The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-07
LETTER OF THACKERAY's.
An Important Revelation Concerning
'.Vanity Fair

In the February number of Longmans
Magazine there is highly important letter
of Thackerays, written to the Duke of Dew
onshire, who desired to know what was to
become of all the people in Vanity Fair
when that famous masterpiece had been
completed Thackeray replied:
My Lord Duke: Mrs. Rawdon CraWley,
whom l saw last week, and whom | in
formed of your GraceS desire TO have her
portrait was good enough to permit rae TO
copy little drawing made of her lin hap
pier days she said, with a sigh, by Since,
the royal academican.
Mrs. Crawley now lives i'm q small but
very pretty little house in Belgravia. and Is
conspicuous for her numerous charities:
which always get into the newspapers and
her unaffected piety. Many of the most ex-
allied and spotless of her own sex VISIT ner,
and are OF opinion that she is most in
jured woman There is no sort of truth in
the stories regarding Mrs Crawley and the
late Lord Steyne. The licentious character
of that nobleman alone gave rise to reports
from which. alasi the most spotless life and
reputation cannot always defend themselves.
The. present Sir Rawdon Crawley 1who sue
ceeded his late uncle, Sir Pitt, 1892 Sir Pitt
died on the passing of the reform bilD, does
not see his mother, and his undutifulness
is Il cause of the deepest grief to that adj
mirable lady 'If ii were not for higher
things" she says how could she have
borne up against the worlds .calumny
wicked husbands cruelty and falSeness,
and the thanklessness (sharper than SER
pent's tooth) of an adOred child?" But she
has been preserved mercifully preserved, TO
elsewhere. The italics are Mrs. Crawleys
own
ley for some time after Sir Pitts death in
1882 but it turned out that Colonel CraWley,
Governor of Coventry island, had died OF
fever three months before his brother,
whereupon Mrs. Rawdon was Obliged TO lay
down the title which she had prematurely
The late Joseph Sedley. of the Bengal civil
service left her two lalShs of rupees, on the
interest of which the widow lives In the
practices of piety and benevolcnce before
mentioned She has lost what little good
looks she once possessed, and wears false
hair and teeth 1.-THE latter give her rather
CHASTITY look when she snilesl, and, for a
pious woman. is the best crnolined lady in
KnightsbTidge district
Col. and Mrs. w. DObbin live I'm Hamp-
shire near Sir X. Crawley. Lady Jane was
godnotfer to their little girl, and the ladies
are exceedingly attached 20 each other.
The colonei's History of the Puniah' ~
looked for with much anxiety in some Cir
Captain and Lieutenant Colonel 6. Sedley-
Osborne Che wishes, he says, to be distin-
guished from some other branches of the
Osborne family. and is descended by the
mothers side from sir Charles sedley) Is,
need not say. welt. for saw him in a most
richly embroidered cambria pink shirt, with
diamond studs. bowling to your Grace at the
last party at DevOnshire House. He is in
Parliament: but the property left him by
his grandfather has, hear been a good al
overrated.
Sir Pitts daughter, who married her cousin,
the present baronet, and a good deal cut up
when he was refused. He Is not, however, a
man 10 be permanently cast down by senti-
mental Observation-Disclosures. His chief cause of
ANNOYANCE at the present moment is that
he is growing bald. but his whiskers are stin
without gray hair and the finest in Lon
don.
/ think these are the latest particulars re-
lating 10 Il number of persons about whom
your Grace was good enough to express
some interest am very glad TO be en-
abled to give this information. and am your
Graces very much obliged servant,
w. NJ. TIIACKERA