Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-20
MEN WHO WON FAME.
Olive Logan's Recollections Of Thack-
cray, Collins and Others.
CYRUS W. FIELD AND THE CABLE
Picture of Queen Victoria and the Prince
Consort Years Ago.
RULES FOR TIE WRITER OF FICTION
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

Thackeray I met in Paris In 1905 ana
1859, when he was interested in the success
OF the submarine cable then the wonder OF
the civilized world. The English stock
holders, one of whom he may perchance
have been, were trying to obtain from the
French Government the right to land the
cable on the Island of st. Pierre and
Miquelon, a French possession near New
foundland. The conduct OF Mr. Cyrus W.
Field, the leading spirit of this great work,
was energetic and highly honorable.
Wrought to the highest pitch of nervous
frenzy by the obstacles thrown in his path,
and the path of the cable, by narrow
minded French officials. Mr.. Field never
theless refused PROPOSE al from one of these
to antedate a document which was to be
laid before the Minister of Marine, simply
saving that he should be on the ocean at that
time and not in Paris.
"A mere detall-a nothing at all!' re-
marked the French official, struggling his
shoulders impatiently.
81 might be shipwrecked. and here would
be my signature claiming that I was in
Paris-in other words. a posthumous lie,"
replied Mr.. Field; II consider that good
deal, and won't do it,"
FIRST IMPRESSION NOT FAVORABLE. .
Can I picture Thackeray's- appearance
after the lapse of all these years? He was
tall and broad-shouldered, and had COM
plexion like Horace Greelev's-pure milk
and roses, such as a girl might envy. His
hair was very white, his nose was as fiat as
any negro's-it had been broken, ! believe
and he wore large spectacles pushed close
against his eyes. Neither in appearance
nor in manner did he make favorable i'm
preston upon me; but then was verdant
American girl, and he was q remember mis-
using this expression frequently "a great
gum" He swore in the presence of ladies,
an offense which in America, in those days,
almost assumed the proportions of crime;
and this was Thackeray in Paris. cele-
bfated author, critic of manners and in
the most polished capital in Christendom!
He struck me as being coarse man, with
out throb of tenderness in his nature. l
was mistaken
Our host, an English literary man who
resided in Paris, had a little niece of 10
years old living with him. She was sad,
shy child with no playmates; in poor health,
and by no means beauty. She rarely en-
tered the drawing room, and never when
Mr.. Thackeray was there. always fancied
she was afraid of the noisy great author, and
hCpI OuL VI HIS way dS MUCH as pOSsLUlcs
WON THE CHILD's HEART.
One evening after Thackeray had dined
with her uncle, and taken his leave. little
Lucy came running into the drawing room,
with heightened color. sparkling eyes and
smiling lips. She had been sitting alone in
the ante-chamber when Mr.. Thackeray
came out; be spoke so pleasantly to her, and
put golden louis, 20-franc piece, an un-
usually handsome present for child, in her
hand. And how prettily he must have
talked with her, from her account! About
dolls he had known, many Of great beauty
and mplishments; she must buy the
incest one to be had for the napoleon he
had given her, he said. She,was dear lit
tie girl, he remarked, and he was sorry to
see her SO lonely; he would come some day
to make visit to her particularly, and
would tell her fairy stories, of which he
knew many. Till then goodby, said he,
patting her upon the head.
Was not that a charming incident? We
were all touched by its sweetness, and I ere
constructed' my opinion of Thackeray's
coarse nature. No one but gentleman-a
man of gentle feeling-would have gone out
of his way to cheer lonely child.
Thackeray prided himself on bis knowl-
edge of the French language. He inter-
larded his conversation with the identical
phrases which are frequent in his books, and
which would be considered trivial nova
days.
ONE OF THACKERAY'S JOKES.
Lucy's uncle was scarcely so we'll pleased
as the little girl was with the present from
Thackeray. There was a wager about some
thing or other between the two men, a new
hat the forfeit. Thackeray lost, and sent his
friend a new hat, elaborately wrapped up
and inclosed in the box of fashionable hat
ter. On opening the parcel the new hat was
brought to view-it was a toy soldier hat,
plaything bought at joujoux shop in the
Passage Jouffroy.
Capital joke-just like jolly Thackeray!"
cried the other with laugh. But his eyes
and lips told different story of apprecia-
ton; II can't endure practical jokes" said
his wife.
"But this was Thackeray!' protested the
husband, "It is capital-cap-"
The wife threw the capital cap into the
corner.
Thackeray never spoke of any member of
his family, and do not know to this day
whether the rumor then whispered about,
that his wife was in an insane asylum, was
false or true. 1 never heard him name his
wife, children or parents; whereas poor
Thornton Huntinvariably managed to bring
PRODUCTION to any stranger. This of course
always called forth the exclamation, "What,
are you the son of Leigh Huntp' The glory
OF the dead fathers fame shed radiance
over the son.
QUEEN vICToRIA's HUSBAND.
In one sense may claim to have met the
Prince Consort, the adored husband of
Queen Victoria. Fancy me, an American
girl just out OF my teens, turning this cor
ner and that in the multitudinous streets of
London, and suddenly meeting the Queens
Majesty going to open Parliament, in her
wonderful glass coach, with her beauteous
consort sitting by her sidel That was
sight, promise you! Long years have
elapsed, and many and many a comely gen.
tleman have mine eyes beheld, but never
no, never, the equal of Prince Albert HIS
profile, was purely Grecian, his complexion
fair, his hair and whiskers dark, his eyes of
the richest brown, and glowing with the
most soulful expression OF tenderness and
love for his peerless vile. His form, too,
was superb and his bearing distinguished
in the highest degree. No one who has
ever seen the Prince Consort can wonder
that the Queen incessantly mourns the loss
of such paragon.
In those days Her Majesty was very hand
some, with neck. shoulders and arms of sur
passing beauty. Conjure the vision OF this
royal pair to your mind, the Queen wearing
robes of state and diamond crown, Prince
Albert in uniform, with many jcweled
orders, both seated together in coach of
glass and gliding, drawn by six or eight
horses, richly caparisoned and led by grooms
in scarlet livery, followed by a gorgeous
retinue-ah, we'll, the days for such larry
story-book splendor seem to have ded.
THE FAMED wILKIE COLLINS.
wilkie Collins I met after he had
achieved his renown, so long after that his