New-York tribune., 1899-04-22
THACKERAY.
COMPLETION OF THE NEW BIOGRAPH-
ICAL EDITION.

ography, with Illustrations by the Autnor'
George Cruikshank and John Leech. Biosrapn-
ica Edition. Vol XIII. Octave pp Mxxi. 7ol.
To the ballads and misceanes Of this final
volume Of the new edition Of Thackeray's works
has been Joined his son-in-laws biography OF
the novelist-what the novelst's daughter calls
"the framework" Of his life. She adds that 1.-The
story" Mr. Stephen "purposely left to her to
tell" In her introductions to the different VOL
umes she has pretty thoroughly told that story
against her fathers wish be II remembered
and in this concluding volume she has appar-
entity presented the odds and ends Of material
remaining in her possession. THESE incIuoe
drawings manuscript notes. letters and some
personal "reminiscences.
A chapter on Thackeray's progenitors forms a
pleasant part Of this introduction The novehst'
Mrs Ritchie says. was always very much inter-
ested in his grandfathers and grandmothers'
and she has often heard him describe the
Thackerays as a race-"tall, thin people, WIN
marked eyebrows. and clear dark eyes slmpie'
serious" They mostly useful and pusy
people. parsons, doctors. schoomasters. Indian
Civil Servants land some officers thrown IN 10
give us an air" The Thackerays were YORK
shire race--many generations OF farmers dwet
at Hampsthwaite. near Harrogate, oefore one
of their sons Elias Thackeray. went to cam
bridge. took orders. and became notable per-
sonage. He never married but nephew OF MS.
Thomas Thackeray followed his uncle's example
and after holding various important posts-he
was head master at Harrow and chaplain 10 the
Prince of Wales In 174S-ended his life as Arch
deacon OF Surrey on the verge of bishopric'
He was the novelist's great grandfather his six
taenth child being that William Makepeace
Thackeray who made a moderate fortune as
Civil Servant in India, married kinswoman OF
the General Webb who figures In Esmond'
and left his name to q grandson fated TO be "a
nous The novelist used to say that II was
through his grandmother that the wits had
come into the family for the first William Make
peace Thackeray was practical but not at all
a clever man. Richmond Thackeray the prac-
tical mans son. and father OF the second Will
lam Makepeace. a tall. thin. grave. KIND. hand-
some young man. died Of fever on the Ganges'
after some years spent in brilliant administra-
tive work in India. 1t was from him that 'he
novelist inherited his love of drawing ana per-
hans that look Of kindness that never left his
face from youth to age
Among the few notes on the ballads contrib
uted by Mrs. Richie is one recording the fact
that THE CaneBottom'd Chair was the au-
thors favorite. Concerning his throes OF coH-
position. she says that when he wrote poem
he used TO be more agitated than when ne wrote
in prose He would come into the room wor-
ried and excited. saying. Here are TWO more
days wasted. ! have done nothing at all IL
has taken me four mornings work to produce
six lines Then. after a further struggle all
mould 90 well have still some of his
poems torn down the centre They are as OFTEN
as not in pencil" His Legend OF ST. SOPHIA OF
Kioff" brought him a pang one day during MS
lecturing tour in Scotland Il wonder. ne
wrote from Aberdeen. 'if sneering Is OF the devil
and laughter is not wicked? AT delshtfui
Industrial school at Aberdeen (where the chill
dreu's faces and voices choked me and covered
nv spectacles with salt water) the fouhder VI
the school, Sheriff Watson, pulled my baiiaus
out of his pocket and bade one OF the httie ones
read out A hundred years ago and more city
built by burghers stout, and fenced WIN ram
narts round about which the little man did
IN an innocent voice and strong scotch ac-
cent. of course: but the tone of levity IN the
ballad panied me coming from guileless hps'
\ and turned away-ashamed and said 10 myself
PRAY God | may be able some day 10 write
something good for children That Will be bet
ter than glory or Parliament. We must Try ana
do II. mustn't we? AS soon as we have maze a
competence for the two young ones. we must
see If we can do anything for the pleasure Oh
young ones in general
This volume contains some CHARACTERISTIC
drawings which are either little known vi mere
,o,ora unknown. Among the latter may be
found the series setting forth the adventures Vi
v,vala, noble youth imprisoned by a most
ferocious bandit chief Touched by the vlcum
sufferings. the jailer helps him escape ana
a1 eke
with theatrically folded arms, bulging eyes ana
cleaning teeth. regards an interesting pyramid
~ surnr,sed looking heads on the hoor-the
heads being those Of his careless retainers win
that of the tailer most surprised Of ell. on TOP.
An elaborate version of this series is IN the
British Museum The manuscript was sent u
us for verincation," writes Mrs Ritchie, ois-
eliminating little schoolboy having Dartered MS
collection OF stamps for 1t with another httie
schcolboy who had become the lawful possessor
of the picture by inheritance. think the ram
uv n, the stamp-collector demurred. If remem-
her rightly and thought the stamps far 100
valuable 10 part with for mere sketches' out
Professor Colvin. at the British Museum, nnaHy
settled the controversy by onering q sum Vi
money which was accepted ana the pictures
are now safely in their niche In the britsh
Museum" Another set Of drawings which the
true Thackeray lover VIII De eidu W ii"u III
cluded in this volume are those quantity hu-
morous ones illustrating the Famous History
Of Lord Bateman."
The authors daughter in introducing num-
her of quotations from his notebooks for The
Four Georges" observes that there is almost
material for another lecture in these books.
There is a queer little note concerning Nelson
.'My father had an old knswoman for whom
he had a great regard She was the widow OF
a well-known admiral who presented Nelson at
Court after the battle of the Nile. Lady Rodd
told me (my father writes) that all that George
III said 10 Nelson was, My Lord. this is very
rainy weather. 1 heard you were too III to
come out in rainy weather" The strange Gus