New-York tribune., 1903-03-15
WILKIE COLLINS.

GLIMPSES OF KIND AND CLEVER NAN.
Mr. R. c. Lehman. writing in "Chamb@-s's
Journal" of dear old Wilkie Collins. the kind
est and best friend that boy or man ever Lt1.
leaves with US the pleasantest impress u OF
that distinguished novelist "Wilkie, hr >rys
the Lehman children never called hun by
any more formal name, even when they "-Fe
little fellows-"had known my mother To- re
her marriage and to US boys and 10 our sister
he soon grew to be what he ever &it"f''1Fd
remained-not merely the grown-up and re-
sIected friend of parents. but our y"H L1e
companion and close associate.
He took our young imaginations caEti.~ w.'h
stories of Tom SayerS. with whom n" Hii ".'"h
conversed whose flce-destroyinG hand n i.ti
shaken. who's, awful arm n h'ti f-.I
hadn't any uUSrI'- to SI.".,k az IL his i"i .-..-
said Wiki, and th"r' Wd~H any St.'.' 90.
biceps: but when l r,.rrtrk',! On that. h~ "-r.
r, to observe his trIccIs ;aIrI thu muscle VI I'll
it." This story told to us some time before
Wilkie set out to dcn"unce abilities and athl"tl-
cfsm in Man and Wife'-nf which, by the way,
he wrote u considerable part in our home near
Highgatc. The book is dedicated TO my father
and mother; and though. as budding crItkt',rS
and football players and runners, W. f"It or
selves wounded in our ten'l-r,st PLACES hy -
severity towards athIrtcs. W. wee G"i.'''....
and fUrgsVe the crrI;IS author f'r the Sdr'
the unvarying friend Not very many y..7
after. so great is the force of kindness ami ..-
consistency, he congratulated me on hIf
rOWed in an elght-Oar on the cam ana q =
/ can see him now as 1 used to soc h.rs I
those early. unforGott"n days: a n',it Ill,u-'.
a cheerful plumpneSS, very small fr+r - I
hands, full brown beard, a high and r"-it.
forehead 4 small nose not naturally int
to support a pair Of large spectaries D. i
which his eyes shOne with humOr and fri
ship; not by any means the sort OF r"tr -
agination would have pictured as the cr-at ? Z
Count FoscO and the inventor of the t-r~. - Z
'.Arnadale" and the absorbing mystery e =
Moonstone." Yet he was. in fact. v-"y 81
and determined worker In ono q h.< ,.-+ i
my mother he describes how he f'..~G.-! e
writing of The Guilty River: You h'.f, y I
what a fool amor shall l put it II:..-.E %. I
say how 'indis'reet'? For the last w. =
l was finishing the story. wurk",! = - .
hours day, and Ealloped along without t-..-S
it, like the old post horses. Y hi!e MS ;."t ID
you remember how the for"leES 0t thu. :
horses quivered and how their h"lt~ a~' l
when they came to the j"urnevs ,"... Z
must be remembered that for mary IS .
had to struggle against attacks of rh-----,t' 'S''l.
and later of gout in the eyes: tut l'' 2 -
acuteness of his pain nor the rcIT-'li' 8 H. ".,5
forced to take in order to ahate il c''-. -. 4
that indomtable spirit or freeze th'' - F-. -:-
rent OF his soul. His COnvtrSItl'n No. ..Sy
and delightful both in English and III F..- 4.
II don't care fig for the accent b." H~'.t >
say, and he certainly spoke truly II. f'-'
are polite people, and they dor t1"L.'s' -
think about accent if they undrr~t.'' ! u,
They understand me- Tw" r",ulls~.;--
English | can remember: He always r.. r'..r. 4
the words really and real j. r
been spelt rally and rail an" "" =--." ~ -"
'Oblee ged.''
1 have said that Wilkie CoI'i"s E""7E "
mother before she was married tH' ''F...~'
specimen OF his handwriting that I :..--. - g. !
piece OF verse addressed by him T. IT, -
Companied n Gift Of toffy sent in - 'l.:- -. d
similar gift from her Here it Is
Miss Chambers has sent me- very sE.-- -.
With gift of Tory Il me-. S-'N,1
hetteDi
'Tis plain. from her note. she woa,! AlFa i'e
infer
That should have first sent III" Tafy 80 Z :.
/ only observe the present oC,-I~.''
thinking first gifts of sweets So I::-- q s,--.- i
tenptatiun)
That in tempting of all kinds. s.-- r-.-0N
believe
The men act like Adam. the WOMB" - -
From mere mortal fralIties l LoI.t ~---:! 'N-
empted,
So waited. like Adam. by Eve t. ir ..' i.''i.
But, moro fitted than he with "TH' " -
rraTIlr
return her TN Tory) my BIKE q: T.
March -, lSJ- '" " -