The Cornhill Magazine

What we call, and what our children in turn will call old days, are the days of our early youth, and to the writer the old days of the 'Cornhill Magazine 'convey an impression of early youth, of constant sunshine mysteriously associated with the dawn of the golden covers, even though it was in winter that they first appeared.

Recalling those vivid times, she cannot but think instinctively of the friend who also lived them, whose voice, never unheeded, whose influence, always counting for so much, was that of the tender wife and helpmate, the thoughtful companion of George Smith's far-reaching life of generous achievement; to whom he ever turned and his children with him, and of whom we all think with affection and grateful trust as we celebrate the jubilee of the old ' Cornhill.'

Not many words are needed to speak of this jubilee which we now record. There is nothing new to say, except that which happily is not new, and continues still to belong to its traditions ; no less than in the days when the Founder of the Cornhill,' the Builder of so many great enterprises, first spoke to the first Editor. Through the long years which have followed, and when Leslie Stephen was Editor in turn, that good tradition has not changed.

Our magazine is written not only for men and women, but for boys, girls, infants,' my Father says. And to add to this there is what each of us may remember for ourselves. What philosophies, what noble utterances have rung from the familiar shrine, and what honoured voices have uttered thence ! VOL. XXVIII. —NO. 163, N.S.

I am told that my Father demurred at first to the suggestion of editing the Cornhill.' Such work did not lie within his scope, but then Mr. George Smith arranged that he himself was to undertake all business transactions, and my Father was only to go on writing and criticising and suggesting; and so the first start of the ' Cornhill' was all gaily settled and planned. The early records of the start are of a cheerful character—no time is lost—business questions are adjourned to Greenwich, to dinners, to gardens—meetings abound. ...

I have an impression also, besides the play, of very hard and continuous work at that time ; of a stream of notes and messengers from Messrs. Smith & Elder ; of consultations, calculations. I find an old record which states that ' in sixteen days 'the ‘ Cornhill’ was planned and equipped for its long journey.

My Father would go to Wimbledon, where the young couple Mr. and Mrs. George Smith were then living. Later on it was Mr. Smith who used to come to see my Father, driving in early, morning after morning, on his way to business, carrying a certain black bag full of papers and correspondence, and generally arriving about breakfast-time.

On September 1, 1859, the following entry occurs in Mr. George Smith's diary:

Went to dine at Greenwich with Thackeray to talk about magazine.'

On January 1, 1860 (only four months later), the first number of the Cornhill’ was published.

On January 3, 1860 : ‘Called on Thackeray on my way to the City ; signed agreement respecting “ Roundabout Papers.” ·

Mr. Thackeray in very good spirits at the success of the “ Cornhill.”

January 27, 1860.-No. 2 published-ordered 80,000 to be printed. Called in Bride Lane to see how they were selling the second number of the “ magazine.” The demand very rapid.'

January 30, 1860.-Ordered 100,000 to be printed of' “ Cornhill Magazine." ;

* May 31, 1860.--To Thackeray with first volume of“ magazine."

Anthony Trollope, a stately Herald, opened the first number of the * Cornhill' with his delightful history of ' Framley Parsonage’; my Father wound up with the 'Roundabout Paper' called ' On a Lazy Idle Boy,' and he describes the magazine while addressing the young reader:

Our “ Cornhill Magazine” owners strive to provide thee with

From an unpublished portrait by Samuel Laurence in the possession

of Mrs. Wilson Crewdson

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