The San Francisco call., 1898-06-26

diary which young Thackeray kept in those days occurs under date of Wednes- b day, May 3, 1892
 "Dr. Maginn called and took me to the Standard, showing me the mysteries or printing and writing leading articles With him all day till 4. Dined at the Sab Next day he dimes with Dr. Maginn at the Kings Head. "A dull party of low literary men" Wrote yesterday to E: have been made pretty, but was poor enough. How can a man know his own capabilities? Not by reading, by which ones self the credit of them. Bulwer has a high reputation for talent, and yet l always find myself competing with him"
 Then, again, little further on: Ma pleasantest I ever passed. Maginn read Homer to me and he made me admire 1t as 1 had never done before; moreover, he made me make VOW to read some Homer whether I shall keep"
 Here is the day for which I have been paaatinnig ni. so long" He was now nov. of age, s. made of his freedom was to throw away his law, books and set out for Paris to study the art and literature of the gay European capital.
 In July, 1888, he writes to his mother from Paris that he has been thinking very seriously of turning artist. II think 1 can draw r1 @ better H than do anything else and | cupation. Why shouldn't I? It requires a three years apprenticeship, however, which is not agreeable. and afterward tn. way Is clear and pleasant enough. An artist in this town Is by far more dis tinguished person than a lawyer, and a great deal more so than clergyman" At first the alluSionS to Dr. Maginn are full of praises of his scholarship and kindness and clever talk. But as Thack- cray grew to know the brilliant Bohemian better he saw and deplored the darker shades 6har1ptar drrIT rnrarn acc lmprovidence and neglect of his own fam fly. Years afterward he was to put all he he knew of Maginn. into the Captain Shandon of "Pendennis."
 This was the period when the reform Dill was being fought inch by inch. Thackeray, like most of his friends, was a Liberal When Charles Butler stood for Parliament, as candidate for Liskeard. in Cornwall, Thackeray went up there to help elect his friend, and even delivered a few speeches for him.
 But he was never keen politician. Pict- ures and plays formed a much larger | share of his early interests than either politics or law cases, only he sympathized warmly with his friends and companions and never heSitated to utter his sympa- | thieS.
 Of mere Journalism he was evidently getting heartily sick. Three months later, | being then in London, he tells his mother l that this system of newspaper writing l spells one for every other kind of writing. l am unwilling, now more than ever, to
 
 1 find myself attempting to make a pert, critical point at the end of sentence" In October he Is back in Paris again, and writes to his mother: 'I want now to l settle, to marry, and then to live in the | little house in Albion street, going to church regularly, rising early and walking l in the park with Mrs. T.
 | Then what interesting letters I could write you about Bills progress in cutting | his teeth and Johnny's improvement in | spelling. As 1t is, I have nothing earthly | to talk about except myself-and l am l tired of filling my letters with Is. II spend all day now at the Atelier, and l am very well satisfied with the progress make. I think that in a year, were I to work hard, might paint something worth | looking at. The other men at the Atelier are merry fellows enough, always sing | ing, smoking, fencing and painting very | industriously besides Most of them have l skill in painting but no hand for drawing | I wish you could see the scene every day l in the Atelier. Yesterday we had break fast for five, consisting of five sausages. three loaves and a bottle of wine, for 15 sous. Afterward pipes succeeded, and | then songs, limitations of all the singers in i Paris.
 1t is well known that the Literary Standard did not fly for very long. After l 1t was hauled down Thackeray returned to Paris and resumed his painting.
 In 1886, at the age of 9, Thackeray married. His bride was a Miss Isabella | Creagh Shave, a young Irishwoman of | good family He himself told Mrs Ritchie