Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

Thackerayon many heroes and heroines of novels whom fondmemory brings back to me. Of these books I have beena diligent student from those early days, which are recordedat the commencement of this little essay. Oh,delightful novels, well remembered! Oh, novels, sweetand delicious as the raspberry open-tarts of buddingboyhood! Do I forget one night after prayers (when weunder-boys were sent to bed) lingering at my cupboardto read one little half-page more of my dear WalterScott—and down came the monitor’s dictionary uponmy head! Rebecca, daughter of Isaac of York, I haveloved thee faithfully for forty years! Thou wert twentyyears old (say) and I but twelve, when I knew thee. Atsixty odd, love, most of the ladies of thy Orient racehave lost the bloom of youth, and bulged beyond theline of beauty; but to me thou art ever young and fair,and I will do battle with any felon Templar who assailsthy fair name.ON A PEAR-TREEA gracious reader no doubt has remarked that thesehumble sermons have for subjects some little event whichhappens at the preacher’s own gate, or which falls underhis peculiar cognizance. Once, you may remember,we discoursed about a chalk-mark on the door. Thismorning Betsy, the housemaid, comes with a frightenedlook, and says, “Law, mum! there’s three bricks takenout of the garden wall, and the branches broke, and allthe pears taken off the pear-tree!” Poor peaceful suburbanpear-tree! Gaol-birds have hopped about thybranches, and robbed them of their smoky fruit. Butthose bricks removed; that ladder evidently prepared,by which unknown marauders may enter and departfrom my little Englishman’s castle; is not this a subjectof thrilling interest, and may it not be continued in afuture number?—that is the terrible question. Suppose,having escaladed the outer wall, the miscreants take a253