New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-26
THACK ERAY.
',z,s rprrNpsH1p WITH FITZGERALD. AND
THE ROSE AND THE RING"

Nv William Makepeace Thackeray: WIN n n
!raa ons Ss Eat,on. Vol TX. Octave PIP TX.
$40 Harper Bros.
rha latest volume Of the biographical eui''o''
nj Thackeray's works contains the
pooks' and an introduction by MS oaue"
largely devoted TO the records or the hoNe'S.
long friendship with Edward FitzGeraio' INC
latter had pu, together book or the ora"iNe'.
,-acwents of letters and other memoranda sent
20 him by Thackeray. and this AFTER MS irie.u
aeatb he gave to Mrs Richie The sKetches
ro,rosuced here are the most interesting portions
-, those records They badly drawn pu'
,bov are full Of fun and human nature WIZ"
, quaint little theatrical sketch he writes "
rr,zCerald: How long for the sight OF oe"i
,reen curtain. After going three times "ee"
~ the play for n year one misses IL So v. Inv
delight Of seeing the baize SLOWLY asoe'o'
+he spanCled shoes which first appear 'ne"' 90
q. arovxs IN legs stomachs. heads till nnaii'
4. ends in all the glories OF party OF mus
oueteers' drinking: dance-an Inn WIN an "
eu,,e number OF bells juggling, or couple OF
ror dogs in cooked hats, with pieces vi 81"
dangling out Of their pockets for handKercnci''
.o,,er month and all this paradise Will be
IN nv reach. Really. London Is 10 me oiiiy ."e
to- where the theatres are" All his LIE the
80 wos n source Of endless delight TO him.
rhere Il a Characteristic note by his oaus"'e'
concerning performance OF Musui",'.
NIGHTS Dream" which they saw togetheT' i"0
actors were incompetent and droned out inc"
osrts til the novelist lost all heart anu pa'i'.
= Don't murder It; oh. don't murder H. ne o'..N
"a - ono ~ the poor astonished fairies, VINO
-,orsd IN Arrangement" He went to see fneio-
dramatic spectacle. Napoleon. in fari"' anu
ro,,nIained 20 FitzGerald that there was no
charge Of cavalry. no COMBAT OF siA' % 90
Astleys not even a waggsh soioler W
.o love the combats" he says. when the
fauoys come on with their hghtlng s"oio'
They are not UP TO 1t here The French love
=, o,on,ron is amusing: Lessaix's dying speech
,ros almost encored so were all Napoleon's re-
~ararks 'Djeu protege la France etc, etc
1,ror, p-ussels he writes to his mother: II went
o. coo Deiazet the night before last, IN the most
ao,,gbt>ul absurd wicked little comedy, IN
,rh,ch she acted with the grace and archness OF
@ little demon There was the strongest mixture
NJ the frightful and the ludicrous in the piece
II could only be written and ADMIRED IN 81
c,etv IN the last stage Of corruptloh' as our TO-
7 feel persuaded that there Is an a"lui 'ii''e
coming for all OF US. What sood martyr Sou
would make and what a fat. worldly co"aFu's
ono should be. And yet. though with great
don, of trembling. putting and hesitation MINK
I would have the tooth out after all.
In Thackerays time or rouoie' "Heh no
ui-e's illness was shown 10 be incurapie' anu
the mans heart and purse were stralheo 70 'ne
,,,r,os, FitzGerald was friend in a thousand
as kind as the kindest brother. He shareo poor
r,oclerav,s troubles. he gave him orders for
drawing to distract him and to bring money
into the empty purse. he visited him and wrote
81, ,os 1e+ters 10 cheer him. Thackeray re-
+urrad all this goodness with loyal affection and
confidence He once wrote Of some school1ello"'
..poor old -, This battered, vulgar man was
NV idol IN youth, My dear old Fitz Is always
right about men. and he said from the hrs'
that this was bad man and sham' MIS-.
R,tchie recalls something that has been no'eo
elsevhere-that when. near Inc emo OF MS iie'
- hornsnsd N ask her rather which OF his old
friends he cared for most, he paused ihoiiei''
and then said in a quiet sort OF way that Oh d..
his friends he had best loved "Old Fitz - anu
Rrookneld" he added. There could hardly De d
truer memorial of this affection than the rhymes
(which omar" FitzGerald wrote to his lriehu
ono autumn night in the country, THE WIND
,vas blowing hard at the window" he said land
I somehow began 20 think OF VIII Thackeray'
= cared not for life. for true friend had none
had heard twas blessing not under the sun;
Some figures called friends, hollow, proud, or
cold-hearted.
Came TO me Ike shadows IKE shaoo"s ue
parted:
but a day came that turned all my sorrow TO
When 6rst saw Willy. and Willy saw me.
The thought Of my Willy is always cheerer
The wine has new favor, the hre ourns clearer;
The sun ever shines. I pleased with all
things,
And the crazy old world seems to go with new
And when we're together-oh soon may 1t bel
The world may 60 kissing OF comets 1or me-
The chair that VIII sat IN. cit IN the pest
blessed:
And never found out that my wine tasted i'll.
When tear would drop In II for thinking or
VIII
And now on my windows october blows chilly,
But | laugh at blue devils and think OF my
WHY
And think that our friendship will not drop
away.
Like the leaves from the trees or our locks
when they're gray;
And think that old age shall not freeze US until
lie creeps with Deaths warrant TO me and my
VIII.
III get TO be Atty, may Willy get, too.
And we'll laugh. WILL at all that grim sixties
Old age, Let him DO OF what poets complain;
Let him make gray. equity, blind, toothless
silly
Still old Ned shall be Ned. and old Willy be
Willy.
And leave US to doze lfalve. by the FIRE:
Age may chill the warm heart which think
so divine.
But what warmth II has. Willy. shall ever DC
thine
Till Death finds US waiting him patiently still
Willy looking me. and looking at Will
Mrs Ritchies "reminiscences Of the days In
which the Christmas Books written she
has called IA gold-pen chapter because SC
much Of the work upon them done by hel
fathers fevorite gold pen. which lasted fol
come six years, and round which he wrote 9
never-to- be-forgotten set Of verses. He uset
20 say that from long habit. he never coult
think so well AS when he held his pen in his hand
and when this beloved pen failed him at last h
complained that he couldn't draw comfortabl,