The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-07

\ in which the figure is draped, the bodice unlRc
| cd, the room uDhested; and this in the depth OF
| winter. No wonder that she was accustomed &c
| speak of il afterward as the sevcrest task she
ever undertook But the reward came at last
| making amends for all il cost 10 win it.
| Ny mother SAYS in her notes: This picture was
| marrelously quickly executed. After three days
| and a han az bnoe and two days more al home
| the work was complete and highly finished The
magnificent bed represented that in which
King James ] slept. IT cost &, 600. and the
coveriet was a mass Of gold thread and silver APP
pGue gimp and lace; the sheets were white silk,
and the mattresses Of padded cotton wool.
'Mllas' fingers got numb with the cold. but
there was no time To be lost as the private view
knole the figure Madeline had TO be altered; and
when the work was exhibited the public thought
the woman ugly. thin, and stiff. ] cannot bear
that woman with the gridiron.' said Frank Grant
(sir Francis Grant, p n. AZ abiding to the
vivid eresms Of moonlight the floor: and Tom
Taylor said: Where earth did you get that
scraggy model, MilllsP "
A considerable part of both volumes
is taken up with accounts of Millais hunt
ing adventures; he was an ardent sports
man. There are also numerous letters
from eminent contemporaries; one priceless
letter from Landseer is reproduced in fac
smile. and has two sketches on the mar
gin. Other correspondence is in rhyme, no.
tably that with du Maurier about the time
OF the publication Of "Trilby." 1t is some
what generally known that Millais was the
original Laird" and lu Mauri,r signs one
letter TO him "Commong vous portray vous
mong ami?"
Another interesting feature o. the book
is its wealth of picturesque AMI dramatic
incident related in connection with the
friendships of tie painter. Among these
happenings is the story Of the way in which
the notion OF tie Woman in White" came
a. l. t.
what grim in its suggestiven sss, concerns
the thirteen" superstition, and is not
likely to allay the tremors of supefsti.ious
people. II is as follows:
few days later he CNllais) and his friends
Joined my mother and other members Of the fam
lily at Birnafn Han, Nurthy. and in the follow
ing months the party was increased by the ar
rival Of five additional euests-Matthew Arnold,
Miss e. 5, and three of my old college friends,
Edgar Dawson, Arthur Newton. and L. 81
suppress his name for reasons that will present
ly APPEAR making thirteen in all. An unlucky
number this. as all know: but nobody no.
ticcd it till we had all sat down to dinner when
Miss q. s. called atten' on TO the fact She
dare not, she said. be one Of the thirteen, after
her painful experience on former occasion when
thirteen were present; and my father. failing to
laugh her out Of her superstition. asked me as
the only son at homo TO go and dine in tho
drawing room, which I accordingly did. Still
the lady was not at ease she became very anx-
viii happen
When the ladies were about TO rise. came
back to the dining room and found Matthew Ar
mold discoursing learnedly on the subject Of su-
perstitions. And now Miss s. said he. with
a laugh. "the idea is that whoever leaves the
table first Will die within year SO, with the
permission Of the ladies we will cheat the Fates
for once. | and these fine strong lads (pointing
10 Edgar Dawson and i. S-) will all rise to-
gether. and think our united constitutions will
be able to withstand the assault Of the Reaper"
The three men then rose. and the ladies lefi the
room.
The sequel was. TO say The least. remarkable.
Some six months later Mstthew Arnold. then in
HE prime OF lie and TO all appearance in robust
health, died suddenly Of heart disease. And hard
" had We recovered from the shock Of this terri
BE news. than we learned from the papers hat |
Z. $ was found dead in his bed. with an |
Hmptv revolver BY his side. He was clever 1
Foung fellow, and had dramstized with immense /
success novel by an anthoress now famous but /
hen comparatively unknown; hut no sooner was /
1 put on the stage than the auihorcss. who af-
efwards drainatized IL herself compelled him TO |
withdraw his play. Then. in 2 ft Of the blues he
wandered of 90 America TO hide his grief ulti
nately reaching New York. where his life was
nded; whether by his own hand or that Of
,ther il j impossible to say. The most skilled |
detectives Of New York were bsffed in their
inquiry, though inclined TO favor the theory OF
murder
After this cur thoughts naturally few to Ed.
ar Dawson. the last Of the daring three. lie
vas very dear friend Of mine with whom 7
ad co1espondcd for many yesrs. and happily
ould assure my friends that he. at least had
uiiived the fatal year. He had gone ont TO
australia fcr the benefit Of his health. and in his
asst letter he told me he was coming home again
> the Quetta. a steamer that leaving Melbourne
n February Is. WAS already on its svay 10 Eng
and. Bus alas. that steamer never reached its
1t foundercd On one OF the thou
and reefs that skirt the coast % Nex Guinea. and
OF single soul was left TO tell the tale.
It is such bits of anecdote as this that
hould I'LL a biography gossip which
lakes us feel that We know the man as
ell as his work. his daily doings as well
s his public services. Those who read
hese two volumes through will have in
heir minds vivid picture OF the English
rtist as he lived and moved among men
CHEEKY, genial, and wholesome PERSONAL
y. tNew York: Frederick A. Stokes
ompany. SOD