Evening journal., 1910-10-04
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How ThaCkeray Left
the Second Time
BY @Holland."

When William Makepeace Thack-
cray visited the United States for the
second and last time, in 1855, to de-
liver his lecture entitled THE -Four
Georges" the two Americans who
were closest TO him during his stay
were Parke Goodwin, publicist and
son-in-law Of William Cullen Bryant,
and George William Curtis.
"The intimacy which We enjoyed
with Thackeray was due TO the fact
that he made his headquarters while
in this country at the old Putnam's
Magazine office. with which both MIR.
Curtis and myself were connected
explained Mr.. Goodwin few years be-
fore his death. Sometimes Curtis
and myself were enthusiastically
agreed that Thackeray was the most
delightful, lovable and companionable
/ man we had ever met But. probably
/ Just when We had arrived at this de-
cision. Thackeray would be brusque
and apparently cold toward us. and
there would be decided traces Of
| cynicism or contempt in his nature
Frankly though we tried hard. and
had rare opportunities TO do so, we
never fully understood him.s / think,
myself, that he was a man Of moods.
or else he sometimes suffered from
| ill-health, which he bore uncomplain-
ingly. although his relations with his
fellow men we're affected by his
physical suffering.
'Thackeray. to the personal knowl-
edge of Curtis and myself. did many
strange things while he was in the
country, but the most astonishing OF
all his acts was the manner in which
/ h.. I-Ft III fs-f- lie
here. II WAS particularly embarrass-
ing TO me: and IL was an act that had
every outward aspect of cold and pur-
posed discourtesy.
after making a successful lecture
! trip through the South, If remember
correctly, Thackersy returned to New
York flushed with his success. and. in
that happy spirit. sent us word that
he would be with us for two Or three
days before departing to fulfill some
lecture engagements in another sec
tion of the country. We were so re-
| joiced over his success and his pres
ence in the city that we arranged for a
dinner In his honor, and Thackeray.
when he learned Of our plan. was par
ticularly delighted. Nothing pleased
him more than a good dinner with
good company. He would sit the
longest at the table Of any man pres
ent; he was at his best around the
festive board.
Il was particularly active in plan
ming the dinner and extending invita-
tions to it. The afternoon of the
great day ! sent a message to Thack-
eray's hotel to tell him that I would
meet him there at q certain hour that
evening and escort him to the feast.
Pretty soon the messenger was back
with the startling information that
Mr.. Thackeray Was no longer stopping
! az the hotel
Much perturbed, hastily made my
way thither, and upon inquiry at the
desk, ] learned TO my great astonish-
ment that Thackeray that very morn
ing had suddenly signified his inten
tion Of terminating HIS stay there, hat
his luggage packed, paid his bill an'
departed In a carriage. fGone where
asked. And the proprietor gave
as his opinion that the distinguishes
novelist had sailed for Europe but
few hours since.
"As quickly as I could. went TO tn
Office of the steamship line that had
sailing that day. Yes. Mr.. Thackera.
had arranged for accommodations jus
an hour or so before sailing time, en-,
had barely caught the steamer. No
he had not left any message Nor ha'
he left al the hotel or anywhere elsi
any message for me or anyone else in
terested in honoring him at the din
ner He had departed for Europe un
tremendously, and apparently. in
most discourteous manner
"Of course the dinner. minus thu
guest Of honor. was fat failure. A
it. and for some time after. Curtis an,
were asked 10 explain Thackersyf
curious conduct. We didn't even tr.
to offer an explanation to us hi
conduct was inexplicable. But week
later / made some inquiries and wal
told that Thacheray, the morning o
the festive day. vas overwhelmed al
of a sudden with feeling of home
sickness, and learning that a steam
ship was 10 sail that day. decided OF
the instant to take passage by II q
England Perhaps that was the tru
cause of his departure. But If IL wa
Il showed him to be man of whim
and moods, and that may explain
much that so many persons re
garded as mysterious or eccentri
about him."
Copyright, 1910. by Associated Lit
erary press.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tel
ftTho ann 000 That Twoed WouIdns