The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-20
THE BRITISH STA & Z.
Travelling by System-A Biologists Guide
Book-Wnter Resorts.
A BATCH OF POEMS AND NOVELS.
Local American Histories -BraZl.--VOice and
Action COal---The Telegraph.
LIFE OF SYDNEY DoBELL.

LIFE OF SYDNEY DOBELL.
The life of Sy dney Dobell was singularly unevent
full, yet English writer has managed to make two
large volumes out of it that full of interest The
work is devoted principally to the circumstances at
tenlant on the mental development of Dobell. AS
the editor of these volumes says the personality OF
Sydney Dobel far transcends the outward results
of his literary activity that it seems more than
usually desirable to attempt record OF his ca
reer.
Sydney Thompson Dobell born April 6. 1924.
1t Cranbrook, Kent, England His father was hide
merchant. but of literary ability well.
and was distinguished for his Unborn refinement and
culture. His ancestors both sides were of strong
religious faith. and his mothers father was the
founder of primitive Christian church in London.
Sydney was regarded by both his parents as having
special and almost apostolic mission. He was re-
markedly precocious child and his precocity over
stimulated At the age of four he began making
rhymes and he kept commonplace
book. Before he twelve he wrote sonnets
to the girl who ultimately became his wife. About
this time he entered clerk in his fathers count
ing house Chetenham, business utterly distaste
full to him, but which he followed conscientiously.
Outside of business hours he received lessons in
French. Latin and Greek. studied law and wrote
poetry From the busy counting house he used to go
down into the country to visit at the home of his
proven in his poems, Of which he sings the
delights of village life:--
A village home, a village home
With village stream and tree,
Where the hearts clean and the graves green
On, village home for me!
The terrible strain upon his mental faculties told
upon a constitution robust. and he had to lay
aside pen and books and retire to the green fields he
loved. At the age Of twenty he married Miss Emily
Fordham. his first and only love- Worldly prospects
not brilliant either side, though he had
enough to keep them from want His literary activity
began in the year 1S49 in lovely old house the
foot Of the Cotswold Hills, where he lived
i've OF the pleasantest years of his life. "The
Roman was finished and Bladder chiefly written
and good deal of other literary work done during
his residence at "Coxhorne but business was not
neglected for literature which, it always art
Gle of his creed, should never be adopted bread
winning profession. In writing to friend lie says:-
Poetry should roll from the heart tears from the
''The Roman" brought him at once into notice, and
he fatteringly received by the critics. Among
other kind letters he received from Mazzini. in
which he says:-"You have written about Rome as /
would had been born poet
Dobell was warm admirer of Cha Bronte
before the world at large had come to acknowledge
her genius, and he wrote apprecative article in
the Palladium Currer Bell. which is reprinted in
this biography. Miss Bronte wrote to her friend
Harriet Martlneau reading 1t and her letter
Published here. In it she says:-
Did Mr.. Dohell possess Prince Ah's ivory tube and
could he with its aid Currer Dell sometimes
mending stocking making pie in the kitchen Of
old parsonage house in the obscurest of York
shire village9. l am afraid the young poet would
s'fold his silver wings" his offended eyes and
desire to recall his fervid words. Mr. Dobell
tells me to wait and wait. will. We're dependent
my exertions for my daily bread think would
rather hire myself out again as governess than
write against the grain out OF the mood not
like you. whc have no bad days. have bad days.
bad weeks. aye, and bad months!
Later on she writes to Mr.. Dobell himself
Your letter is very kind, your offered friendship
very welcome; but first you must understand me.
You say am very young. No; dare say people still
call me young by courtesy but really am not and
young no longer consider myself. feel sure you
must be some years my junior because it is evident
you still view life from point have long out-trav
elled. believe there is morning light for you in the
world morning feeling of strength. enterprise and
courage. am journeyer at noon-tide, DESTROYS of
rest already. and with the dim still time of
afternoon in prospect. You think chiefly what is to
be done ana won in life; !, what is to be suffered
The fullness, expanse and delight of existence glad
den your mind; its brevity aud uncertainty impress
mine Yet this dissimarity does not, think pre-
vent us from being friends and very true friends
too. If ever we meet you must regard o grave
sort of elder sister.
In another letter she says:-
Thackeray and Rachel have been the two points of
attraction for me in town-the one being a human
creature, great, interesting and sometimes good and
kind; the other, know not what. l think demon
j saw her in "Adrienne Lecouvreur" aud in
Camilla. In the last character shall forget
hor-she will come to me III sleepless nights, again
and yet agail. fiends hate, scorn rave writhe
and agonize she does, not mere and women
neither love, esteem admire this strange being
but III could bear the high mental stimulus so oiigj
Iwoud go every night for three months to watch
aud study its manifestations.
The working out of Dobes character is graph.
caly portrayed in these two volumes, the latter of
which is devoted mainly TO correspondence and the
numbering of his virtues which, the writer says,
'give the epitoIne of his life." Certainly he was
model man and a thoughtful writer and those who
know him only the author of that pathetic poem
"Tommy IS Dead" will find the perisal of these
volumes well worth their while. Dobeil died In
August 1874. in his fortyhrst year. aud was buried
in the Panswick Cemetery.