ment from the editorship of the "Cornhill," Thackeray began in it the novel "Denis Duval," of which only four numbers had been written at the time of his sudden death, at the age of fifty-two. The minor works of Thackeray consist mainly of his contributions to "Fraser's" and the "Cornhill," several volumes of foreign sketches, small Christmas books, and a volume of clever "Ballads." Among these works are "The Book of Snobs;" "The Yellowplush Papers," "The Fitz-Boodle Papers;" "The Paris Sketch Book; "The Irish Sketch Book;" "A Journey from Cornhill to Cairo ; ;" "Cox's Diary;" "The Second Funeral of Napoleon;" "A Legend of the Rhine;" "The Kickleburys on the Rhine;""Mrs. Perkins's Ball; "Our Street;" "Dr. Birch and His Young Friends;" "The Rose and the Ring." In 1887 was published a "Collection of the Letters of Thackeray," written between 1847 and 1855. BECKY GOES TO COURT. (From "Vanity Fair.") AT last Becky's kindness and attention to the chief of her husband's family were destined to meet with an exceeding great reward; a reward which, though certainly somewhat unsubstantial, the little woman coveted with greater eagerness than more positive benefits. If she did not wish to lead a virtuous life, at least she desired to enjoy a character for virtue, and we know that no lady in the genteel world can possess this desideratum, until she has put on a train and feathers, and has been presented to her sovereign at court. From that august interview they come out stamped as honest women. The lord chamberlain gives them a certificate of virtue. as dubious goods or letters are passed through an oven at quarantine, sprinkled with aromatic vinegar, and then pronounced clean many a lady whose reputation would be doubtful otherwise, and liable to give infection, passes through the wholesome ordeal of the royal presence, and issues from it free from all taint. And It might be very well for my Lady Bareacres, my Lady Tufto, Mrs. Bute Crawley in the country, and other ladies who had come into contact with Mrs. Rawdon Crawley, to cry fie at the idea of the odious little adventuress making her courtesy before the sovereign; and to declare that, if dear, good Queen Charlotte had been alive, she never would have admitted such an extremely ill-regulated personage into her chaste drawingroom. But when we consider that it was the First Gentleman in Europe in whose high presence Mrs. Rawdon passed her examination, and, as it were, took her degree in reputation, it surely must be flat disloyalty to doubt any more about her virtue. I, for my part, look back with love and awe to that Great Character in history. Ah, what a high and noble appreciation of Gentlewomanhood there must have been in Vanity Fair, when that revered and august being was invested, by the universal acclaim of the refined and educated portion of this empire, with the title of Premier Gentilhomme of his Kingdom! Do you remember, dear M, O friend of my youth, how one blissful night five-and-twenty years since, the "Hypocrite" being acted, Elliston being manager, Dowton and Liston performers, two boys had leave from their loyal masters to go out from Slaughter House School, where they were educated, and to appear on Drury Lane stage, amongst a crowd which assembled there to greet the king? THE KING! There he was. Beef-eaters were before the august box, the Marquis of Steyne (Lord of the Powder Closet), and other great officers of state were behind the chair on which he sat, He sat florid of face, portly of person, covered with orders, and in a rich curling head of hair. How we sang God save him! How the house rocked and shouted with that magnificent music. cheered, and cried, and waved handkerchiefs. mothers clasped their children: some fainted with emotion. People were suffocated in the pit, shrieks and groans rising up amidst the writhing and shouting mass there of his people who were, and indeed showed themselves almost to be, ready to die for him. Yes, we saw him. Fate cannot deprive us of that. Others have seen Napoleon. Some few still exist who have beheld Frederick the Great, Dr. Johnson, Marie Antoinette, etc. —be it our reasonable boast to our children, that we saw George the Good, the Magnificent, the Great. How they Ladies wept; Well, there came a happy day in Mrs. Rawdon Crawley's existence, when this angel was admitted into the paradise of a Court which she coveted; her sister-in-law acting as her godmother. On the appointed day, Sir Pitt and his lady, in their great family carriage (just newly built, and ready for the baronet's assumption of the office of High Sheriff of his county), drove up to the little house in Curzon Street; to the edification of Raggles, who was watching from his green-grocer's shop, and saw fine plumes within, and enormous bunches of flowers in the breasts of the new livery-coats of the footmen. Sir Pitt, in a glittering uniform, descended and went into Curzon Street, his sword between his legs. Little Rawdon stood with his face against the parlor window-panes, smiling and nodding with all his might to his aunt in the carriage within; and presently Sir Pitt issued forth from the house again, leading forth a lady with grand feathers, covered in a white shawl, and holding up daintily a train of magnificent brocade. She stepped into the vehicle as if she were a princess, and accustomed all her life to go to Court, smiling graciously on the footman at the door, and on Sir Pitt, who followed her into the carriage. Then Rawdon followed in his old Guards uniform, which had grown woefully shabby, and was much too tight. He was to have followed the procession, and waited upon his sovereign in a cab, but that his good-natured sister-in-law insisted that they should be a family party. The coach was large, the ladies not very big they would hold their trains in their laps. Finally, the four went fraternally together, and their carriage presently joined the line of loyal equipages which was making its way down Piccadilly and St. James's Street, toward the old brick palace, where the Star of Brunswick was in waiting to receive his nobles and gentlefolks. -- Becky felt as if she could bless the people out of the carriage windows, so elated was she in spirit, and so strong a sense had she of the dignified position which she had at last attained in life. Even our Becky had her weaknesses, and as one often sees how men pride themselves upon excellences which others are slow to perceive: how, for instance, Comus firmly believes that he is the greatest tragic actor in England, how Brown, the famous novelist, longs to be considered, not a man of genius, but a man of fashion; while Robinson, the great lawyer, does not in the least care about his reputation in Westminster Hall, but believes himself incomparable across country, and at a five-barred gate-so to be, and to be thought, a respectable woman, was Becky's aim in life, and she got up the genteel with amazing assiduity, readiness and success. We have said, there were times when she believed herself to be a fine lady, and forgot that there was no money in the chest at home - duns round the gate, tradesmen to coax and wheedle no ground to walk upon, in a word. And as she went to court in the carriage, the family carriage, she adopted a demeanor so grand, self-satisfied, deliberate and imposing, |
