The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-14

his indignation knew no bounds. lie told the
Hanging Com mittee to their faces what he thought
OF the insult, and OF them, as the authors OF it
He threatened TO take away his picture and re-
Sign from the Academy unless They rehung him,
which they did The truth is tina, the Hanging
Com nittee were Jealous Of all rising men.
We turn TO tho chapter which deals with some
OF Mnlais's intimate friends. OF John lcech,
the famous caricaturist Of Punch. II was always
more or less painful to Millais, We are told, TO
speak. after the formers death, though, now
and then, when sport was uppermost in his mind,
he would talk enthusiastically Of the happy days
when the two shot or rode together, or rol-
licked about town II was in 1851 that Leech
and Milais first met, and one oi the first results
Of tbs intimacy WAS the latt'r's conversion 70
tho former 3 belief that foy hunting Is ono Of
the fines. sports IN the world, both for man and
beast. The following season saw Millais Al
the cover side, booted and spurred, and bent on 60
ing with the hest, II only his horse would let him.
From this time ill the day Of his death John
L-ech was one OF his closest friends, They hunt
ed together In the shirrs, shot. fshed and
stalkcd together, and oil the amusing sketches
in Punch 10 which ! ccch owed his fame the deer
stalking, grouse shooting and salmon fishing
adventures. depicted a. incidents in the HE Of
-Mr. Briggs were but burlesquc representations
ot Leech's own experience as a tyro on his first
visit 10 Scotland principally az M,llais's guest.
I~cch used 20 say he could never quite under
stand S~cotchmon. They were, he thought,
a curious, unconCenio! pcor!", With queer ways
and customs, vcry pcrpleNirr, TO a stranger, who in
his ignorance. NIGH, readily give offence where
be least intended to do so An instance oc-
CURED one day where he and Millais By chance
came across a man in a rod shirt who was cut
ting down a trcc in a way that suggested at least
q passing acquaintance with the whiskey bot
IT,. Recognizing him as a local laird whom
they had met before, Ieech shyly addressed him
a. Nj. McR" who the devil are you calling
Mr.. McRe am The McR-" roared the fiery Scot,
upon which Lecch apolo1taed and made of AT
oncc, In q letter from Iecch 10 Millats dated
IN October, 1855. he said; The Newromcs'
IL a wonderful book, particularly the LATTE, part
Of 1.-THE old Colonel's Adslm'' Wha, Genu-
inc pathos, | dined with 1hackcray the day
before he started for America ! don't think
he liked leaving England. Would that he were
back vorkins hway al another book" As Lrcch
advanced in years, his melancholy and sensi-
tivcness, due In a great measure 10 overwork
increased. lie became 81 nervous that the very
slightest noi~r disturbed him, and living In Lon
don as he did, he could hardly escape from bar
rel bands, whistling boys and shrek
ing mllkncu. AtlaSt that dread disease. angina
pectoris. " came upon him, and, ono evening when
Millais was painting, a terrified domestic, whom
he at once recognized as Lecch's housemnid rushed
In. saying that her master had another had at
tack and WAS crying aloud, "Millais' Millais!"
The next moment. Millris Was of, and running
through the streets ~ Kensington, he mounted
the stairs Of his old friends room, and found him
lying across the bed quite still and warm. but.
u all appearance, dead, the belief IN the house
being that he expired NJ the moment Of his friends
arrival. A few days later. he was laid TO rest
Du Maurier has told US, Il " - invited by the
publisher, Of Punch IN the fun raj, which took
place at Kensal Green. II vns the most touch
ing sight imaginable, The grave was near
Thackcray's, who had died the year before. There
were crowds Of people. Charles Dickens among
them Canon Hole, n great friend Of Icccha,
led the service; and, when the coffin WAS lowered
into the grave, John M'llsis burst into 'cnra and
loud sobs, setting an example that was followed
all round. We all forget our manhood and cried
like women"
Az 10 Ihnckrray. the author N this biography
says, that Lis father and mother always regarded
the ncyelist Aa one Of tho most delightful char
actcrs they Lad ever met We are assured that
although In dealing with the infrmi'ies Of human
nature, his works now and then show traces Of
cynicisn, the mai lin self was no cynic. was,
rather indeed. to those who know him best. a most
sympathetic friend, and teLdcr hearted almost to
A fault For some years Thackcray entertained
and brought up ns one of hts family. the daughter
Of a deceased friend and 50 grievcd was be At
the bought Of parting from her that. on her we'd
ding day, he came for consolation 10 Millais's
studio. and spent most of the afternoon in ,cnrs
For a Characteristic reniniscerce Of Ihack-ray
We are ndebtcd to William Millais who snys:
Il was sitting with my brother in The Cromwell
place studio, Wien Thackeray suddenly came
10 all aglow viii enthusiasm at my brothers.
fame. Every window In every shop tina, had the
least pretension u art display, hs said, Was full
ot the eng rawlings Of his popular works. On hs
way he bad seen innumernble Orders Of Release
'Rlack nrunswickrrs' and 'Hugucnou'. in fact
he had no hesitation In Affirming that John Nillsis
WAS the most famous man II the day lie then
alluded 10 bis own miserable failure a, first. and
told W. how he had taken some Of his works, which
have since been acknowledged 10 be the finest
specimens Of English literature, TO the leading
publishers. and how they had, one and all, sheer.
lngly hined that no ono would read his works