Jerrold is listening il
the corner, with eyes looking back and {
comic solemnity, while Thackersy himself
grins genial with benign countenenee Thu
incident is said to have reallR ocsrs1ed and
it is easy to understand the q vhicl
the two must have got ont d il We thinl
We know the benevolent oe1icals critic III
who gives 90 fair and friendlSen dunk o
the " infamous print = Back 2ldga
zine. -
Wants and To Rent inssrtedint ~ BUkx
6fty eenfs.