Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-09
Thackeray's Books Growing
In Greater Demand.
How the Great Novelist Looked
in Middle Life.
Some Notes About the Amateur
Press Association.
Some Thoughts About the Noyelist's
Oualitfes-Notes About Books Re-
ceived-NOtes About Books
and Authors.

The decision of the "box office critic"
is often said to be superior to that of
more cultured judges in dramatic mat
ters; likewise the results of publishers
sales are, other things being equal, to be
taken into consideration in weighin G
the purely literary as distinct from the
commercial value of an author. The
present school of novelists laugh at any
admirer OF Sir Walter Scott, look pity
ingly on a friend of Dickens, and assert
that Thackeray's writing is all false and
worthless. The chief in America of the
cult alluded to considers the trio men
toned false in art, and consequently in
furious.
1t is comforting then to those who ad-
mire this great trinity of fiction writers,
and who are particularly fond of Thack-
eray's novels, and necessarily of his
personality. to learn that each year
shows an increased demand for his
books.
Thackeray is the English Balzac, or
rather Balzac is the French Thackeray.
Both could take soul, picture this,
that and the other quality in it. lay bare
all its foibles, self-deceptions and weak
nesses, its grandness, bravery and
truth-everything to it good or bad.
When Balzac had done this be stopped
He was as surgeon who plies knife and
saw with no feeling but devotion to his
art. Thackeray was like an equally
skillful operator, but one whose heart
was with the sufferer into whose flesh
his knife was cutting. Balzac was in
fiction what the viyisectionist is in
science, and Thackeray the resolute but
sympathetic surgeon.
There is nothing sadder to study than
humanity there is nothing more pain
full to the student unbiased by enthu-
siasm from some religious creed, than to
have a clear insight in its deceits, frail-
ties and sorrows, as we'll as it's truths,
strength and pleasures. Such an in
sight, and the power of depicting what
he saw, .Thackeray had, and because OF
his truth in dealing with the three
former qualities, he is sometimes
charged with lacking sympathy,
the very quality which permeates
every line he wrote. That his hold on
the reading public increases steadily is
proof of the truthfulness, the clearness
and the vitality of his art, and the love
and pity which his knowledge of poor
humanity caused him to feel directly
for his characters, and indirectly for all
the world.
The following excerpt from the Mag
azine Of Art will be of interest, as show
ing the great writer's appearance in
middle life:
'Thackeray's general appearance in
1854 must have been very striking, judg
ing from Anthony Trollope's reference
to his face and figure, his 6 feet inches
in height, with his flowing hair, already
nearly gray, and his broken nose, his
broad forehead and ample chest. In
that same year Mr.. E. M. Ward, R.A..
was engaged upon series OF paintings
of personal friends and great men, in
character, including Dickens, Lytton,
Macaulay, Hallam, Thackeray and
others OF these, the portrait of
'Thackeray at Home exhibited in the
Royal Academy in 1864 is the most
successful. Here is seen the great
novelist (who had just retired from
Punch, and was writing The New
comes) in his bedroom study at Onslow
square, wearing dark red dressing
gown and slippers, and sitting in a
rather original attitude, with writing
desk on his knee; quill is held in one
hand and cigar in the other, while his
head, we'll thrown back, gives the same
effect of dignity to this portrait as that
which characterizes Laurence's crayon
drawing"
''In the mean TINA Thackeray's hair
was becoming more blanched, and in
1858, when but 46 years of age, it had
assumed quite a silvery whiteness !;
this, and his great height and erect
bearing, made him conspicuous in every
assembly. In talking of his stature,
he remarked to friend of his: After
six feet it all runs to seed.' This same
physical popularity caused Carlyle to
speak of him as half-monstrous Cor
nish giant" and J. L. Motley (the his
torian of the Netherlands) as 'colos-
sal infant with additional reference to
his smooth. white, shiny, ringlety
hair, faxen, alas with advancing
years, a roundish face, with a little dab
of a nose, upon which it is perpetual
wonder how he keeps his spectacles, a
sweet but rather piping voice, with
something of the childish treble about
it, and very tall, slightly STOPPING
figure
AMATEUR NEWSPAPER YOUNGSTERS.
Mr.. Charles E. Lloyd, OF the Univer-
sity, member of the National Amateur
Press association, writes to the HERALD
as follows of that nursery OF writer's:
''The National Amateur Press Associa-
tion is an organization of young men
and women of the United States and
Canada, who are publishers Of amateur
papers or who contribute as amateur
authors to these publications. Such
men as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thomas
Edison, Charles Scribner and others,
whose names occupy prominent places
in the Nations roll of honor were
once amateur journalists and received
their training from it. The National
Amateur Press Association was organ
lied in 1869 at the home of Charles Scrib-
ner, and it has grown onward and up
ward and it's graduates are supplying
the places left vacant by Greeley, Long
fellow and other stars in the galaxy of
fame.
''In the universities and schools are to
be found the material which we depend
OH for members.
''Los Angeles contains her due quota
of competent young men and women
who should supply the National Anna
teur Press Association with good arti-
cles and deep thoughts. Every year a
convention of this association meets in
one of the great eastern or western cities
consecutively, and the professional press