The Washington herald., 1907-05-12
BY HECTOR FULLER.

"sien Of the pen have seldom any great sklu in
conquering kingdoms, but they have strong ineina-
''''' johnson,
One of the strongly interesting figures
IN American journalism OF more recent
years was Mr. Edwin Lawrence Godkin.
editor OF the New York Evening Post and
Of The Nation .ra-conservative as he
was in political matters. he yet succeeded
in making a paper that was both inter
est.ng and dignihed. and his friendships
extended among the great men of Europe
and America. His life, though quiet,
was such an eventful one that peculiar
interest attaches TO his Life and Let
ters," a volume which is having a large
sale
An interesting passage in this book
tells of Mr. Godkin's intercourse with the
elder Henry James and his two sons.
Henry. the novelist. and William. the
psychologist Henry James. the elder,
writes Mr.. Godkln was a person of de-
lightfuI eccentricity, and a humorist Of
the first water. When in his grotesque
moods he maintained that to a right
car was the nearest approach to heaven
upon earth. What was the precise ma
ture Of his philosophy never fully un-
derstood. but he professed to be Swe-
deubOrgian. and carried on "a correspond
ence fun OF droll incidents with anxious
inquirers in various parts Of the country.
Asking him one day about one Of these,
he replied, instantly. oh. a devil of a
woman" 20 my great astOnishment, as
was not then thoroughly familiar with
his ways. There could not be a more en-
tertainlng treat than a dinner at the
James house when all the young people
we:e at home. They were fun of stories
Of the oldest kind, and discussed ques-
lions of morals OF taste or literature with
ii VOciferOus vigOr so great as sometimes
TO lead the young men 10 leave their seats
and gestCulate on the floor 7 remem-
Der in some OF these heated discussions
it was not unusual for the sons to invoke
humorous curses on their parent one of
which was that his mashed potatoes
might always have Jumps In them
Apropos Of Mr.. Godkin, there is
gratefully reminiscent paper in the North
American Review by Mr.. William Dean
Howens under the title "A Great New
York Journalist" and the subject is Mr.,
Godkin. Mr. Howells writes:
A closer knowledge Of him than the knowledge his
biouapher has sEared with an. began for me WITH
cur personal Acquaintance in the first year Of The
Nation when be had already achieved a hign
Pace Ia New York Journalism. He had then def
uuely relinluishcd the law. and had been for some
Years q writer Of leaders In the New York Times
where ! came upon his traces when I also aspired
to write fer the Times l believe DE had not quite
ceased 70 write there when began 10 offer literary
Iaulrs 10 him IS the editor Of The Nation He
was one Gf several editors 60 whom / was then Of
fering slch papers and one day he asked me what
my aggregate gains frum them came to: then he
stuCk average in his proposal for my entire liter
ar uutruCt. and the nCt day ] came down 20 the
Uf-ce Of The Nation. where every day Tor three
months after I wrote az q desk in his To1m and in
his constant c0mpanionship. This was Cne ot the
most charming passages Of hte which some
times think has b5en unduly favored in that way,
fer We were not So far apart in age that We could
not meet on the common ground IF yoang manhood,
and gge were OF a like temperament In the willing
ness 20 laugh aud make laugh. The world was not
50 serious then bJt could ind something amusing
in each days events and we shared our pleasure IN
tbcse as We went the morning papers respect
iyely. and came on the suggestions for our day S
work.
The new ThackeTay letters which have
come 10 light through the recent sale in
New York of the John D. Crimmins col
lection Of autographs have proved more
than usually interesting. Most Of them
are addressed 10 the brilliant if some
what foolish and unfortunate Margaret,
Countess of Blessington, who. from a
high position, fell into bankruptcy and
died an exile in Paris. A leader OF lit
erary society in London. with admirers
by the score, she found herself, under
changed fortunes. deserted by those who
q short time previously had been glad to
pay homage at her court Thackeray
was one of her admirers, and one who
remained faithful TO the last. All of his
letters to her which have now come 70
light, some written In the days of her
prosperity, others written after her fall,
are uniformly kind and respectful a life
of the CountessOf BlcssingtOn was written
By r. R. Madden. who applied to Thsck-
cray for permission to incorporate these
eplstles in his work, but this permission
Thackeray peremptorily refused. in these
letters. which viii probably be published
now, Thackeray is to be found as a
merciless but just critic of his c0ntem-
porary and rival, Charles Dickens lie
admired Dickens immensely, but hated
the spirit of pTetense which led Dickens
TO an inflated style and 20 the use OF
big words when small ones would have
answered the purpose much better. lie
IS also a free critic of himself, unhurdens
himself of his worries and his financial
troubles. and many times takes occasion
to lament the yellow cover of the monthly
numbers Of his serial stories. The letters
show that, however Thackeray might raj
at the world and sneer at his kind in his
novels, he had "a great, kind heart fol
the sOrrOWs Of others.
The record for book popularity at the
Public Library during the past week
shows that in nonfctiOn the most callet
for work was Mark Twain's Christian
Science" and Shaw's Man and Super
man" In fiction the call was de d
Pastures Lonely Lady of Grosvenol
Square and Mrs. Wharton's ''Madamt
de Treymes" Andrew Lang again capt
Yates all the youngsters with bis Red anC
his Green fairy books.
The numerous requests from users O
the Public Library for summer trave
literature proved the appreciation Of tbs
public Of the exhibition held two year.
ago This exhibit has been renewed this
spring with q much larger collection o.
travel pamphlets issued by the principa
railway and steamboat companies of III,
country. A quantity OF this advertising
matter is for distribution and may be haC
upon application TO the attendant IL
charge. The places covered are nearby
resorts all points of interest in the United
States. Alaska. Hawaii Philippines. Mex
ic0. West Indies Cuba, and Porto Rico =
large collection of foreign material is I,
be found, with dates of sailing and maps
Many of these pamphlets are descriptive
finely illustrated, and attractive as wei