The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-04

1.-THE Hitherto Unidentified Contributions
OF W. NJ Thackaray to Punch - is the
somewhat elaborate title of a volume which
is a worthy supplement to the biographical
edition of Thackeray's works published last
year. Besides the work Of Thackeray, the
book contains a photography of the au-
thor's writings from 1s43 to 1siS. The
editor is NJ. H. Spielmann, author Of The
History of Punch" There are numerous
illustrations and explanatory notes.
Perhaps the most interesting feature Of
this work is the revelation of the great
English satirist as political writer. The
editor says In this connection:
There anonymous expressions Of opinion reveal
Thackeray as 4 politician far more thoroughly,
perhaps than his more deliberate utterances. By
reason, partly, OF their brevity, and partly OF
what was at one time considered TO be their
ephemeral character, they were, many OF them,
allowed to sink into oblivion Although thtir
literary merit is often relatively slight, their in
terest and value, when they are regarded in tn.
aggregate, will now be recognized and appreci-
sted for another reason, for they shed additional
Light on this phase OF Thackeray's mind and
work, and add to our knowledge Of his per
sonalty. The events they recorded and dis
cussed have now become, like ThackcIay himself,
q portion of our country's history.
cray for the famous English periodical is
one which does not reflect any particular
credit on America; and, indeed, his atti-
tude toward Americans, while not so out
spokenly critical as that of Dickens. is ia
these writings distinctly hostile and con-
temptuous. The cartoon in question is en-
titled Who's Afraid? or, the Oregon Cues
ton and was drawn by Leech in 1S45. Sir
Robert Peel and Lord John Rus ell are rep
resented In belligerent attitudes. while a
typical American according to Lee his no.
tion) and King Louis Philippe are in the
background. The French king is trying to
''hearten-up" his much alarmed friend,
who, without removing his pistol-hand
from his pocket or laying down his cigar,
anxiously enquiries: do yer think he's in
arnest?' Two others, described vel
enough by the titles, are Young Yankee
Noodle teaching Grandmother Britannia to
suck eggs" and little President Pc k show
ing fight to John Bull, who exclaims with
q laugh: What You young Yankee Moo
die. strike your own father?
In an amusing dialogue satiTizing the
Chartist principles, Thackeray introduces
as characters Colonel Sihby, an English
gentleman and member Of Parliament, and
Mr.. Y. Doodle. gentleman from Philsdel-
phia." The dialogue opens as follows:
Gentleman from Philadelphia cider We
had at dinner was tarnation good, but d your
pickles, Colonel. Why, the stones ems fit
to choke body.
colonel-Cider, Pickles, The cider was cham.
payne, and the pickles are olives, Mr. Yankee
(Aside) What an ignorant OF gun it is!
Thackeray is much milder in his public
criticisms Of America than Dickens was.
hut it must be remembered that this APP
peared without his signature. sui an
other satire of the character and policy of 1
this country takes the form OF a dialogue /
on Dog Annexation" Polk being charged /
with robbing the Mexican Minister of q :
favorite dog, named Texas Polk is repre-
scented as "a very sanc;imonious looking |
fellow. who held the deg in his arms" The
following is a bit OF the dialogue:
Polk-Am in a Christian land. to hear myfen
called by such names? Are men? Are we |
brethren? Have we blessings and privileges, or 1
have We not? come Of country the most en-
iightened, the most religious the most freest |
punctualest this aiith ] do
Mr.. Aberdeen, with profound bov-You are az |!
American, / suppose?
POLK thank gracious mussr l am! / can
appeal to everything that Is holy. and. LAYING
my hand on my heart, declare am an honest
man.
Then he goes On TO admit that he sold
the dog to Don Bernardo Murphy" that
an old servant of his stole the animal. /
and that he simply "re-annexed it." He
goes on to say:
! scorn defence. Tie dog returned TO me by
4 Tor of natur-it's wicked 10 fly aginst lor OF
natur If sold the dog, and by the irresistible
attraction Of cohesion, and the eternal order of
ihlngs, he comes back 10 mean ] 10 blame?
rs mon5trous heinous, figlar blasphemy TO
say so.
II all this had been printed over Thach-
eray's signature at the time ii is probable
that his works would not have sold quite
SO well In 1915 among ardent annexation !
lists and other American book buyers as
they did; but Punch is little read in this
country. and nobody knew that Thsckeray
had written these satires and the issue |
has now been dead as long as the author
even longer. There is little cause for com
plant, since the satiTisr was quite as hard
upon his own country. in certain ways. as
he was upon America. II he represented
the typical American as lying. iliterate.
trickster, he was, at any rate, no
worse than Punch"
Among other features of this work are
fragments of the History Of Cashmere" or
Bagdad, or some similar province. in which
current events are treated in the vie OF
the Arabian Nights" Thackeray's talent
for humorous verse is also shown once
more in numerous lyrics and ballads. some
political and some otherwise.
Some of the political references will
probably be unintelligible TO the average
American reader, but others will be I'M
derstood and enjoyed. Prince Albert comes
In for good deal of smiable fun. and
among the caricatures Is burlesque por-
trait of His Royal Highness, with ,escrip-
ton OF the same by beatihed beadie who |
is ecstatic at the thought that Prince Al
bert is holding his 1.-THE beadle's) particular
staff in his hand. The spelling is thor
oughly Thackerayan:
The letter is dated from the Quadrant. "Hospit
The Fire Hoiiis. The picture i thus described:
His Rile Eyeness (wolnb Eyins prcss.ve) is
pointed in his Feel Martial YouniiorIn. his Is
rollin about like hzn.thiaS. he olds his Cock-At
md phethars. He has his hordais on-the Garter
On his breast, and the Golden Fleas round his
Ryal oss. and Winner Carcel is drawn M at the
back of the Sean, with quanty Hamy ouniiion and
canning balls
IN his rite-& be olds my staf-so-
o IS the oSs. II is the Hnzzs . and is
my own identical staush hover was.
Not the least interesting feature of the
book are the illustrations some OF which
are from drawings by Thackeray, others
from the work Of Leech. (New York
Harper d Bros.)
In Old Virginia.
ITO Have and to Hold" by Miss Mary
has been one of the most thor
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Many book lovers treat such works rather
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viewer need have any hesitation In adding
10 these endorsements The romance is