prevented his entering the army, so his want of money prevented his entrance to the ranks of the lawyers of the capital.  The council which recommends such admissions required at that period that the person seeking admittance should show himself possessed of a well-furnished domicile and a sufficient income.  Thiers’ resources fell far short of this.  For a while he supported himself in Paris as best he could, partly by painting fans; he then returned to Aix, where he was admitted to the Bar.  But he could not stay long away from Paris.  He returned, and again struggled with poverty, painting and making applications for literary and newspaper work in all directions.  At last, about the time of Louis XVIII.’s death, Manuel, the semi-republican deputy from Marseilles, took him up.  He was then engaged upon his History, and was private secretary to the Duc de Liancourt, to whose notice he had been brought by Talleyrand in a letter which said:  “Two young men have lately brought me strong recommendations.  One is gentlemanly and appears to have the qualifications you desire in a secretary; the other is uncouth to a degree, but I think I can discern in him sparks of the fire of genius.”  The duke’s reply was brief:  “Send me the second one.”

In 1826 Thiers began to attract public notice as a clever and somewhat turbulent opponent of the priest party under Charles X. He got his first journalistic employment from the editor of a leading paper in Paris, the “Constitutionnel.”  He had a letter of introduction to the editor, who, nowise impressed by his appearance, and wishing to get rid of him, politely said he had no work vacant on the paper except that of criticising the pictures in the Salon, which he presumed M. Thiers’ could not undertake.  On the contrary, Thiers felt sure he could do the work, which the editor, confident of his failure, allowed him to try.  The result was a review that startled all Paris, and Thiers was at once engaged on the “Constitutionnel” as literary, dramatic, and artistic critic.  He proved to have a perfect genius for journalism, and all his life he considered newspaper work his profession.  Before long he aspired to take part in the management of his paper, and to that end saved and scraped together every cent in his power, assisted by a German bookseller named Schubert, the original of Schmuke, in Balzac’s “Cousin Pons.”  The “Constitutionnel” grew more and more popular and more and more powerful; but still Thiers’ means were very small, and he was bent on saving all he could to establish a new newspaper, the “National.”  He was engaged to be married to a young lady at Aix, whose father thought he was neglecting her, and came up to Paris to see about it.  Thiers pleaded for delay.  He had not money enough, he said, to set up housekeeping.  A second time the impatient father came to Paris on the same errand, and on receiving the same answer, assaulted Thiers publicly and challenged him.  The duel took place.  Thiers fired in the air, and his adversary’s ball passed between his little legs.  Nobody was hurt, but the match was broken off, and the young lady died of the disappointment.  Thiers kept every memorial he had of her sacredly to the day of his death, and in the time of his power sought out and provided for the members of her family.