Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-05-27
Condensation by
Miss Carolyn Wells

s Miss Carolyn Wells
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Twice I'm his later years did William
Makepeace Thackeray seek temporarily
another career than that of authorship.
shortly before writing ''The Virgin
ians" he tried unsuccessfully to cap
ture a seat In parliament. Politics had
always attracted him, although his
temperament was wholly unsuited to
popular demands.
He was a radical, sympathizing with
Richard Golden in his anti-corn law
fight. 81 would like to see all men
equal" he wrote in 1910. "and this
blOated aristOcracy blasted to the wings
of all winds.o He was nevertheless
absolutely opposed to any attempt ON
the part of the people to win their
rights by force. His attitude is in
teresting In the light of tOday's radi-
calism, as is also his firm advocacy of
Ireland's right to have home rule.
After finishing s1The Virginians,.
Thackeray became the first editor of
the Cornhill Magazine. His own wide
popularity practically insured the
initial success of the venture. OF the
first number 10000 copies were sold.
The most distinguished writer's of the
day were attracted contributors
through the EDITORS prestige, and the
COrnhiI furnished magazine readers
with better fiction and articles than
can be found today In any successful
English periodical.
Although Thackeray was good
editor In many ways, he was handi-
capped by too tender a heart. He could
not refuse poems and articles, however
unfnspired and even maudlin, If the
writer's needed money. So a few months
later he gladly resigned his position
and returned to novel writing.
a FTER six years at Miss Pinker-
~ toms school, Amelia Sedley
went home, guaranteed a pol
ished and refined young lady. Amelia
was a dear little creature, all rosy
and bright good humor, though the
silly thing would cry over a dead
canary bird or a mouse the cat had
seized upon. She was accompanied
by her dear friend, Becky Sharp, who
was to make a short visit at the Sed-
ley home before beginning her career
of self support as a governess.
Becky was small, pale and sandy
haired, with eyes habitually cast
down; when they looked up they were
large, odd and attractive. AS Miss
Sharp's father had been an artist and
drunkard, and her French mother an
opera girl, it is not surprising that
Rebecca asserted she had never been
a girl-she had been a woman since
she was eight years old.
60 nxaf A ma
LAS brother, Joseph, stout, puffy
man, who wore buckskin and Hes
sian boots, several immense neck
cloths, red striped waistcoat and an
apple-green coat. He was lazy, peev-
ish, a gluttOn and a hard drinker, but
Rebecca decided instantly to set her
cap for him and began by whispering
to Amelia, rather loud: "He's very
| handsome - Rebecca's plans, how
| ever, were foiled by George Osborne,
an admirer of Amelia, and Miss Sharp
took her departure from the Sedley
house.
She went to be governess in the
home of Sir Pitt Crawley, which place,
in her letters to Amelia, she dubbed
Humdrum Hall. There were many
Crawleys, the most important being
Sir Pitts spinster sister, and his sec
ond son, Rawdon Crawley. The old
lady possessed 100000, and had al
most adopted Rawdon, who was her
favorite nephew, while several men,
bers of the family fought to supplant
him in her favor. Capt. Rawdon
Crawley was large young dandy, who
spoke with great voice, and swore a
good deal He remarked of the demure
Rebecca: "By Jove, she's neat little
! filly!" and both he and his aunt took
decided fancy to the clever and fas-
cinating little governess. Though, in
deed, she made conquest Of pretty
much whomsoever she chose.
Now we must fit back to London
| TO see what became of Miss Amelia.
Far less interesting than Becky, and
with nothing but her wax doll face to
recommend her, yet all the young men
clustered round her chair and battled
for a dance with her. She was now
engaged to George Osborne albeit his
sisters wondered, "What could George
find in that creature?' So much did
they wonder this, that it affected
George, and he concluded he was
throwing himself away on chit. But
poor little Amelia adored him, and
Captain Dobbin, who favored Amelia
himself, kept Osborne up to the mark
in his attentions. The infatuated girl
cared nothing about the Napoleonic
war that was raging, the fate of Eu-
rope was to her only Lieut.. George
Osborne; while he, often away with
his regiment, the Horse Guards, read
her letters hastily, murmuring, poor
little Emmy-how fond she is of me!
and CAD, what a headache that mixed
punch has given mel"
About this time Miss Crawley re-
turned from visiting her brother and
brought back with her to her house
In Park Lane no less a parsonage than
Hiss Rebecca Sharp. who, SO well had
ghe played her cards, was now Miss