New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-08-18
RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS.
BOOK OF ANECDOTES BY H. s. Ed
WARDS.

Mr.. Eowards's "reminiscences deal chleny with
the theatrical. musical. literary and revolu-
tionary celebrities met in the current of London
life during the last sixty years. His anecdotes
are as a rule. fresh lively and credible; the
slfnapses of character he offers are interesting
IL rather superficial, and his rambling and hap
hazard manner is not fll-adapted to the matter
il sets forth. One Of his acquaintance
one Of whom he speaks with unvarying admira-
tion-was Thackeray. He describes the great
novelist as absolutely without affectation or
false pride of any kind, and this goes far TO dis
credit the claim of his detractors that he was
..snob' Edwards during their first talk to-
gether, asked him as TO whether the success
of Vanity Fair had taken him at all by sur
prise.
Very much So" said Thackeray, land not
myself alone When little time before L had
asked for permission to republish some tales
from Fraser's Magazine ii was given to me
with a smile-almost an ironical one. as much
as 20 say, Much good may you get out OF them
They bring me in three hundred year now"
No author and editor of to-day would be thus
uncertain Of the value of their wares, and no
modern Byron, we imagine, would be apt to
make a free gift of his work to his publisher
Truly, times have changed for literature-hoW
changed may be wildly illustrated by COM
harrison Of the prices lately given to MI KIP
ling with those received by Thackeray. little
over So a page he told Mr. Edwards. was what
The author Of Vanity Fair was PAID by the
proprietor OF 'eFraser's Magazine" Apropos OF
Thackeray. Edwards quotes Father Prout as
telling him that soon after the punhcauoh oA
.nFrs Foerlinss Ball" Albert Smith had COM
uIajned that he (Srnith) had done 1t all pe1ore
tn various sketches of evening parties. NOT
all" said Father Prout to the envious one,
svou forget The O'AiuIligan." He had reason
<nr surely no one has ever touched Thackeray
On the portrayal Of the Costigan-O Mulllsan
type We are reminded in Mr. EDWARDS
chapter on prices for plays that the great novel
list had no good fortune as writer OF coIneuies'
Another writer complained that he had written
q piece in which there were only four cnarao-
tiers and yet could not get it produced "hy'
there were seventeen IN mine" said ThaekeraS'
~sud they wouldn't have II.
The only London publisher to whom MT Ed
zpands devotes much space is Tnsley. the son Of
g gamekeeper and the owner OF prosperous
business built I'D on the publication OF MISS
Braddon's novel, Lady Audley's Secret" the
young man paid the author f1,oOO for the Story
the money being borrowed and the paper ana
rrinttng secured on credit. The pook' II Is
recorded brought in small fortune 10 the
daring publisher, who, ignorant and hhteraIe
as he was was rresistibly attracted to books ana
dealings with them Out OF the profits of this
ANNNS~ 80
the country. which he called "Audley Villa" but
his manner Of life was ever moderate and MOD
est His theory Of publishing was to make
business grow by giving authors fine prices and
I1eepinS his own expenses down when they
90 In for parks and preserves and things OF
that kind he would say Of his brother pup
fishers they can't do much for the author;
they want all the money for themselves. he
apparently thought this natural and reasonable
enough in the brother publisher-and, certainly
If blame be involved in this situation. the au-
thor and not the publisher Is the man TO seek
Tinsley knew as little about literature as an I'M
educated country boy might; he called Pope
Pop" and Colley Cfbber Cooley Cher" and
talked about the "Dunkad." the 'Byeliad" and
the "ODicey" Edwards tells that when a
very popular author. W. S. Gilbert, to wit, pro-
posed 20 write for him account OF visit TO
the Hebrides, T1nsley was delighted When
shall you be back?" he said. I'm about a
month" replied Gilbert. "A month" said the
astonished publisher. why, it viii take You
three months 10 get therel The Hebrides are
on the other side OF the world" OF course he
was thinking Of the Anipodes
We find many amusing and Characteristic
stories OF musicians in these pages not the least
characteristic being an account OF an interview
with Maurel. Tho singer 'expattated on the
general imbecility Of tenors, and, by implica-
tion, on his own superiority to such people.
When God, he said, has created perfect
idiot He says to him, You shall be tenor! "
Writing Of the tactful dealing Of the operate
manager Augustus Harris, with the difficult
race of singers. Mr.. Edwards prints this story
about who is far from deserving Maurels
ccntemptuous epithet:
Jean de Reszke wished to sing the part Of
werther in Massenet's opera of that name
Harris thought the English public would not
care for the work; Jean de Reszke swore that
they would and the manager consented to give
Il chance.
To the shame of our operagoers, Massenet's
charming music was not appreciated. Neither
was the touching ultra-sentimental subject to
which II is set AT the end Of the performance
Sir Augustus said TO De Reszke:
well, you have had your way. 'Werther' has
been played and for the present season this one
representation will be enough
De Reszke, however, insisted on it's being
played again, and once more Sir Augustus gave
second performance the manager grieved TO
find that the seats not letting at all.
There would be only ESQ in a house which held
twelve hundred.
Suddenly there arrived from M de Reszke a
messenger bearing a letter 1t a request
FOR a couple Of stalls, 'ff there were any left"
servant who had brought the letter, and he took
him TO the box office "Mr. Hail." continued Sir
keeper Mr.. Hall. give me eighty stalls, twenty
boxes and q hundred amphitheatre stalls Make
them up into a parcel, please
Then handing the packet to De Reszke's mes
senger, Sir Augustus told him to say that II
II de Reszke wanted twice many tickets he
could have them Half an hour afterward Sir
Augustus received a telegram informing him
that the distinguished tenor was ILL., and would
be unable TO sing that night.
The famous pianist as described by Mr. Ed
wards, is a Of most uncertain temper.
Hans Won Btlow. he declares, could be with those
ne loved most charming. but terrible headaches