The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-08-11

to the TREND VINO accompanied me, and
exclaimed: What a splendid detective she
would make. I'll warrant you what she
does not observe is not worth observing"
The old man complained sadly of the
oppressive heat, and declared it to be very
adverse to good literary work. We re-
marked to him that he was getting too old
for such incessant labor. "Oh, no!' he
exclaimed. 81 shall not complain of age for
ten years to come. Why, was only Sixty
eight on my last birthday. My great grand
father was one hundred years old the day
was born, and lived five years after. My
father and grandfather also lived to extreme
old age, and each retained his health and
mental vigor to the last. My youngest
daughter is only in her fourteenth year.
All. if it were not for her, | should not
care to live so long. | was at school with
Thackelary and playmate of Dickens,
and both are gone. Dickens | loved like a
brother. He was SO genial, SO generous
and childlike in spirit, so devoted to his
beautiful art. He was a very industrious
writer, and l care not what may be said to
the contrary, | wouldn't give fig for any
genius except the genius for hard work.
Genius, or inspiration, can do nothing but
give the idea, and if the untiring energy
to elaborate and elucidate the inspiraticual
germ reside not in the writer, his genius
will avail him nothing. Thackerary was a
very different man from Dickens. He was
born an aristocrat, and consequently felt
none of that intense sympathy with the
poor and outcast of society, exhibited by
the author of g Bleak House." and "Oliver
Twist He squandered an immense for
tune in riotous living, then took to ltera-
ture as a respectable means of making a
living
We informed Mr.. Mckenzie that we had
read his life of Dickens with great pleasure.
"That work." said he, "was written,
reviewed, and placed in the publisher S
hands five weeks from the day that the first
page was written
The author is at present engaged on a
work to be entitled Recollections of Cee-
brated Writers on Both Sides of the Allan
TIC" which is to be published by Harper
& Brothers. He expressed his regret that
so much of his own personal history has
been published during his lifetime. To
use his own words: 81 am often impor-
tuned by pretended admirers to allow them
to write my biography. Now | think that
the writing of mans life, while he is still
alive, is like erecting a statue to living
person. Summaries are abundant, as you
will find on this side the Atlantic, in Duy-
chinck's Encyclopedia of American Litera.
ture, in Thomas's Cyclopedia of Biography,
Zell's Cyclopedia of General Literature
Allibone's British and American Authors,
and as | only discovered day long and
somewhat imaginative sketch in "Dstin
guished men of Pennsylvania"
He next showed US his lbrary-a snug
little room with ten thousand volumes on
the shelves; one, he informed us, was four
hundred and fifty years old. Still another
was the very first copy Of that curious book
which girl, Boston monomaniac, wrote
to prove that Lord Bacon, and not Shakes
peare, wrote the world-renowned dramas
which have so long been attributed to the
"Divine Willie" Just over the writing
desk, in the library, is palld bust, not of
Pallas, but of the celebrated Lola Montez
whom Mckenzie informed us claimed to
be relation of his; and as he did not like
to dispute with a lady, he had never con-
tradicted her. Near the marble representa-
ton of the great lecturess hangs the por-
trait of young girl, done by Sully, and
presented by the artist to the author. On
little table, IN cosy corner, we noticed
quite number of Hawthorue's works
All, they are my daughters" said he.
81 do not love Hawthorne, but my little
let Letter at least twice year,
We ventured to inform him that we too
admired 1.-The Scarlet Letter." and con-
sidered it one of the most finished and ee
gantly written romances in the English
language.
alt is too MYSTICAL" he replied. 81
like not those works of fiction which deal
SO largely in the supernatural" After
some more desultory talk about books and
authors we took our leave of the ruddy-
faced old man, who accompanied us to the
street door and politely bowed us out. We
shall always remember him as a round,
red, jolly-faced man, with silvery white
hair, covered partially with a black velvet
smoking cap. A portly figure, clothed in
loose fitting shepherds plaid pantaloons, a
red dressing gown and gaily- worked slip
pers, the work of the little pet daughter,
we have 10 doubt.
Shortly after our return home we re-
ceived from the distinguished reviewer a
letter from which we quote the following
in regard to our forthcoming book: "Your
characters are clearly drawn and have indi-
viduality. In fact they act and talk like
human beings, and that is good The in
tcrest is well sustained from the beginning
to the end. | believe that you have the
talents which can not fail to lead you to
success in literature, if only my friend you
have the energy and will concentrate your
whole mind upon your work, instead of
giving it a divided attention, as you say
you have done in the past Depend upon
it the sweetest reflection you can have in
old age is that your pen has ever been en-
ployed upon the side of truth and right.
Let nothing tempt you to prostitute your
talents to the service of wrong and injus-
tice. 1t is scarcely necessary to add that
the reading of this letter gave your little
correspondent very queer feeling about
the heart. "CoUsIN SUE