The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-06-25
The Thac1eray Series.

The last two volumes of the biographi-
cal edition of Thackeray have appeared,
and are no less delightful in all ways
than their predecessors. The twelfth of
the series contains Denis Duval," THE
Wolves and the Lamb" 'TLovel, the Wild
over" and Roundabout Papers" OF the
last-named work, Mrs. Richie says in her
introduction that ii might serve as a diary
for the last years of her fathers life. She
tells of the occasions on which these es-
says were written, and of the associations
OF each. OF Denis Duval" she says that
the heroine had two or three aliases, and
Blanche, before the author of her being
finally settled on Agnes"
One of the letters quoted in this intro
duction, and written, it seems. to a friend,
who had suffered bereavement, is pecu-
liarly characteristic OF the nature OF
Thackeray and as his daughter says, is
a fitting paragraph with which to end his
biography. 1t is in part as follows:
l only saw through an old number of the al
Illustrated London News" what had happened in
your house, and this very afternoon, as ! came
through the snow from Glasgow, was thinking
shall l write now OF later?-later | had deter
mined it should be, but your little note seems
to say otherwise and under the two or three
lines about Mrs. Reach / read: why as a friend
do you show mark Of sympathy at a time
when friendship ought to give it?' don't know
/ am not sorry for most people certainly not for
those old and IN pain, for whom sleep must be
consider after the ttfui fever. thought when |
read the news how very lately had tried TO give
courage 10 my mother who lacked it, with
an account OF Mrs. Montagus wonderful endur-
ance and selt-abnegation. II so kind of her
N he ~ and a.,
10 you all. / remember whom you told me, OF
all others she had lost, she wanted to see. Have
those two met in the yonder vast world? When
We talked about il last | said thought II seemed
lonely there. Thinking of it is thinking Of God
inscrutable, immcasurablC. endless, begiuningleSs
supreme, awfully solitary. Little children step
of this earth into the infinite and we tear our
hearts out their sweet cold hands and smil-
ing faces that drop Indifferent when you cease
holding them, and smile the lid is closing
over them. 7 don't think we deplore the old
who have had enough OF living and striving and
have buried many Others and must be weary
OF living-it seems time for them to 60, for
where's the pleasure OF staying when the feast
IS over, and the flowers withered, and the guests
gone? Isn't IT better TO blow the ligh; out than
sit on among the broken meats and collapsed jel-
lies and vapid heel-taps? ! go-to what don't
kuow-but 10 Gods next world which Is his
and he made it. One PAGES up and down the
shore yet awhile-and looks toward the unknown
ocean. and thinks OF the traveller whose boat
sailed yesterday. Those love can but walk
down to the pier with us-the voyage we must
make alone. Except for the young or very happy,
! can't say | am sorry for anyone who dies.
The thirteenth and last volume contains
miscellaneous collection of essays, let
tiers, and sketches. and the inimitable bal
lads-"Little Billee" "Jeames Of Buckley
Square," THE Ballad of Bouillabaisse, -
and all the rest of them. The Introduction
! contains number OF miscellaneous