New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-27
HANDSOME, WITTY AND SHY.

iris KEY to Lockhart's history as man ana
= writer. as a personality and as an editor is
the shvness which seems to have belonged 10
him from his birth His very name and armoriai
bearings. the latter including heart within a
fetterlock declare the drift Of the mans nature
which from the beginning was toward al I'll"
cor ouerable reserve. He could urbend anu
often share in the reves characteristic Oh INC
time and society to which he was Dorm ou' -
is significant that ne inbent. that he ala not
instinctiyely breathe the air of famihariv' VI
merely natural human intercourse as thousn !.
were his own. He moves amid the SCOUTS" anu
English society of the late Georgian ana cary
Victo Ran epochs on terms of equaIty Win no
friends but rarely as though he were Truly o''
% tbem On tho contrary. he appears more as
an observer than anything else moous '"''
With a face as handsome as it was inscrutaoie'
He 9azed out upon the world with satire III mo
glance. Hayden speaks of his "meianchoIS
S~.r,s. hood " Scott alludes to his "Hidalgo
.,r, and in Sir Francis Grants fine portrait
ono discovers the justification for both phrases
IN a massage quoted in the work before u.s. MT
f.ros. Trail, writes of Lockhart: Il useu 10
th,pk him the most wonderfully handsome man
ever saw and that recollection still remains
His finely cut classical features. his marvellous
" c,ear complexion. white even to paiior' anu
the Get black hair grouped in the, clus'er'hs
curIs so dear to the chisel OF tne oio "o''"'.
scuiptors made lasting impression OH me
fockhart himself remarks in letter written
80 a life. "I.andseer says ! was good
looking chap twenty or thirty years ago, HI
,h,. s.ua letter Lockhart repeats his famous
-.n,v. .Js thv servant dog that he should 40
mi. thing?" He goes on to observe that Inc
mo, &c universally given TO sydney Smith. Out
Edwin Landseer swears he never o'o' hui
could have asked ugly fellow 10 si'' anu
thinks II unfair that should have been roopeu
% nv Joke in favor Of so wealthy JOKE
smith"
rh. incident is characteristics. Handsome,
witty aware of his gifts without Deing VAIN ol
them appreciated by those who knew him BEST
e.. 90 nevertheless a hint Of trouble In the
spec,acle OF his very epigram developing mo
a hone nj contention. Yet 1ockhnrt was not
a contentious. man. He was shy. preternatuf-
ally shv and therefore fated TO leave the wrong
,rnnresson with it's inevitable train OF regret
and even ANNOYANCE. Mr.. Lang 1uotes lroh'
one of Jowett's sermons the wise refecton 'hal
shypess sis not one mental disorder nut hha"''
and varies in degree and kind with the chat@c
acters of individuals. 1t is afraid where 10 'oa'
fs- II Is humble. and appears proud IL Is sehsi-
tive and takes the form of coldness ana reserve
II is dying to speak. and can only think Oh so''e-
thing Inappropriate to say. II 10 III
most respects the opposite OF what II appears
10 he: all sorts of false imputations are apt 10
be cast upon him who is the victim of 1t. anu
the arute sense Of the underservedness OF these
,mputations In a sensitive mind greatly aGSrd-
Yates the evil Grasp the character Of LOCK
hart as one almost exactly Swallowed forth IN
this passage and in every relation OF his lie
he will be more clearly understood.