The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-25
INTERESTING RECOLLECTIONs.


As the result of speaking of the prince
of Wales we are led to think of others OF
our distinguished English visitors.
have always spoken of Charles Dickens,
who never could entirely do away with
the venom generated by his first trip to
America, though the overwhelming at
tention, financial especially, with which
he was received ON the last completely
disarmed him, as it has many more of
our British cousins, among the rest
Thackeray, who without the slightest
doubt, had he failed in the purpose of
his visit-to lecture-would have gone
home and lampooned us to his hearts
content.
l first saw Thackeray at Harper's, in
the business Office, think about twenty
years ago, talking with Mr.. Fletcher
Harper since dead. There WAS some
thing abOnt the man that immediately
attracted my affection, peculiar way he
had of looking over and under his spec
tacles, and a manner of laughing without
laughing, or what | would call spoken
laugh, without any inward exclamation.
had seen his portraits and knew that
he was in this country, and felt sure that
it must be he. An introduction fol-
lowed, aud | was made known to him by
the title of something had once written,
and which be professed in a very elusive
manner to have read, but left an impress
sion on my mind that it was mere fiat
terry, and that he would have said the
same thing to any one else in the same
tone of voice and manner. l had many
opportunities afterwards of seeing Thack-
erary, and having long talks with him,
but | confess never got rid of that first
impression, though he was certainly
charming in his conversation and manner.
felt as a friend, to whom | was once
saying something complimentary about
himself, replied. 81 know it istt true,
my dear fellow, but like to hear you
say it,"
But one "reminiscences brings on anoth-
er, and cannot help thinking of several
brilliant men who have left England and
Ireland, especially the last, to lay their
bones In this country, and some that have
not done the latter but are sure to. Who
IL there now to remember poor William
North who wrote book that excited all
England forty years ago entitled "Anti-
Coningsby," came to this country for
some reason, which believe to have been
love reason, wrote here novel called
slave of the Lamp" which had great
success, went to his room one day and
took drop or two of a poisonous acid,
which he always carried with him ready
for use, and dropped instantly dead, 50
quickly that he had no time to reach his
bed from the bureau, where he was sup
posed to have swallowedit? l talked with
him JOLLY an hour before.
Another. Charley Halpine miles
OReilly), who was supposed to have
committed suicide, superstition never
INDUCED in, for the simple reason that
the motive was wanting. He had Just
attained high Office, register, saw
wealth before him, was apparently hap
Ply In his family relations, though that is
something that no man ever can pro.
nounce on for any one, hardly for him
self, and with everything about him
seemingly to live for, and yet he left his
jovial companions, went to his room.
took chloroform and was found dead a
few hours later.
Again, Fitz James 'Brien real
genius, who wrung a hard living out of
publishers, and when the war broke out
was found in the nnion army doing his
best for the country that had received
him kindly. Somewhere near Baltimore
in the very beginning of the war he was
out on scouting party, and, emerging
from bit of woods, was confronted by
party of confederates. O'Brien on his
own account commenced firing with his
revolver upon their commander, who
was Colonel Ashby, afterwards the fa-
nous rebel scout. 1t was a regular duel,
and O'Brien fell, wounded in the shout
der. He WAS carried to Baltimore, and
there died from bad surgical treatment,
as happen to know for certainty.
Speaking of O'Brien puts me in mind
of Artemus Ward. We were all init
mate friends, but there has been so much
invention and nonsense written about
the latter, that almost tremble to say
word lest may be put down among the
fabulists. Especially an Englishman by
the name of Kingston, trusting to his
imagination for his facts, and having
been the travelling agent of Artemus for
a while, got out a book in which the
main parts of the great humorisl's life
were omitted while other parts were
purely imaginary to fill in. The real
story of Artemus' debut into prominence
is this: There was in 1850 a comic
paper printed in this city by two broth
ers, Stephens, called Vanity Fair, which
blazed up brilliantly for while under
literary and artistic genius, but finally
fiickered and was likely to expire. The
editorship was offered to me, but ! saw
plainly could do nothing with it.
said:
There are only two men in this country