The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1889-11-30
RANDOM SKETCH ELS.
The Authors We Love.
For the SENTINEL.

AA(NA Az IN WV N hSSV
in their books, and though we may
but little of the private history
of a writer. how much we learn of him
through his pen-hi> peculiar traits,
likes and dislikes. But what
Il charm is there in every little bit of
authentic narrative concerning his
actual life, character or habits. We
like to picture our favorites in their
own homes to see them as ordinary
mortals,-and alas sometimes very
weak ones-and especially to read of
the places where they toiled up the
sides of Parna>slIS. or wnoed rich fam
cieS from the world of Imagination.
We have our idols anon. the liter
AIRY giants ; and if II closer knowledge
of their actual personality sometimes
skaters the image, we are prone T."
gather up the broken fragments and
worship them still. OF Thackcry 4
street gamin once said. as the novelist
passed by him, 'Look. look, there
goes Becky Sharp" In the mind of
this boy the real author was lost in the
character he had portrayed. Thack-
cry, himself. said of Shakespeare Il
| should like to have been his shoeblack,
inst to have lived in his house, in. 20
have ~wol>hiIed him. To have run on
his clrands and seen that sweet, Sc
rene face" George Eliot wrote to Il
friend. II have seen Emerson, the first
man | have ever seen" One reads
Goldsmith and then fancic9 the care
less, indolent author working away in
his garrett, simply because he mast
write to live.
We are ready to forgive if we AN
not forget the faults of II Byron, a
Shelly and a Poe as we are touched
with the tenderness or snblimitv of
their verse. We condnnc the excuses
of tender hearted Burns, a~postropliz-
ing the field mouse turned mp hv his
plOuglshare, and giving to the world
the sweet and simple sonnets in his
own dialect. We picture Walter Scott
toiling 20 conscientiously at beautiful
Abhotsford that by his pen he may
pay off the debts which threaten his
estate and burden his soul. We re-
member Dickens pacing through mid
night mists the slams III London. that
he may immOrtaliZe the strange scenes
and characters hidden away there.
And we think of him again III his own
home, Will, his fastiIlous tastes, pas
sing from room to after Il tempo
rary absence, to see that everything
is in the elegant order he loved to pre-
serve. or throwing all the energy of
his nature into the private amusements
of his friends and the sports of his
children.
The admirer of CARLYLE sees him
seated at his own tea-table cramhling
the delicate biscuit always provided
by the unselfish wife; she so careful
Of his comfort, toiling often with tired
limbs aud aching heart, while she
longed for the fond companionsliip II
busy husband too oft denied her.
One can hear his ''woe is me, Jcannic,"
rs he awakes. after her death. to IL
sense of his bitter loss, and realizes
too late what he might have done to
make her life brighter and happier.
We think of the early struggles and
trials of our favolites. OF the BrontG
sisters, Louisa Alcott, the Cary sisters
and others whcse genius conquered
poverty and domestic opp"sitions to
shine in triumph at last. Says a wri-
ter in the Pail Mall Gazette: 1.-The
pressure of other occupations is of it.
self a p II to intellectual activity" Is
this sol Could not many of the mel
and women compelled by duty or at
lection or force of circumstances ia
engage in these "Other occupations
have left more perfect work and moro
enduring fame behind them had they
lDo., f..n fN NCnrJ- ..tnV1, IN tl,nIr nhn-
sen profession :!
After the Cary sisters had left thei,
country home to engage III Literary
pursuits in the City, their delightful
home there became the resort of intel.
~lectual men ard women, and their Ii.
bOrs were pursued usually in \ nos
methodical manner ut regular hours
But to Phoebe came one Sabbath day
sudden inspiration. Returning from
church service by which her soul WA
probably refreshed and exalted, sh'
fastened to her room, cast iside bon.
net aud wraps, and wrote down tn,
words ct that touching hymn which
| has gone ringing through the christian
world, "Onesweetly solemn thought.
| Alice Cary, often surrounded 10y tLos'
/ who delighted in her sunny nature an.
who claimed her ready sympathy an,
: kindly encouragement, sometime
9 when her visitors were gone woul,
$ weep hitter tears because no one ia,
thought to offer her the sympathy he
I. soul FINGERED for!
I How we love to think OF our Long
fellow receiving With kindly, ratien
,,., III, ,u,,n,n,S Nit,r, w-l.
tlronged his peaceful home and in