The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-04-09
"reminiscences of Forty Years.


with a delightful early Victorian flavor
TO it, the author being, it is said, too
well known for his real name to be
given. He has. at any rate. known in
timately most of the people worth know
ing in his time. and he has the art Of
telling a good story.
Many of these stories are decidedly
unconventional; for instance. this one
of Bishop Bloomfield. who. "A widower
with several children. married a widow
likewise blessed, and proceeded to raise
a third brood. OF him it is said:
'On one occasion the bishop was dis
turbed in his study by the impetuous
entrance of his lady. What is it, my
dearY he inquired with ill-concealed
testness. oh. bishop" she replied in
agonized accents, quick. quick! There's
not a moment TO lose. Your children
are siding with my children and are
numbering our childrenr I never saw
the late Admiral Bloomfield or his
brother, the church architect. each as
peaceful looking an old gentleman as
ever ambled along Pail Mall. without
wondering what part they took in that
famous fray, and my decorous recoI-
lection of their right reverend parent
IS always slightly marred by a whimsi-
cal vision of him sallying forth from
his sanctum with a disordered apron
and administering indiscriminate chas-
tisement with a Cruden's Concord
ance'"
OF Thackeray the author says:
He was evidently a man OF moods
one DAY all sunshine and genialfty, the
next sardonic and in a sense cantanker-
Gus. But on the whole, the sunshine
predominated, and the record of his
beautiful sayings and doings puts the
converse characteristics (Which at times
were all too conspicuous well In the
shade. To him must be credited the
most chivalrOus utterance that. 1 sup
pose, ever emanated from a man Of
letters. Dickens, who never liked him.
told a friend that he could see nothing
TO admire in one Of Thackeray's novels.
then being serially produced; and the
friend, who knew both the great au-
thors. with friendships traditional
damned good-naturedness' reported the
opinion to Thackeray. 1t must have
ranked deeply, but all the comment
Thackeray made was: am afraid /
cannot return the compliment. for there
is not page that Mr.. Dickens has
written which I have not read with the
greatest delight and admiration
An instance in which Thackeray's pre-
objection for irony gave rise to a mis-
taken impression Of his character is
this: .'Thackeray had been dining at
the GarricN and was chatting in the
smoking room after dinner with various
club acquaintance. One Of them hap
pening 20 have left his cigar case at
hcme, Thackeray, though disliking the
man, who was a notorious tuft-hunter
good-naturedly offered him one Of his
cigars. The man accepted the cigar. but
not finding it to his liking had the bad
taste TO say to Thack cray: say,
Thackeray. you won't mind my saying
don't think much of this cigar Thack-
cray, no doubt irTttated at the mans I'M
graciousness. AMI bearing in mind his
tuft-hunting predictions quietly re
sponded: You ought to- my good fellow
for IL was given me by a lord Instead
however, Of detecting the irony the doh
INN ediately attributed the remark 10
snobbishneSs on Thackeray's part and
70 the end OF his days went about de
clartng that 'Thackeray had boosted
that he had been given a cigar by q
lord. "
The impression created b. the book
, IS that the aHthor is a gOok fellow. and
IL is always pleasant 10 Took at the
world through TIE eyes Of "A good fell
low He may have his little Dreju-
dlces and yani5ies; but none the less is
ne entertaining His acquaintance in
cludes men Of al types and professions
-clergymen. writers, jurists, nOblemen-
He tells with evident relish an anecdOte
Of Lord COleridge, who, though quite
conventional. had mis- informal moods
A fellOw-judge was abusing somebody
whom they both disliked in lauguage
very near billngsgate. Coleridge heard
him through, and then blandly OBJ
served: Il am not addicted 70 EXPIRES
sions Of that kind myself. but would
you mind saying IL again?" And these
are only a few Of many good stories.
New York. Doubleday Page q Coz