New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-30
THIChER1Y y.
"REMINISCENCES BY HIS DAUGHTER.

CHAPTERS FROM SOME tNW Hir,Id ~ syo % o.,
20. Harper & BROTHERS
.r,o,e t. no great wealth OF aneciote In these
p,res from the hand OF Thackerays d"ugh'''' "''
all that she gives Us In the way OF reminiscent
entertaining and II set forth Win feminine eoo'
TASTE Mrs Riches style. always ""'"'o''V""'
,rsv and refined is often frightened by most io|
able numor and knIlress OF sympathy 'h''e -
NO s.n,encc In this book which It's author might
,,.h uuNrltten one may aid with justice th'l
there r. 10 sentence which those therein deS'''S'
might wish to alter or obliierate
The reader turns most onger,y to thoSe pages
,,o,n which he may gather some Intimate ghmp"e'
~ Thackcray We see the novelist "rlthS III TVS
kc,slnston study with its vinc-shaped "ihdo"S
l,,kine out on the yellow jlsmines and the FfEoeh's
OF hl, garden His little girls run IN ana OUT u''V
huked paying with childish VISITORS OF "a'en'"S
with Iars. eyes OF curiosity the coming OF '''"''-
,,cs Of What ono OF them calls The more nam
hoy.n, generation" II was happy hut very
,l, nom. Air. Richie tells US The small daugh-
,,rs lived chiefly with the bis father with quite III
n. children with their pets. OF WIN the o" -'"''
par.ni. Colonel Ncwcome AMI his wie "heh my
,a,u. over from France 10 visit their son One
DAY" she adds. my father SAID thht h' h"' nee"
surprised TO hear from his friend. 81 Henry Jaw
s,n how seriously our house struck peop'e 'o"'-
,,,.d q, other houses But | think We are very
h,uuy AZ We are said he. and So Indeed We were.
The moth.rless daughters made themselves INFO '"'
fathers shadows. anh bis tenderness for them ana
care Of ,theuI,w,re beautiful TO see when ms day
work was over he liked change OF scene an"
thought ADD the trio would go wandering on on 'he
Tor, II an omnibus I'm IA brougham or IN nan
som 10 an manner ofInteresting places. the t"o NJ
IL. pinnforc raids no happier IMAM ther ih'n'''
Wherever Thackcray was. there we're gentleness
and mirih ana kindness lie loved TO give pleasure
and solace His daughter records the truth OF me
strv that describes his seniing little pll0ox ful
"A
I.t,Ir Ammo searched for the pillbox herself ana
stood watching while papa's hand wrote the IN
..r,,,,op. Madame T. 49,. To be taken occasion
ally when required. Signed Or. ". Vi. t.
Many interesting people Of the novelists genera
ton MT through ne book. Tho two small sisters
hang about his study door and look with awe AT
the GORGEOUS DOrsay he sits hlling the bow WIN
dow with radiance as II he were Apollo, vision OF
shining studs ami curls AMI boots. ! thlhk my
father had certain weakness for dandles' says
| our author Magnificent apparitlons used TO dawn
upon us In the hall sometimes, glorious beings on
their way TO the study. but this one. outshone them
all" Leigh Hunt was one OF the vistors-"a bright
| eyed active old man. with long. "avy white hair.
| and a picturesque cloak flung over one shoulder
! More Interesting still In the childish eyes was the
tiny creature who came one day. "a delicate serious
little lady pale with fair straight hair and steady
eyes She may he IA little thirty: she Is dressed
in little barege dress with pattern OF faint green
moss She enters In mittens. In silence. IN serious
ness our hearts beating with Wild excitement
II ~ the author Of Jane Eyre. grave little fairy
go faIry-lke indeed. In her proportions that she
can..irroly reach her hosts elbow Ii was on TINS
| oeooeion That Thackeray asked q number of friends
10 NEE, me n,,w writer. and all were asog with the
anticipation OF brilliant talk II was dismal fnii-
urc The rustic genius from ilaworth. scared by Inc
sight OF 80 many strangers. retired tn the study
| and mlrmured and then a word to the COVER
ness The silence preserved by the other guests in
i waiting for the expected flow OF wit and wisdom
! grew into settled gloom and overwhelmed by the
situation the helpless host tiptoed from the house
and Aed to the refuge of the cub. Another
| marty described by Mrs. Richie has quite
different atmosphere. II was n Juvenile dance AT
! Charles Dickens's house and the master was
! mart of the fun and the leader of everything. And
i at the end of the evening hall was crowded
| nd the broad staircase was lined with little boys
thuipa nds OF little boys Whose heads ana legs ana
/ arms were waving about together They were max
Ing a great noise. and talking and shouting ana the
| eldest son OF the house seemed 10 he 1rshalllng
| them Presently their noise became a cheer and
| then another and we looked up and saw that our
| own father had fetch us and that his white
head WAS there above the others; then came thIrd
final ringing cheer and one went up to HINT
| WAS Mr. Dickens hlmsef-who laughed and SAID
quickly. That IL for YOU and my father looked W
surprlsed pleased touched, settled his spectacies,
and nodded sravey to the little Boys 1t Ia Il
pretty someone's heart warns TO the little English
boys with their burst Of pride In their great Thack-
cray. Ht
The Kensngton household. deprived OF its Ill
fated mistress, queer mixture OF fastdioss-
ness and bachelor carelessness There was beautiful
old silver for ,he table but the father and daugh-
ters drank their morning tea from cracked cups and
saucers Of unequal patterns until an anonymous gft
OF n charming breakfast service arrived one morning
| acconpa MED BY some pleasant verses 1t was not
. until years aftcrvard that rhackeray discovered
that the donor his butler. "A queer character.
who was deeply devoted TO his master and who was
accustomed to write to the papers. always signing
himself "Jcames de In Puchc." No other place was
ever quite dear to the novelist that QUOT home
and his yearnng for 1t during his American journey