Douglas Jerrold

James K. Applebee Tuesday evening Dec. 38, entertained a big audience with a paper upon the great Engüsli wit. Douglas Jerrold, o-ne oí t.iie rounders oí J.ondon Punen, and the man above all others to whom that ournal's I fume was indebted. Jerrold liad no ancestry to thank : for liis position in the world. He was boni of hoiiorably poor párente, avIio Avere strolling aetors or barn stormers as tliat class were tlien known. He commenced lile at ten years of age as an English middy, in whk-h eapaeity he f-erved the Englisii navy when AVelling-ton ended the war with France by gaining tlie battle oí Wo te rio o. Tlie boy then w;uidered into (looi, aaid by some liook or crook succee-ded im gletting himself apprenticed to a printer and publisher. He arose ea.rly and sat up late studying Latin and reading the best literature oí the day, Shakespeare being his ido!. One day lie wrote an article anonymcusly and dropped it intO' the letter box oí the publisher for whom lie worked. What was Wis delight next day to be lia.nded bSs own nianuscript to put in type. Proni that on he rapidly advanced, so that when in 1841 the wits of London decided to start a jonrnal that should have the best brains oí the natiom as its contributors, Jerrold was associated with Tennyson, Toni Hood, Thackery, Richard Doyle. and otliers as its editor. He brought all his wits into play, and was forever iscoau-ging gome wrong or sliowing' up some folly. Tor tjiis he used satire, and did not think that it was necessary to always cast truth int leaden búllete to reach Uie public mind and heart. He chose Jto clothe it with a hale-fellow, ■well-met aspect, but with a sting tliat seldom failed to accomplMi its object. He matle rice ridiculous and Jieartlessness contemptihlc. One of the finst shafts of his wit -vas aimed at dass distinction im Ejigland. In 'that day these dist:nctios were far greater than they .Mie to-dny. A barrister's wlfe, for instance, t-ook preccdence of the lawyer's wife, and the lawyer's wife wooiM tuiin up her nose at the linen draper's eporase, and the linen draper's spo'use Avould not associate with the butcher's missxis, and she in turn i feit horriíied to be foumd in compnny witb the day laborer". woman. rold ralsed the laugh at tliis absurdil'.v, and satarized it unmercifully. '■"Wliolesales won't anix with retails," he said, nd "pig' iron turns up its noee at ten penny nails." Tule popular eefcümate of the man was tliat he Aras one wliose pen dropped bitlei est gall, ome ' ivlio chalíes your Khoulders but not your sidos ; but tliO fact was that lis did shake ycur j sides as oftea as lie slvook your shouldeis, and ,his pen ivas dipped in the sweetest myrrh and frankinescence for all that was good aed true and i-ig'ht, but in the bitterest oí bitter aloes for all süiame and pretense. For gwmrne kindness and sympathy ■mo man was gTeateir, and he never satirized Q,nytliing" that Avould bear public ecrutluy. He kished omly ra.soality. He was the reforme-r of manners of lii age, and while he liad a.n intense liatredfoT everythlng dishonorable, he was tenderly uppret-iative of every moral beauty. If evwyone who loved liim for these qualities could place a flower upon his grave there would so'Oiti Te raised a mound of roses thoreon. The lecturer gave nwuiy quotations from Jerpold'e writimgs, and beinjï a. good elocutionist lie gave them tliem very effectively. He closed the interest ing lecture wiUi a glowing arwl feeling tribute tO' the memory of the man who avus oi wits the chieiest, of Tvriters one of tile most keen, of üiumanity one of the ablest champioms that England ever 'produced. Tlie series of lectures glven by Mr. Applebee have beea greatly appreciated by our people, and the learned and able lecturer miay be sure of a cordial reception wheneA-er lic may appearjheire in the future.