The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-29

sid % him after his death, y Nam ~
boasted 81 England = thorough mnn o.
lettang an artist who dwelt incoseAntiy,
aFtaA literary man forever steeped IN 0ooke
thinking books and talking books. All
his outward expression took literary form.
He was. however, a literary man OF the OLD
day French type, and appeared 70 De qnite
unconscious that there we're paths IN mo
less steep % climb than his. He was no
~recluss. forever setting his heel toward the
faoes,Of pen but a Joyous. NJ dweIlor
i'm the midst Of his times"
1t would appear that BrOoks's career ~
= literary man began seriously In iS4S. Tor
just thirty years later he writes: -Made
Gut FROM diaries INV literary history g.,
10 what years I was engaged ON what work
from fs43 TO 1859" These notes are lost.
The earliest work OF his that Mr., Lanyard
has been able TO identify III a contribution
10 AhesDortk'S MdOaSine in 1sa2' This was,
he says. "lust the sort OF cheap Imminent
with which q literary aspirant manages
TO- get past The editorial chair, either by
favor or when some n OF inexperience
M on the seat Of Judgment The impor-
tance OF this and subsequent contributions
a. the same magazine lay In the fact that
bhrough them Brooks was brought into
contact with such men a. Ainsworth.
Blanchard Jerrold and their friends. who
were not long in discovering that in adj
dition TO welding a promising pen he
possessed social qualities and a ready wit
whiDh.anade him an acceptable acquisition
90 their literary circle. Beginning rs a
free Slance, he soon commended himself to
tho far sighted caterers for the English
reading public The IHGstrGtSd London
Nes0s. BentIey's MiscSILGRv. the Era and tho
Morning Chr0nicIe.. one and all, discovered
qualities in Brooks which answered to their
varied requirements. He was prepared
to. do'anything. He was fluent in ompo-
sition and possessed a gigantic memory
and we'll equipped brain. Above all he
was always businesslike and punctual. He
could be depended upon. All the publica-
ions mentioned had their share during
theetRht years from 1913 20 1851 in preparing
him for what was to be the wOrk of his life.
For the Illustrated London .Netps he did
everything by turn and everything well.
az was proved by the fact that he continued
in IT'S employ for more han a quarter of a
century.
In 1874 Brooks was initiated an a Free
mason. and the same year saw him joining
Cruikshank. who had founded a monthly
magazine called Table Book. Gilbert a
Beckett was the literary editor. and for the
first time the future Punch editor found him
self employed alongside the young Punch
giants, Mark Lemon, Michael Angelo Tit
marsh and Horace Mayhem. with whom
he was later on to be closely connected.
About this time there fell into the hands of
Ledger of the Era a little play entitled
THE Creole. with which Brooks had lately
made his first theatrical success. Ledger
undertook the publication Of the piece in
book form. and thus began another con-
nectiOn which lasted almost to the end
Of BroOks's life. From Is47 to 1871 his con-
tributi0ns continued almost without inter-
mission to appear in the IRA pages. Here
we may observe that PHlch had not reached
its seventh year of existence without ex-
citing the rivalry of those clever men for
whom no room could be found in its col
umns. One Of the papers bitterest enemies
was Albert Smith, who with Angus Reach
started in January. ls47. the ablest and
wittiest OF Panch's rivals. the Man in he
Moon. IL was this publication which gave
Brooks his first real opportunity OF grow
ing the capacity which he possessed for
turning out Witty and satirical verse at a
moments notice. o. .t--.
'$The5 Creole. or Loves Fetters." the
FIRST of BrOoksis plays. wal produced 10
April. tS4Z. The piece. We nave said. was.
successful; and thereafter Brooks as a
dramatist was in constant request. The
piece is to be found in -Dick's Standard
Plays" and was acted az late as June,
1870, at the st. JamesIs Theatre. Blanchard
Jerrold said that there was seldom any
dramatic writing produced in his day of
such excellent quality as Brooks's. Al all
events it was good enough for the Keeleys.
Charles Matthews and Charles Keene.
Between lS47 and 1852 at least a dozen OF
his plays were acted.
Brooks had been but a year on the staff
of the MuR in Lhe Noon whenh he added to his
literary work that Of a reporter. He was
employed in that capacity by John Doug
las Cook. editor OF the Morning Chronicle.
and afterward of the Sat urddy ReUiep. In
the first years of his new employment
Shirley was just. the ordinary newspaper
hack. doing anything and going anywhere.
Then came the moment when the important
office OF summary writer in the House of
Commons fell vacant and he was chosen
as tittest for the post. although at the time
Of his appointment he had never heard a
debate in his life. CuriOusly enough he
never learned TO write in shorthand. al
though he regretted this disability to his
dying day. Shirley Brooks. of course.
reached his apogee when. some time after
becoming a member of the Punch stan,
he became tho editor of the paper for four
years. r..s ..
WhsTson does his claim to be a great
Punch force restp Mr.. Lsyard thinks that
the answer is easy. His claim does not rest
alone on what he did while occupying the
editorial chair, 1t rests also on what he
did as chief lieutenant to Mark Lemon,
who accepted, his first contribution in 1861. I
For years he was the hidden handspring,
the power behind the throne Mark Lemon
made no secret OF this. Again and again
he declared that Shirley was the one man
upon whom ne could depend in n emer-
ssncy. and when, though still nOminally
editor. Lemon was laid aside. IL was to
Shirley's shoulders that all responsibility |
was transferred. Even then Brooks re-
NAMED loyal To his predecessor. Accord !
ing to Mr.. S~pielmann, mo editor ever laid
himself out more carefully to follow his