This oracle is dated December 1852. Here is another revelation, "Carissima may move the table." One of the messages on the same page may be spiritual, but it rather reminds one of common life. "Please deliver to W. M. Thackeray, Esq., a hat or a cap as he may wish, and place the same to the account of John N. Genin, 214 Broadway." A stamp in the corner with Genin, Broadway, New York, and the picture of a very tall hat gives authority to the document. A letter to Lady Stanley, written from Philadelphia, sums up his first impressions: January 21, 1853. "All those fine plans of writing letters, which my friends were to keep and restore to me, and of which I was to make a book on my return home, are of no avail. I can't see the country, I can't write any letters; the business I am on prevents the one and the other. I am making and receiving visits all day long, going out to dinner and supper prodigiously, and perfectly drunk with the number of new acquaintances poured into me. I tremble as I walk the streets here, lest every man I meet is my friend of last night, who will be offended of course if I forget him. It is like a man canvassing, but the canvass begins afresh in every new city, and goes on till I am perfectly weary of shaking hands and acting. Do you know that there are over five hundred thousand inhabitants in this town? The great impression I have got in going about is how small and dwindled the old country is, and how great and strong the new. Here I must go; Mr. M'Michael of the North American Enquirer is below. "It is two hours afterward. M'Michael and I have been to the Mint (shake hands with everybody), which is a beautiful institution, of which the Philadelphians have a right to be proud; to the Free School (shake hands with all the professors), a capital school too, seemingly, where the youngest boys know much more than I do, and where it is a good thing to think small beer of one's self, comparing one's own ignorance with the knowledge of these little ones. I am making money pretty well, and have put by already nearly two thousand pounds since I have been here; and do you know that the common interest here is eight per cent., as safe as English funds, they tell me? . . . I hope to make nearly double what I have before I bend my steps homeward, and then shall get ready some fresh lectures for a new campaign. They will bear me over again in this country, and like me, I believe. I have nothing but praise and kindness, except from some of the Boston papers, who fired into me, and said I was a humbug. But Boston is the centre of lecturing; lecturers go out thence to all quarters of the Union, lecturers who only get one dollar to my ten, and who are at least quite as good as I am; hence animosities and natural heart-burnings; and I don't care, so long as the reason is with them, and the dollars with me. I find wonderfully little difference in manners, an accent not quite like ours; but why should it be? Why should not Jordan be as good as Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus? Even the dress of the New York girls, which struck me as odious at first on account of their splendaciousness, I think now quite handsome. I have found kind matrons and pretty girls everywhere, and in Boston very good, fogeyfied, literary society, with everywhere a love for the old country quite curious, nay, touching, to remark. They are great about pronunciation especially, and take down at my lectures words which this present arbiter of English pronounces differently from them. If Carlyle comes, I wonder whether they will take him as an exemplar. Crowe is my comfort and delight in life; he is worth his weight in gold. Everybody lectures in this country, and it isn't, nor any trade or calling else, for that matter, thought infra dig. Nor is a man thought the worse of for showing a little independence. For instance, when I came here they told me it was usual for lecturers (Mr. B. of London had done it) to call upon all the editors of all the papers, hat in hand, and ask them to puff my lectures. Says I, 'I'll see them all. . . . here I used a strong expression, which you will find in the Athanasian Creed. Well, they were pleased rather than otherwise, and now the papers are puffing me so as to make me blush." Two days afterward he wrote: GIRARD HOUSE (PHILADELPHIA), January 23, 1853. "My dear Mr. Biddle: This note is written with your gold pen, which suits me to a nicety, and which I shall always value as a token of the goodwill and friendliness of the kind giver. I believe I have never written for popularity, but God forbid I should be indifferent to such marks of esteem and confidence as now and then fall to my share, when scholars and good men are pleased with my works. I am thankful to have shaken your kind hand, and to carry away your good opinion. Please God, the gold pen shall tell no lies while it lives with me. As for the splendid case, I shall put it into my children's museum. I know how pleased and proud they will be at such tokens of friendship shown to their father. "Believe me always, my dear sir, "Your faithful and obliged, "W. M. THACKERAY." We also read that Frederick S. Cozzens, a popular writer of that period, and an admirer of Thackeray, made his acquaintance soon after his arrival in New York, being introduced to him at the Century Club. The two immediately became friends, and an arrangement was made for Thackeray to deliver a lecture at Yonkers and to be the guest of Mr. Cozzens at Chestnut Cottage, and the following letter from the lecturer to Mr. Cozzens is given: "Thank you, my dear Cozzens, for the check for one hundred dollars (presumably for the lecture), and Mr. MacAdam for his kindness in speaking about me, and Mrs. Cozzens for her hospitality, and those dear little children for wanting to trot up and see the Gentleman take the Quinine. . It was the jolliest day I have had for a long, long time. May many more be in store for you, and yours always, "W. M. THACKERAY." Yonkers Library Association. EXTRA LECTURE, The Managers have the pleasure to announce that W. M. THACKERAY, ESQ. The celebrated author of "VANITY FAIR“ “PENDENNIS," "THE WILL DELIVER A LECTURE AT THE LYCEUM, GETTY HOUSE, ON FRIDAY EVE'NG, NOVEMBER 30, AT EIGHT O'CLOCK. Subject-"CHARITY AND HUMOR." Getty House, Tickets, Fifty Cents each, Can be had in Yonkers, at the At Mr. Rockwell's, At the Post Office, and at Mr. Post's, under the Library, My father himself has given a charming description of Washington Irving, which will come in its place later on. Here is what Washington Irving said of my father: Washington Irving writes to a member of his family: "The next morning (16 Jan. 1853) proving bright and fair, I broke up my encampment, and got down to the foot of Cortlandt Street in time for the ferry-boat, which took our passengers for the express train. I looked forward to a dull wintry journey, and laid in a stock of newspapers to while away the time, but in the gentlemen's cabin of the ferry-boat whom should I see but Thackeray. We greeted each other cordially. He was on his way to Philadelphia to deliver a course of lectures. We took seats beside each other in the We have an Eborry femme de chambre here; when I came from Baltimore Just now Ivouldnt the have bem a nice ladis maid fro pour mother and Ms Bally faster? FACSIMILE OF A LETTER FROM WASHINGTON TO MISS LUCY BAXTER, FEBRUARY 19, 1853. We have an ebony femme de chambre here. When I came from Baltimore just now I found her in the following costume and attitude, standing for her picture to Mr. Crowe. She makes the beds with that pipe in her mouf and leaves it about in the rooms. Wouldn't she have been a nice lady's maid for your mother and Miss Bally Saxter? cars, and the morning passed off delightfully. He seems still to enjoy his visit to the United States exceedingly, and enters into our social life with great relish. He had made a pleasant visit to Boston: seen much of Prescott (whom he speaks highly of), Ticknor, Longfellow, and others. Said the Bostonians had published a smashing criticism on him, which, however, does not seem to have ruffled his temper, as I understand he cut it out of the newspaper and enclosed |