New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-14

THE AUTHOR OF 7HORNDALE.n
A. St.ahan In The Dan of Rest


THE AUTHOR OF " THORNDALE."
A. Strahan In The Day Of Rest
I owed my first personal acquaintance with Will
lam Smith to an introduction by the accomplished
lady whom he had the singular good fortune to
Of Miss Cumming, the able translator Of Freytag's
Debit and Credit" and of the Life of Frederic
Perthes" who may not have Learned ed that she be-
came the wife of the author of "ThOrnda!e." In
Edinburgh circles it was understood that he and she
had met at the English Lakes, while Miss Cumming
had long been we'll known in the northern capital
that William Smith was an old and frequent con-
the author of the remark able volume he had pub,
Ilshed, everybody, was willing to learn from the
said to be shy and recluse he was able. Ihnve
since heard friends confess that they very dull
at the time not to gather the trne Significance of
some embarrassment that was at times shown in the
answering of their questions.
One forenoon Mrs. Smith called at my Office. AS
went forward to meet her noticed step or two
behind her, slightly built gentleman, somewhat
below the middle height, and no longer young,
at enc same g not r age mpc me
fact looking disturbed, and if, on the whole he
would rather be ON the other side of the door. l
author Of "Thorndaie The shyne ss Which i he
showed was shyness of very peculiar kind. After
ness it, Hardly could it be said that as you talked
on 1T passed away it in some degree stayed, but
perfect graciousuess began to fit over his face and
the bright dark eyes, met yours fully, III no way
Shrinking from looking into your mind, ana
quite ready to be looked into But for the eyes,
the face scarcely could be called impressive,
though It grew more, and more interesting as you
gazed., The forehead was not high, but was we'll
formed. / atterward found that he might fairly be
described as bri liant talker, when he was once
reused At this earliest meeting however, in spite
or some unconccalcd encouragement from Mrs.
Smith, the remarks he made were very brief though
always prompt and given with a smile. Theshy-
ness, meanwhile, went a little, came back again,
and atresh faded, but toward the the close of the
talk it was relnstated in nearly full force ON my
,,,,It 81,
the dltidencc could become actual embarrass-
ment if any one did not restrain the natural impulse
vcrsation turned away from himself, Mr.. Smiths
mind quoted again. Taken altogether, there was.
as now try to recall that first interview, something
nearly boyish in Mr. Smiths bearug-a touch of old
fasilonetiness, as though he had straycd for min
other world which, if not so bustllng as tbis, was
kinder and IN which everybody was very sincere.
Many people, who had not thought ont its likcl--
hood beforehand would have been surprised TO find
that an acute ethical thinker and recondite meta
physician could be so merry in o large part of his
talk. True, il atcrnated. In the midst of the light
Wit some very serious reflection would from time TO
time peep out; even though, IN the fashion OF it's
uttercr, it hurried To hide itself again The genera
impre ssion produced upon you was that you
in the society OF perfectly original man; one who
valued at very little most of the honors and the ros
sessions priced by people III general. but who had
deliberately stepped aside from the ordinary amb-
tons, to give himself To thinking everything
for hllnse and living in h own set-prompted way,
undsturbeG.
think that should have got this notion even if
SMITHS career. Something of II, believe, anyone
spending time in his company would have soon
guessed, even If they hal MOI been told that after
he had been educated for the law he had calnly
turned his back uron il, and for years buried him
self i'll cottage lodgings to devote himself wholly to
the business OF a solitary thinker Everything had
been made 10 give way To the uursung OF deep
reasoning; not only had he declined To follow
up the chance OF being Professor Wilson's
Ill chair OF Moral Philosophy, but even literature
itself had been made 20 yield and sacrifice her pros
poets. William smith, rs then was aware became
tNHGffSTiU Ia w
only twenty -Sevcn or twenty eight years of age
and he adj really much versatility OF literary ;ac
ulty-bciDg poet. tale-wIIter, and reviewer rs well
Us philosophical author Further. | had learned
direct statement, that he recko ed among his ear-
est friends men who had muc influence in the world
" Thunderer" of The IiMosl, Mr.. Lockhart, j. y
Mill, Mr.. Il. IL. Lewes; Work must have been open
to hum IN plenty, with friendly encouragement to
In his own way; he must work ut just such rate rs
has thinking Itself prompted. He would not even
push literature as Profession i'll the way that
other men did. lie must always be ut liberty TO
thinkIto go to the bottom of subject and become
William smith, as all who saw his manu-
script wheh meant tor the printers knew, cou Il
wrltc WIN adiHirapio dis'lncthcss, bus IN making
nasty private Jottiugs, the hand tried 10 keep pace
with the swift BRAN. Mrs. Smith stated that many
OF what she believed to BE his most happy inspire
tons, his acutest reflections, his most suggestive
turns of phrase, hal in this way been rrcoovcraby
lost. lie Was she added, always promising that he
would cure tnls habit but IL ever recurring
Tie simply said, with humorous grimace We'll [
must think that point out again. 1t appeared 10 bc
so easy Tor INN to anasS lucas by wing lit le
labor TO The task, that the loss OF two OF them
did nos after all, very much signify.
i, though not without Il little trouble got him to
accept AN vltation 10 spend evening with me
at my home in BaYsWatcr, to meet some friends of
my own These included, among others DR. Nor
inan Macleod, " no mad expressed TO me "A stroup
wish 10 make the acquaintance of William smith
Ii was curious, ANA may perhaps be allowed 10 say
lItlle amusing, tonote the authOrof "Thorndalcsr
shy demcanor among he group OF admirers he iou,I
himself suIrounded by, There was should Say,
not one present who did not feel intccctualIy In
dcbted 10 HIM, and ~ was not very unnatural that
they should WISH 10 acknowledges this him and IN
offer hlu their thanks. But compliment alwnvh
alarmed William smith. | saw him, III n tiutter of
mental distress, turn his looks away from first ono
injury OF Offering him praise / went to hi, hello
Il a trlcd To protect hm against this pa wing OF conn
piiinents, which most men would have given much
10 receive.
As now think of him, William Smith stands ont
very distinct Inquire III the circle that evening
lhele were men There well known in Iteraturr
some more conspcuOusly public than he but none
of the Others differed from each other os he nd
from them all. should suppose that so FAR "a mere
money rewards went he had been the least SUCCESS
1ul OF that group OF writers. But every one of them
showed MN KIND OF Difference. | fancy they ali
leit that TINS slight dark-cyed man, VINO was AZ
diuluenG as he was able, and TO whom neither
acllcVement nor age brought scf-coniidence had
made more personal sacrifices for letters than any
other there, and iii certain sense had done their
common vocation most honor, by pursuing teroturo
more completely for her own sake. Dr. MaclroI
alter some talk with him. took occasion to whi,unr
to me, smith has more brains than all the lot of
Us, ana heart as pure as IL Woman's wish could
meet the man every day"