The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-08-02

4 There u . picture we used 10 look ~
~ children In the nursery at home. and
which my own children look ut now. as
IL hangs upon the wall. Ii Is water
color sketch. delicately penciled and
tinted. done In India some three-quar-
ters Of century ago by Chinery.a we'll
known artist Of those days. who went
to Calcutta aud depicted the people
there with charming skill.
This picture represents family
group. father. mother. infant child. -
: subject which has been popular with
painters ever since they first began
their craft. Long before Raphael's
wondrous art was known. this particu-
lar composition was fa,orite with
artists aud spectators. as think it will
ever be, from generation 10 generation.
while mothers continue TO clasp their
little ones in their arms. This special
group of Thackcrays is almost the only
glimpse we have OF my fathers earliest
childhood. but II gives vivid passing
impression of his first home. which
lasted for so short a time. My long.
lean. young grandfather sits AT such
ease as people allowed themselves in
those classic days propped ia still
chair, in tight white ducks and pumps.
and with kind. grave face. He was
Mr.. Richmond Thackeray. OF the Ben
gal Civil Service. the then revenue col
lector Of the districts called 1.-The TWEEN.
ty-four Perganas My grandmother.
= beautiful young woman OF some two
and twenty summers. stands. draped
in white. with certain nymph-like as
pect. and beside her. perched upon
half dozen big piled books, with his
arms round his mothers neck. is her
| little son. William Makepeacc Thack-
cray. a round-eyed boy OF three years
old, dressed in a white muslin frock
He has curly. dark hair. an innocent
face, aud very sweet look and smile.
| This look was almost the same indeed
after lifetime; neither long years OF
work aud trouble, nor pain. nor chill
| winters of anxiety ever dimmed it,
clear simplicity. though his spcctacles
may have sometimes come between his
eyes and those who did not know him
very well.
He used 10 take his spectacles of
when he looked at this Old water-color.
1T Is pretty drawing he used TO
say; bu, II his father. in the picture.
| could have risen from the chair he
would have been about nine feet
high, according TO the length oi
the legs there depicted. My own
father used to tell us he could just re-
member our grandfather. very tall,
| thin man. rising out OF bath. He
could also remember the crocodiles
floating on the Gauges. and that was
! almost all he ever described Of India,
though in his later writings there are
many illusions To East Indian life. In
.sThe Tremendous Adventures of Major
Gahagan," for instance. there is enough
meaning and intention in the names
aud Hindrstanee 70 show that he still
retained something OF his early impress
sions.
A year after the sketch in question
was painted. the peaceful home in In
dia was broken up forever. The pool
young collector of the twcnty-foul
perganas died of fever on board 4
ship, where he had been carried from
the shore for fresher air; this was about
| 1916, when my father was five year,
old.
Richmond Thackeray was himself
little over thirty when he died. lii
young widow remained in India Will
her mother. and married second time
Two years after her first husband''
death, her little sou came back to En-
gland with cousin of the same age
both returning under the care Of nj
Indian civilian, MIR. James McNabb
who had promised to befriend thu
children on the journey home. and o
whose kindness we were often told h
our childhood. From Anne Thackera.
Richie, i,i SO. Nicholas