92 PROCEEDINGS MANCHESTER INSTITUTE 



or groan a little ? Why does'nt he get into the heart of these 

 folks and ruffle his feathers a bit ?" No, he never does. He is 

 ever calm. He is occupied with the outward show of life, with 

 its pomp and pageantry, with its appearances, even in dealing 

 with humble circumstances, and he is marvelously faithful to 

 all the superficial details. His stories are the most vivid of pan- 

 oramas ; these figures live and will live, this crowded scene is 

 fascinating, the finest illusion you or I need ever expect to wit- 

 ness. It is a picture of rare energy and power, delicately and 

 finely wrought — and yet it is painted canvas, it is the surface of 

 things and you must not approach too closely or inquire too 

 shrewdly ; the depth, the depth of life is not there, or but rare- 

 ly. And none knew this better than Wm. M. Thackeray hirti- 

 self : 



" The play is done ; the cui-tain drops, 



Slow falling to the prompter's bell ; 

 A moment yet the actor stops, 



And looks ai-ound to say farewell. 

 It is an irksome word and task 



And, when lie's laughed and had his say, 

 He shows, as he removes the mask, 



A face that's anything but gay." 



And thus we already touch, do j^ou not see, that deep and 

 primal test of the substance of the best literature. " Has it 

 the power of earnestness ? Does it show zest and joy and a liv- 

 ing energy, making men feel it is a great thing to be alive ?" I 

 am afraid that is not true of Thackeray, and it irks me to say 

 it. I have been twisting things in the attempt to reconcile my 

 heart and my conscience ; my heart that loves Thackeray, the 

 man, and loves his books too, finding in them a perpetual de- 

 light — and my conscience that sees and feels more and more 

 clearly that the man did not write because he had something of 

 fire within, but because it was a thing he could do and do it 

 well, partly because it was agreeable and interesting to pour out 

 the full treasure of his observation and his thought. I have 

 even been tempted to fit a brand-new theory to the case, just to 

 accommodate one who never had anything but the kindest inten- 

 tions and the most heart-winning boyishness of spirit in the 

 presence of the whole human race. But on the whole I must 

 sorrowfully stick to my standards. Somehow the great heart of 



