My Reminiscences (Volume 2) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XXIII. 18/4: WORK AND PLAY. The new year was saddened by the news reaching us, while passing Christmas and New Year's week at Trentham, that Alfred Charterissecond son of the Elcho'shad died on his way back from Africa, where he had taken part in the Ashantee campaign. ' He was in bad health when he left England, and the doctors had warned him that he went out at his peril; but Alfred Charteris had one of those natures which are attracted by danger, and nothing could stop his following his regiment to the war. His was a very bright young spirit. His parents had gone to meet the vessel at Southampton that was to have brought him back to them, and only when it arrived did they know their loss: what a tragedy !' ' I called on Sir Henry Thompson at 35 Wimpole Street, to have a talk with him about cremation, in which I quite agree with him. I found him painting a still-life subject in a delightful studio. He showed me his strange petsa python and a young boa constrictor. Then to Seymour Haden's studio in theAvenue, out of the Fulham Road. I found him in the act of taking a proof of a glorious etching he had copied from Turner's " Calais Pier," in the National Gallery. It is probably the finest, and certainly the largest, sea-piece ever etched. Seymour Haden is a most enthusiastic artist. ' January 14.Met at Maclure'sthe publishers of my Lenoir bookin the city, old George Cruikshank, whom I had not seen for many a yearnot since 1857, I think, when he gave us children each one of his fairy books; mine was " Hop o' my Thumb." ' Although eighty-two, his eye is as bright and full of life as ever, and he looks not more than seventy. We lunched together in one of the crowded restaurants near the Mansion House. George Cruikshank never touches wine, and seldom ...