New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-25
THE DELINEATOR OF AIRY.
DRAMATIC END OF ONE OF "PUNCH'Ss
ARTISTS.


London January &c
One seldom hears of more artistic ending OF
an artistic life than was made by Charles Keene.
lie had pet dog, the faithful companion of many
years. Fcebencss of age told upon the animal.
and at last it was only deed of mercy to adj
minister prussic acid to it. Keenc himself was
then lying upon what he knew must be his
death-bed But he raised himself with desperate
effort, drew his sletch-book and crayons from the
shelf, and babe his attendants bring in the body
of the dog They did So and the dying man
gszed with tears at the lifeess form of bis old
friend. Then, with his own hands, feeble and
trembling, he composed it into an easy attitude
of sleep, and then sketched it with all his old
artistic skill. For time the strength of health
and youth seemed TO return to the old man, AZ
ne for the last time welded the porte-crayon so
long familiar to his hand But when the sketch
was done his hand again fell limp and neryeess.
and he turned his face to the wall His last
sketch made, and the last sands of his life soon
trickled through the glass.
They say that he made more than six thousand
pictures for Punch This is a prodisious record.
but probably not exaggerated. He began, be
lieve, by making finals and ornamental initials.
But more than forty years ago, when Jerrold
and Leech at the head of the famous paper, he
became a regular member of the artistic stall.
Thenceforwaid, down 10 August Is last, he was
one of the principal contributors. II is to be
noticed that, like Tennel and Du Maurer, he pos
sessed distinct individuality Of style, which he
never changed from first to last. The pictures he
drew in the sos differ from those in the 'sos
only as fashions and customs differ. As Tenniel
is the political cartoon-maker, and Du Maurier
the satrist Of the fashionable world, kecne was
the depicter of hoi poloi' in all their kaleido-
scopic changes The City man, the clerk, tho
houscmaid, the medical student the capdrlver,
the old lady of the omnibus, the street urchin
and. above all, the ubiquitous and conspicuous
AIRY were his favorite game. The petty TRACES
man was no stranger to him, MOI yet the cricket
loving curate with his here endeth the nrss
innings The canny Scot with the pipes was
an old friend. too. Bat AIRY was his piece 10
resistance. his earliest and latest love, and the
very last work in Punch" that bore his sig
nature, on August Is last immortalized AIRY
in Paris"
Keene would himself have furnished a wondrous
fine subject for the caricaturist lie was. in per-
sonal appearance, Don QuXote come to life But
he was as shy and retiring as the Knight OF la
Mancha was bumptious. When he first worked
for Punch" he lived in cobwebby little attic, IN
a tumblc-down old building in the Strand his
later years spent in pleasant quarters In
Chelsea But he always a recluse. almost an
anchorite. in meat and drink stunning society
and nooriety as he would a pestilence. In fact,
he was almost misanthropcal. for if he did not
hate humanity, he made no secret of his detesta-
ton of society and all It's ways and works. lie
was never married, but lived with maiden sister,
and they two were singularly harmonious and
devoted to each others welfare. Friends he had
few but to those few he the embodiment
foitb Ia
land was his favorite land And, indeed, he
much resembled a Scot himself. He had, strange
to say of one of the worlds foremost humorlsts.
a slow sense of humor. AT any rate, he never
seemed to see the point of JOKE and would as
soon have committed hari-kari as perpetrate one
himself, save paper. AS is well known, Iennlef
has for years supplied practically all of the big
cartoons for Punch But Linley Sambourne
drew two and Keene is to be credited with no
less than twelve, of which three appeared in 1863
and four in 1873.
One of his hobbies the collection of what
&c called his toys These included many inter-
esting relics OF antiquity. few years ago, writ
ing 10 his friend Spalding, the curator of tho
Colchester Museum, he said: 81 stlll delight III
and goat over my little hoard of relics of ancient
man. | have three arr0wheads, the one had OF
YOU from Evedon. and two Others | got in Aber-
dcenshire that | would show against any for
beauty and synlmctry-quite works OF ART as wen
ah antiquity. nave wv siilc Paool0It ~ iini'
romantic branch of antiquities as ever ana wheh
| am in the country can't keep my eyes from tho
ground He added, ." should like TO send you
one Of my original Punch sketches. and YOU
will fatter me by accepting it, This way OF
presenting so valuable and interesting gift was
very Characteristic. More recently still, when
urged by another friend TO seek change of air
and scene by the seaside, he looked helpessy
and lovingly around his room, where his books,
his blocks ind drawing materials lay about. and
repled " But what should do without my toysp'
or all his toys" he perhaps loved most his pipe
a little clay implement, with the tiniest OF bowls
and the thickest of stems.