The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

"Jaanie's Diary" ''Punch's Prose Novel
ists.' 1.-The Traveller in London and
many like papers. In all OF them WIZ anu
broad fun run riot His burlesques of the
Dopular novelists are full of broad COMEDY
Joined to real criticism. He makes ivan
hoe marry Rebecca and become the an
cestor of an enormously rich Hebrew
family. He parodies the dashing romantic
Away through light and darkness.
storm b aga oads ANA ba aMe " Brave
horse, Gallant steed. Snorting child of
Arabyl on went the horse, over noun
tains. rivers. turnpikes, appls.women1; ,, ary
accustomed to put him up"
His exuberant spirits play gayly about
even such mighty subjects as Tine Sor-
rows Of Werther
"werther had love for Charlotte
Such as words could never utter:
Would YOU know how first he met herr
She was cutting bread and butter.
"Charlotte was a married lady.
And a mortal man was Werther
And for all the wealth of Indies
Would do nothing for TO hurt her.
so he sighed and pinned and ogled,
And his passion boiled and dubbed,
Till he blew his silly brains out
And no more By 1t was troubled.
.Chariotte having seen his body
Borne before her on shutter,
Like well-conducted person,
Went on cutting bread and butter"
The Book of Snobs" is a burlesque on
society. In it Thackeray for the first time
voiced a note that was to dominate much
of his work He detested shams and ev-
cry form of insincerity "Cail things by
gloss over the viilainy of Lord Steyne be-
cause he is lord; do not condone George
Osborne's sefishness because he is hand
not and do not let false shame make you
conceal what you are" The result was
satire, not fierce and merciless like
swifts but r,a human and ND kindly g axe
tlest Of all English satirists," yet he fear
ed no one; he could assail even the no.
bility, who are so worshiped by English
mem
'sIf ever our cousins, the Smigmags.
asked me to meet Lord Longears. should
like to take an opportunity after dinner
and say. In the most good-natured way in
the world. Sir. Fortune makes you a
present of number of thousand pounds
every year The ineffable wisdom of our
ancestors has as placed you as a chief and
mirable constitution tthe pride of Britons
and envy of surrounding nations) obliges
me to receive. you as my senator. super
Tor and guardian. Your eldest son, Fftz-
Heehaw Is sure of place in parliament;
your younger sons. the De Brays, will
kindly condescend to be post-captains and
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES anu 10 represent us III
foreign courts. These prizes our
admirable constitution (the pride and
envy of, etc.) pronounces to be your due;
without count of, your dizziness. your
vices, your sefishness or your entire in
capacity and folly"
The extravaganza and broad comedy of
Thackerays early work appear less and
less in his later writings In his novels
he followed the footsteps of Fielding. He
wrote with "the eye on the object and
he reproduced life with wonderful accu-
racy. He had the rare power of making
his characters alive we seem to see them
before us almost in the flesh. He sympa-
thizes with them. he laughs ut their weak
nesses and foibles and holds up to our
ridicule their snobhishness and folly. Yet
he is ever perfectly sane: he seldom carl
catures he never ridicules life. His hui
NOR Is subtle and delicate: his pathos
is sincere and telling.
Thackeray has followed faithfully his
own prescription for humor. "The humor-
Gus writer" he says. 'besides appealing
to your sense of ridicule. processes 10
awaken and direct your love, your pity,
your kindness-your scorn for untruth.
pretension. imposture--your tenderness
| for the weak the poor. the oppressed, the
unhappy. = He takes upon him 10
| be the weekday preacher. so to speak -
| He has been called a cynic. and he was
cynic. as Nicoll observes. IF by the word
| we mean one who is apt to look on life
| with glance half sad. half humorous
! who is prone to be distrustful of fine APP