The Indianapolis journal., 1898-12-19

The latest volume received OF the bio
graphical edition of Thackeray's works.
now being issued by Harper & Brothers, is
''The Newcomes." OF the work itself it is
needless to speak, except to say that it is
In uniform style with the other volumes of
this handsome edition. The distinctive fea-
ture of the edition is the biographical and
literary sketch by Mrs. Richmond Ritchie
(Ann Thackeray) which accompanies each
volume. These sketches are largely person.
al "reminiscences of Thackerays life and
movements during the period that the book
was written The present one covers the
period fror: 1s552 70 1865 and gives the fol-
lowing account of the beginning of the
''Newcomes:" ''He began his preface at
Baden on the 7th of July, 1853; he finished
his book at Paris on the 2Sth of June 1855,
and in the autumn of that year he returned
to America. The story had been in his mind
for long time. While still writing Ess-
mond he spoke of new novel opening
with something like Fareham and the old
people there and of "a hero who will be
born in India, and have a half-brOther and
sister And there is also the description
20 be read of a little wood near to Berne,
In Switzerland, into which he Strayed one
day, and where, as he tells us, the story
was actually revealed to him. Some mo-
ments have their special chara cteristics and
] can still remember that day, and the lock
of the fields in which we were walking and
summer mountains, with the open wood at
the foot of the sloping stubble. My father
had been silent and preOccupied when
first started and was walking thoughtfully
apart We waited until he came back to
lls, saying he now his way quite clear
W and ne was cheerful and in good spirits
when we returned to the inn. have note
book of his for 1853, in which there are
some memoranda of that time. We had
come TO Baden first of all, where he records
various excursions and drives and notes the
books which he is reading as we'll as the
people he meets" Then follow a few iot-
tings from Thackeray's notebook as that on
comes and on the 18th wrote all day. On
the 18th he wrote letter to his mother
In which he said: II have had a hard
week. work. and am In No. by this time
hoping to finish said number before the
month is over, but / can't but see 1T is
repetition of past performances, and think
Inat vein is pretty nigh worked out in me.
nut for quite as good object, namely,
money, which will profit the children more
than reputation when there's an end of me-
and money and reputation are alike pretty
Indifferent. He then intimated an inten-
tlon or returning to England to get mater
lalS Tor the commencement of his new story,
and added: "One of Dickens's immense SUI
periorities over me is the great fecundity of
his imagination Perhaps Bulwer is oetter
than both of us in this quality; his last
book, written at fifty, fresher and richer
than any he has done. If I last so long I
care say / shall be busy in parliamentary
reports, or historical studies, more possibly
az that age. Without quoting further this
VIII serve to show the character of Mrs
Rtehes predatory sketches. Taken alto
sether they will form much the best biog-
raphy OF Thackeray extant.