New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-04
of careful anatomical drawings for work on

| lie nau 4 curious naDlt OF
One day. at an engaver's, seeing u'""In H.
animated numps Cprobably one of the series by his
brother Robert) upon the table, he shonteu' Wy
pumpsw seized the drawing. made for the dooi'
and vas with difficulty persuaded to give IL up.
| Tn his earerness he had a habit OF over
| estimating the effect of his work, as wen rs HIS
| share IN any enterprise in which he mao part
Thus no put down hanging for minor onehces; nc
npnressed fairs because he exposed the coarseness
and vice OF Bartholomew Fair; and so in his later
day he was ready. and with thorough CONSCIENTIOUS
ness to attribute nearly all the advance OF the tenn
perance cause in society to his Bottle Drunk
| ards Children and Triumph OF Bacchus''
| 1t was this belief in himself that carried him for
ward and kept him alert and vigorous in the cause
long after lie had completed his thrcescore years
and ten But il led him into injudicous statements,
or oyer-staements OF which those in regard to his
share in Oliver Twist" were certainly the most I'M
| fortunate HIS pretensions that he supplied not
only subjects for his own plates, but skeletons OF
| chapters to Dickens and Airsworth, might he dis
posed of by fifty collateral testimonies to tie cou-
trary.
One OF his wild claims to an idea was that OF
| having originated pattern OF military hat worn
by the Russian soldiers. Having described his own
model he added: d" The Russian soldiers hnd.
wear a hat something of this shape now; and no
/
So striking were Cruikshank's drawings for
Dickenss story that he might well have been con-
| tented with the praise they brought him. Never
has a single figure drawn by man been more talked
| and written about than that of Fagin. The
awful jew" possessed Cruikshank's mind to the
end of his life He once told Horace Mayhem how
| he hit upon the figure of the wretch in the con-
| demned cell.
lie had been thinking it over many days, and ID
could not satisfy himself AT length beginning TO
| think tie task was almost hopeless he Was sitting
! M in bed one morning with his hands covering
| his chm, and the tips of his fingers between ms
| lips the whole attitude expressive of dlsappont,
! ment and despair, when he saw his face III cheval
| glass which stood OH the floor opposite TO MN.
That's il, he inyOluntarlv exclaimed, that's just
! the expression want and by this accidental pro-
! cess the picture was formed IN his mind, lie was
never tired of talking on the subject: tagin pos
sessed him. lust as Dickens lived IN his characters,
and made them talk IN his letters and speeches
| Mr. Austin DObs0n, who met Crulkshank at break
fast at Mr. Frederick Lockers house on the l4th OF
| December (lS77l writes to me- lie t0lu us many
particulars respecting his work, ana especially MS
visits to prisons and criminals IN connection win
Oliver TWIST Finally, asked him if the popular
story of The conception of Fagins wonderful attl-
| tude in the condemned cell was correct. lie 1e-
| Piled rather energet caly False! 1ou VIII re-
| member that in that version the drawing was the
result of accident. The artist was biting his nails
| in desperation, when suddenly he caught the reiec-
| ton of his perpeXed face in cheval gass-hence
| Fagin. CrukshanRs account was different. lie
| had never been perplexei III tne matter OF nau
| any doubt as to his design. lie attributed the
story TO the fact that not being satisfied whether
the knuckles should be raised or depressed, he had
| made studies of his own hand IN glass, to the
| astonshment of chlld-relatiVe LOOKING on VINO
| could not conceive what he was doing. lie Illus
| trated his account by putting his hand TO his
mouth looking with his hooked nose, wonderfully
like the character lie was speaking o1,-sO much So
that for few minutes afterward Mr.. Locker play
fully addressed him as MIR. Fagln' dll not see
at the time why he was SO tenacious But OF
course what he wished to impress upon us was
that the drawing of Fagn in the cell which shares
with Skies attempting to destroy his dog the post
of honor in Oliver Twist, was the result. not OF
happy accident but his own persistent and minute
habit of realization: and though there appears TO
be modern disposition to doubt that a man can
know anything about his OWE past, for one shall
ALWAYS prefer Mr.. CrukshanKs story to the Others.
An old friend of the artist recalls grotesque in
cidcnt of an evening spent by him at Lamar
Banchards house:
A friend praised a little poem that had appeared
In the last number. Whereupon Crulkshank re-
marked that it was his idea as well as his liiustra
II don't call to mind another OCCASION" said the
traveller when ! saw blanchard give way tC
violent passion but on this he DID. The ldea ana
the poem we're one of his bright and graceful ian
cies: and be and denied that Crulkshank had
had he least share i'll ii, with herceness that con-
Never was more FOSTERING blade than the
| Dickens used to call the inimitable George" in
the first half Of his career-and surely never was
| there a more generous one. Mr.. Jenold thus quotes
| W. H. Wills:
"The force of George Cruikshank's character lay
| in the sngle-minded earnestness with which lie
carried out his objects. These throughout his life
| were numerous and always good. Zeal and energy
| glowed ont of him upon whatever he undertook,
| whether saving family from starvation and there
are instances in which he could only have done this
! at the risk of stnting HIMSELF, or Tehearslng the
character assigned to HIM in private play or COM
manding regiment of volunteers, or advocating
| and advancing the temperance cause at every con-
| cevable sacrifice of time and money. IL was not
until after his second marriage that he took to
temper ance In his first wite's lifetime lie sacrificed
TO the Jolly god rather oftencr than occasionally:
and surely no man drank with more 1ervor and
enjoyment carried his liquor so kindly. so mer-
rily Then was the time to hear HIM sing Lord
Bateman' in character, and costume lmprovsed
from table-covers, tablenapkins and antimacasSars
anything he could lay hands on-with the laugh
| ing helm of his host. He what Albert Smith
| called great fun in this song at any time
Even when dependent upon his pencil and etch-
inr-needle for means of existence, If any good
| 10 be done for decayed brother artist or literary
friend George was only too ready (tOr his own pros
| perity 10 throw down his tools, and stroll about
| line country with theatrical company, or go any
where to solicit subscriptions and make speeches,
OF to settle TO his work table again to make gTatul-
tO;s sketches for baZaars and chatltIes. When
acting III Edinburgh for Leigh HINTS beneht,
with Charles Dickens and his brilliant drGmatis
gerSOad, news came 10 him that country editor,
with large family, whom he had often previously
helped, was on the edge of rum for the want of
fifty pounds. Il must send it TO the poor fellow,
he said to Dickens, immediately That would
be very kind to him. answered Dickens, but very
unkind to yourself BY the by have you Igot fifty
pounds in You: pocketf Oh dear, no. was
Cruikshanks reply, but want you to lend me
the money to send to him-now-at once
DIckens's reoinder was not resort 10 his check
book but the remark that he knew Georges iDcap-
able friend would be badly oil ever after the
execution had been paid out OF his house. even II
the money was sent. Then, he added. you
would deny yourself all sorts of things and he mis-
cradle till you paid me back That can't stand
so must decllne."'
His kindness, however. did not restrain his pug
nacity. He once quarecd with Bentley, and
being compelled by his contract to supply the pub
Usher with six more plates be purposey put bad
IL. L. ft.r ,-nrll