Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-01
Some "reminiscences of Thackcray

When saw Mr. Tha;keray pass our carriage
door knew him, and therefore captured him.
DESTROYS OF making way for him, remarked to
my fellow travellers, Frenchman and his wife,
Il would ike to make place for Mr.. Thack-
cray" The fact that named Mr.. Thackeray
made no impression. apparently. upon my
u 6. MI: Thackeray, the celebrated English au-
thor" Same Indifference. Having hailed Mr..
Ihackerey and got him Installed. as prelm-
inary remark referred to my effort to explain
his status to my neignbors, and to the impress
sion had made. He laughed, and said, "Oh,
II takes hfty years for an English reputation to
travel to France" lndeed, something strongly
TO Congress OF literary men called TO meet In
Paris, Invitations were sent out to foreign au-
tnors OF distinction to be present, and among
them 10 1hackeray and DickensD He dis
cussed the reasons for the American Revolu-
tiOn.-claiming that the resistance OF our
ancestors to the Stamp ACT was unJusttnabIe
an afraid the case for the defense was Weak,
for at that time, being college graduate, I
think had studied almost everything IN IN
ought to know for his literary salvation except
sation centred on his treatment OF women in
his works It being represented that he took
low view OF female character, his reply lit
other than they are7" That OF course provoked
discussion as to the facts. He became com
municatlve about himself; he spoke OF MS eau
large amount OF money, which he named. He
stood for the University OF Oxford and was
DSaten Dy ST. Robert Walter CardWeiI, who
was afterwards, believe. unseated for bribery
asked him how they took his treatment OF
the Georges In England, In those killing lee.
lures. He said the arlStOCrscy had cut him.
He spoke particularly OF Lord WenSleydale tue
Barren PAke OF the lawyers. He and Wensley-
dale had long been friends "but after che lee
lures, " said Thackeray, ''ne cut me completely"
/ remarked TO MI. Thackeray that he hid
veLtured no criticisms upon our people after
bis return home; and that shO lid b. glad 70
know what Qispleased him most In our Ways
He replied promptly. 1.-The abuse heaped oy
thu ut WspaperS on one another; and IL wasn't
cit ve;V done, with the exception OF Pail
adj lPhia editor, and told them to keep watch
on him." II Mr.. Tbaekeray could come ag lin,
pelEapa, OF the deepest interest RELAXED to Gae
styles OF authors. One sentence can never De
forgotten: III I We're to wrie as l would like
l v ouid adopt the style OF Fielding and Sm0.-
lett; but society would not tolerate IL.
TIE discussion now going On between real
Ism or naturalism aud sentimentalISn or Id ,al-
Ism is here fOrshadowed. OF course we have TO
condemn much that FIELDING and Smo!le lett
wrote, ana what Zola writes, because they
speak too plainly. grossly, II you like; but It
remains essentially true that their style, as a
style. Is now fighting for recognition with some
chance for success.
ThacEeray has. to my mind, noe only BEEN
Influenced In his 81 VI. by his models Fielding
and Sm0llett, but by the style in which fiction
Is treated BY the best French authors The
Col densed, inCiSl7e. epigrammAtic and nat
urHl style OF ThaCkeray Is clearly characteristic
OF The modern Fre0c school OF ticAon.-Jan-
nary Atlantic,