The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-23
THACKERAY'S TIMIDITY.

The timidity of noted men, and even
those who are accustomed to speak fire.
quently to large audiences, is a surprise
to the majority of people. Anne Thack-
cray Richie relates some incidents ILL
ustrating the timidity of her father, in
her recently published book. Chap
ters from Some Unwritten Memoirs"
Her father wrote to her from Manches-
ter about one of his failures
Last week was away at Manchester,
when l broke down in a speech before
three thousand ladies and gentlemen.
felt very foolish but l tried again at
night and did better, and as there is
nothing more wicked in breaking down
in speech than in slipping on bit of
orange peel and breaking ones nose,
| why, ] got up again. and made another
speech at night without breaking down.
It's all custom, and most people can no
more do it than they can play the piano
without learning
MANY years, afterward, long after 1
|
good and beautiful Lady Pease gave us
the great pleasure of meeting Mr.. John
Bright at dinner at her house. sat
next Mr.. Bright and he began speak
time. L remember, he said, taking
him to meeting at Manchester just
| before he went to America with his
| lectures. He broke down and he was
very much annoyed and he said to me,
Who will ever come and hear me lecture
| if break down like this before such
number of people?' And said to him,
Never you mind; very few people but
You come along with me this evening.
=, I'm going to another meeting; I'm not
going to speak to fine fallal folks, but to
set of good, honest, working men, and
said Mr.. Bright, in his downright way,
and l never heard better speech in all
my life; it was a capital speech, and
they were all delighted with him."
Nul6s IOibChlO dioO HuOtOb tIOu WITS.
Kembles records an entertaining Incl.
dent.
II cannot help giving the passage out
of Mrs. Kemble's records concerning my
fathers lectures. although it may have
already been quoted by others: I met
Thackeray at Miss Perry's at dinner, a
few days before he began his course of
lectures on the English Humorists,"
and he asked me to come and hear him,
and told me he was so nervous about it
that he was afraid he should break
down.
"He was to lecture at Willis's Rooms
in the same room where l read; and
going thither before the time for his be-
ginning found him standing like for
lorn, disconsolate giant in the middle of
the room gazing about him. % Lord
he exclaimed, as he shook hands with
me. I'm sick at my stomach with frightv
spoke some words of encouragement to
him and was going away, but he held
my hand like scared child. crying, oh,
don't leave mev But said I. "Thack-
cray, you mustn't stand here. Your audi
ence are beginning to come in; and l
drew him from the middle of the chairs
and benches. which were beginning to be
occupied. into the retiring room adioin
ing the lecture-room, my own reading
having made me perfectly familiar with
both. Oh he said, If could only get
at that COMPOUNDED thing (his lecture).
to have last look at itH Where is it?'
I said. "Oh, in the next room on the
reading desk WELL said /, If you
don't like to go in and get it, I'll fetch it
for YOU And remembering we'll the
position of my reading table. which had
been close to the door of the retiring
room. darted in, hoping to snatch the
manuscript without attracting the at
tention of the audience, with which the
room was already nearly full. had
been used to deliver my readings seated
at very low table. but my friend Thack
cray gave his lectures standing, and had
had a reading-desk placed on the
pidtlOIult dudPsOu W LIS own very
tall stature, so that when came to get
his manuscript it was almost above my
head. Though rather disconnected. /
was determined not to go back without
it, and so made half jump and clutch
at the book. when every leaf of it (they
were not fastened together) came fiutter-
ing separately down about me. hardly
knew what l did. but l think l must
have gone nearly on all fours in my
agony to gait or up the scattered leaves,
and retreating with them. held them
out in dismay to poor Thackeray. crying.
Oh look. look what dreadful thing l
have doner My dear soul said he,
you couldn't have done better for me.
l have just quarter of an hour to wait
here, and it will take me about that to
page this again, and it's about the best
thing in the world that could have hap
pened.'"
BE notsimply good, be good for something
ThOreau.