Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-09

scripts and will be under lasting obliga-
tlons if you will have the goodness to read
it and pass your opinion upon it. II your
Judgment is favorable can find publisher
and nv fortune will be made, Will you
not do this for me?'
"'My dear SIR said Thackeray, you are
asking a great deal of me, for, as you must
know, my time is very much occupied. 1
scarcely see how it is possible for me to
oblige you.'
"'Oh, Mr.. Thackeray.' persisted his i'm
Fortunate visitor, L am sure you will not
refuse to befriend poor devil of an author.
A word OF commendation from you would
start him on the road to fame and wealth.
"'Well, you may leave it and will look
it over. But suppose should not like ii"
"I ask you to give your honest opinion,
and whatever it may be 1 will be content.
have others beside this, and perhaps you
would
"'Pray excuse me; one is enough
AFRAID OF THE PUBLISHER.
"There was a rap at the door and Mr..
Appleton was announced. 'Whatl Apple
ton, the publisher exclaimed the strange
author, and, seizing his hat, he left without
ceremony. Perhaps he had had some expe-
rieuce with Appleton in his quest for pub
Usher.
'Thackeray told me-" continued DR.. Mil
burn, that the manuscript was the poorest
he ever saw. 1t was made up of all sorts of
paper, written in blue, black and red ink,
and not a lew of the pages were scratched
off in lead pencil. 1t was without Il
spark of merit, and it was soon after re-
turned to the owner. Thackeray spent sew
eral hours in its perussl, and imagine that
few men in his position would have con-
sented to have even looked at it. l was
present at the time the man called, and the
fun of 1t was that the Appleton who came
was not Appleton, the publisher, but Tom
Appleton, a noted man about town, who was
more distinguished for doing nothing than
anything else. He was much amused when
he found he had been taken for the pub
Usher"
A GUSHING BOSTON GIRL.
As an instance of how Mr.. Carlyle was
often bored by American tourists, Mr.. Mil
burn related to me a story, the subject of
which was bright yonng American girl of
Boston, who came to him with a letter from
Emerson. She was only 16 years old, and
she had all OF the gush of that age, added to
a natural admiration for lions. She was
evidently a hero worshipper, and Carlyle
was one of her heroes. She called and pre-
sented her letter, and was invited to dinner
by Carlyle.
"When she came the next afternoon"
said Mr.. Milburn, lone of her first actions
was 10 take seat on the so and to ask Mr..
Carlyle to sit beside her. She then requested
Mrs. Carlyle to take the seat on the other
side, and clasping the hands of the two to-
gether upon her lap, she laid her own on top
of them, and then raising her eyes and look
ing at Mr.. Carlyle, she ecstatically ex-
claimed: Now l am in paradise You can
imagine how ridiculous such an action must
have been to two plain, practical, common
sense people like Thomas Carlyle and his
vie.
MR.. CARLYLE'S TEMPER.
zone of the most curious receptions,
went on the blind chaplain" was that which
Carlisle gave George Gilfillan. Gilfllan
was quite literary character of a genera
tion ago. His books were widely read, and
his Literary Portraits were especially pop
ular with the young ladies, and 1 knew of
many girls who slept with these volumes
under their pillows. Gilfillan was a lecturer
as well as a writer. He appreciated his
popularity aud had very good opinion of
George Gilfllan. He called one day at Mr.
Carlyle's and his knock was responded to
by Carlyle himself.
'As Carlyle orened the door and stood
before him GiIfllan introduced himself
with a grandiloquent bow and said: i am
George Gilfillan and you are Mr.. Carlyle, 1
suppose. l have been lecturing about you
all over England
"'Carlyle looked at him a half moment,
and then throwing back his shaggy name,
blurted out: What the deuce did you lee
ture about me for?' and with that he
slammed the door in his face. 1t must have
been one of his most irritable days, and one
can have little idea of the annoyances
which he had to undergo.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.