The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-11-16
what Edmund Yates ia. Seen.

| What Edmund Yates Has Seen.
EDMUND YATES Is not man 10 pose and
he Is sinEularly free from propensity mot in
| frequently observed In mon OF his profession)
| to ovorrRte his own abilities. He will not take
| uinbragc. therefore. at those who cannot regard
| him either as n profound philosopher or us
| great literary artist; and he will be we'll con-
tent II they recognize in his writings what. in
| deed they never lack fair mindcdness and
good humor: Il bright. crisp. and en-
| tertnining way OF saying things that in
themselves were abundantly worth saying.
Tho not superlative. but pleasing and effective.
| gifts exhibited in his novels have boon shown
| TO still bettor advantage in his capacity OF cd
! itor. and ho is now seen ut his best in the vol
umo Of "reminiscences which, by u neat allu-
sion TO his successful journal. ho has termed
| The Memoirs 81 a Nan Of TIE World Harpersl.'
| The characteristic qualities OF this well-eon-
ceived and satisfactory book are its pervasive
gcniality and its thoroughly good form"
The author IL quito right in protest.
| ing. "a he does in line OF preface.
| that he can SEQ reason for deferring the
| publication OF these pages till his death. for.
| crowded rs they are with personal anccdote.
| they leave behind no sting and insinuate no
slur: contain. in brief not word that ought to
wound the most sensitive or which the author
mood regret. 1t may be thought that in some
stooped to play the part Of Boswell. but he
never iorl.ots that Boswell was q gentleman.
| The subtitle of this volume is Fifty Years
! OF London Life. but rs MIR. Yates is happily
| only 50 years old lie would not sobery main
| tain that tho fruitful and memorable portion
or his existence covers much moro than n gem
GRAFTON. 1t is true that he was in youth re-
mariiably tall. robust. and maturo-looking for
his years. that lie received an appoint
IN Pa haf,r al
ing the statutory age OF Is. and was
elected to the Garrick Club throe years be-
fore attaining his majority. Thus he began to
SEQ life earlier than most mon. and hc has I'M
questionaby seen more OF 1t. The reader. in
decd. will be astonished at tho intimate ac-
luaintance which this book eyinces. not with
two or three aspects merely. but with a multi
tud8 OF phases OF the social panorama which
during the last thirty years has unrolled itself
in London. They who themselves know some-
thing by experience OF some OF tho subjects
horo discussed can at least vouch for the range
and thorouGhness of the authors knowledge
in those is!ds. and will cheerfully accept his
guidance in regions less familiar. We have
read, for example. with peculiar zest q
chapter on The ADJUSTMENTS of My Youth"
and another on Tho Drama in Those Days"
and nowhere could he found q more life-liko
| and exhaustive transcript Of the diversions fol-
lowed by young pleasure seekers in the London
OF thirty years ago. But Of course these topics
will be chiefly relished by the small section OF
his readers to whom the mere names of haunts
LONG unvisited or vanished call up hosts OF
pleasant memories. On the authors board
however. there are dishes for all appetites and
not Il few OF the persons with whom MI Yates
was brought into contact and about whom
he has something new and enjoyable to
tell. still excite a worldwide curiosity. Among
the features Of tho volume which will be par
ticulary welcome on this side OF the Atlantic are
the impressions and incidents recounted under
tho caption People Have Known" and the
Dickens Chapter" which embodies the recol-
lections Of one who for many years. and in at
least one trying crisis had shown himself to
the author friend indeed. Mr.. Yates let's us
see In the first Ineligible account OF his diffl-
Guilty with the "Garrick Club" that We
hnvo seen how sturdy Dickens sup
ported him throughout that rude ex-
perience. which but for the potent influence
exerted BY his champion might have proved an
irreparable calamity. We do not purpose to
impair tho qualification with which the reader
OF Mr. Yntess book will learn the whole truth
about that curious affair. but wo may record
our conviction that Dickens only did his duty
in vigorously defending his pro,tge. for tho
latter seems to havo been made tho scape-
goat OF long-felt though unacknowledged
novelists. aud the victim OF Thackeray's
resolve to tost whether his influence did not
outweigh that OF Dickens in the Garrick Club
at all oyonts, as. indeed, proved to be the case.
The story reflects no credit on the character OF
Thackeray. who there is too much reason to
believe. has been faithfully depicted in tho en-
vous, snarling. backbitng ad-eating man of
letters at whom Lord Beaconstield has flung a
scon or two in Endymion"
In this vOllma naturally IN hasr
good deal about Anthony Trollope. who, like
Yates US the reader will recall was Post
Oflico employee for the best part OF his days.
1t seems that Trollope in private life was ex-
cessively dogmatic and contentious. and given
to hurting out opinions before no had had
time to think. Il differ from you entirely.
What was 1t you said ?" he roared out once to
the speaker who preceded him in discussion
We can see from Trollope's autobiography that
he left the Post OlIlce in a fit of pique ut his
failure to obtain tho vacant post OF Assistant
Secretary. Mr.. Yates thinks that the pro
verbal bull In the china shop would have been
tame and harmless animal compared to Troll
lope" in the place he coveted. Apropos OF
Trollope's deficient sense Of humor and OF the
fact that his one professedly funny story.
The Struggles OF Brown. Jones. and Robin
SON" fell stIllborn from tho press. we learn
that. contrary to an impression which has
in some way become current. he was
not n good raconteur or conversations
aist. On the other hand. his essential kind
ness o! heart receives the warmest tribute
l do not believe" says Mr.. Yates. that any
man OF his time was more heartily. more thor
oughly. moro unselfsh!y charitable; and he
not merely did not lot his left hand know what
his right hand did In such matters. but he
would savagely rap tho knuckles OF any hand
meddling with his affairs. The larger portion
OF that collection OF books Of which he speaks
with such affection In the Autobiography WAS
purchased to relieve the necessities OF an old
friends widow. who never had an idea but that
she was doing Trollope q kindness in letting
him buy them"
For Shirley Brooks who was never half SO
well known in this country. or. for that matter
in England itself. rs he deserved to be- Mr.
Yates had n deer admiration. Brooks had. We
are told, moro struggle to keep his head UP In