New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-10

ewes from this most absurd description Of him, and
saw him still absorbed III his evil deHght; the
whole struck me as 70 ke scene III iuIOo '""'
could not refrain from bursting out laughing.
Far Iess plcasant than these sketches of odd.
warm hearted Mrs. Grote is the picture of Lady
Holland whom Mrs. Kcmble describes as one OF
the most odious women Imaginable, tolerated for
the sake of " the immense attraction of her house
and of tho people who frequentcd it," and also for
the sake of her amiabe husband. Sydney Smith
figures in several amusing anecdotes. lie used 10
tease Mrs Kcmbc about what he called her " hal
lucination " that she had been married III America.
She was taking leave of him after dinner, few
DAYS before she sailed for this country IN 1897,
when he exclaimed:
Now do, my dear child he persuaded to give mp
this eX.raordinary deusiOn; let 1t. | beg. he re-
corded of us both that this pleasing and intelligent
young lady labOrod under the singular anu uiS'leSs-
ingly insane idea that she had contacted mar
rage with an American; from winch painful 1 a.
Inclination she was eventually delivered Dy tho
friendly celebrations of learned and plous dlVine,
the Rev. sydney Smith" Everybody round us was
in fits of aughler ~ ne adg".Gna. G e no'T held
up my lett hand with its wedding-ring. and began
Oh, but the baby - when the ludlcrous look WIN
which nv reverend toTmeniOr received thS Over
whclmlng testimony of mlne. threw tue whoe COM
pany INTO con, ulsIous, and nothing was hraru
throughout the rooms hut signs ana s"ps OIL OK
haustlou and fan calculations and cries LOT
Ianc6fcr from their eyes As for me, / covered
up my face. and very nearly went into Mysteries
On that same evening, al nv lathei housci uho
compaTativc choapncsS OF living abroad ana IN Eng
land having been discussed Sydncy Smlth ne
clarcd that. for his pant he had never Iohu iorcI-
quarters much more reasonable than nome ONES
or foreign hotels less eXOrbtant IN their charges
IL know | never could live under MY pounds d
week" said he. d" Oh, but how did yon i've was
the next question. " Why u canon should
live" proudly ret0rted he and they charged Inc
enemys ordnance . NJ;
A question having arisen ono evening al MISS WIS
Rprrv's rs To the welcome Lady sale womb
receive in Tendon society after her husband )
heroic conduct. and her heroic PARTICIPATION III H.
during the Afghan war Miss Berry. who, Tor sOmo
reason or other did not admire Lady sale a' hllch
asyevervbOdy else did, said she should not ASK her
to come to her hOusc. Oh yes pooh pooh you
WILL" exclaimed sydney smith you'll have her
he'll have her. they'll have her, We nave her'
She'll be Sale by auction"
The following story Of 1hackeray is highly char
acterslic Of that charming man. Illustrating as
Mrs Krmblc saws, " his great Kindness and anna
bilit, his stceefncss OF temper and disposition"
met him At Miss Bcrry's at dinner few DAYS
he fore he began his OF lee urcS Oh the English
cssaVlsts and lac asked mo TO come aud hear hlm
and told me he was so nCrvousl about 1t that he as
afraid lie should break down.
| had an engagement which prevented my near,
inc his first lecture but prom >ed MN TO g" aud
see him aJ his room before lie began II. TO cheer
bin.
lie was TO lecture at Willis Rooms, in tho same
the time fer his beginning, found hlrI standing
like "A fororn diIconSoate giant in the middle OF
the room, gazing about HIM. Oh, Lord, he eX-
claimed as he shook hands with me, I'm sick at
INV stomach with fright" spoke some words IF
announcement 10 HIN. ana NaS going away, Ut ne
held my hand like scared child, crying On, don
leave me '' " But said !, lhackeray yo"
mustn't stand here Your audience boeinnng
TO come in" and drew him from the middle OF
his chairs and benches which were beginning 10
he occupied, into the retiring room adjoining the
,,t..- rim my n,xn
perfectly familiar with both. Here he began pac-
ing up and down, literally wIinglng his hands IN
mel volls distress. " Now said |, what shall |
dos Shall | STAY with you till YOU begin, or shall
30. and leave you alone TO collect Yourself
" oh" be sad. " if | could only get at that CON
founded thing his lecture, 10 have u last LOOK
at it, "Whcrc ia it," said |. "Ot,n in the next
room on the rcadngdesk' "WoH" said I, q" if
Won don't like to 20 IN and get II, I'll fetch it for
reading which had been close TO the door Of
the retrIng-room dartcd in, hoping to snatch The
manuscript without attracting the attention oil ne
audience, with which the room was already nearly
mil | had been used to deliver my readings seated
at a very low table hut my friend lhacheray gave ms
lectures standing and had had "A reading desk,
placed the PLATFORM adapted to his own very tali
stature, so that when came TO get his manuscript
it was almost above MY head. Though rather DIS
concerted. was determined not to 20 back without
IT, and made half Jump. ana Gluten ~ the DOCK
when every leaf of 1t they were not fastened TO-
petherl came tluttcrlng separately down about
ne. hardly know what did. but think l must
gather up the scattered leaves, and retreat my with
them. held them out IN diSmay 10 poor Ihackeray,
crying, Oh look look what dlGad' H. tn.p ri,d
coudnt have done better for me. | have Just
quarter ot an hour To wait here and it viii take me
about that TO Pare hs again, and rs The best thing
IN be world that could have happened W It'll which
infinite kindness he cOmiOrted me, for was all but
crying 1T having. as | thought increased his dis
tress and tronbics so lcit MIN to give the hrst
of that brilliant course of literary historical essays
with which he enchanted and Instructed countless
audiences IN England and America.
The Iasi time saw hackeray was at dinner at
IN, dear friend Mir. Harness. A. we we're about TO
seat ourselves at table being between Mr. Harness
and Thackcray, his daughter Annie now Mrs
RtenS was eGng to place hs5s on .n% G hd"
daughter next the father And Miss
Thackeray was invited to fake another place.
She had just published her story, " The HIS
tory Of Elizabeth III which she showed
herself 10 have inh nted of the fine elements
of ner fathers literary genus. Aswe sat down
said to him. d" But il appears very evident, think,
that the daughter is 10 be next TO the father" lie
looked at me for a moment with bcalnng face ana
then said. Do YOU know. have never read word
don't you It's excellent 1t would give you 80
much pleasure! My dear lady, ! couldn't.
would tear my cuts ont !h-whch powerful Eng
fish description oi extreme emotion would have
s'artlcdne less III French or ltaIian;" Celia mar
rachcrait les cEtrllllcs," or mi sol ,ccTclberO"
In the evening. he talked back to our early times,
and my coming out at Coyent Garden, and how,
" We all of us said lie land what a noble company
OF Young brains and hearts they were J, were in
love with yon. and had your portrait 10y Lawrence
iu orr rooms (which made me laugh and cry, and
abuse Inn for tautaizing me with the ghost OF
declaration at that late hour OF both our days And
so we parted and never met him again. On his
way home that evening, his daughter told me that
he had spoken kind compassionate words of com
of me. | have kept them in
grateful remembrance. Fine genus and tender
gentle heart the classic writer Of the
keenes and trucst satire of the social vices of
day the master of English style as powerful and
pure that Of the best models, whose works lie has
so admirably illustrated.
Vanity Far" VIII. suppose, he n ways consid
cred 1hacheray'S masterplccc-thOugh everybody
loves beyond all his other portraits. the exquisite
one of Colonel Ncwcomc--hut 1t seems 10 me that