Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-31
ABBEY IN ENGLAND
ARTIST TELLS OF TRYING TIMES
IN FIRST FEW WEEKS.
s.Aci.1 carrasnnndence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence OF The star
LONDON. May Is. 1908.
Edwin A Abbey gave a good many en-
Pertaining "reminiscences al the luncheon
given in his honor this week at the Fill
lrims. on the occasion of his departure TO
the United States to install his paintings
In the Pennsylvania state capitoi. ana as
no account of his speech has been printed,
and a. this distinguished American artist
has almost never been interviewed. YER
batim report of portions of his remarks
will make good reading
II recall a great many things he said,
when look back over the thirty years
of my life in England. for l came pill
grim 10 these friendly and hospitable
shores JUST thirty years ago
When I started upon my journey to
ENGLAND in 1878 l had commissions for
large number Of drawings from Messrs.
Harper But after settling up my small
affairs | found myself not particularly
blessed with ready cash And When the
publishers celebrated my departure at
Delmonico's by a rather lavish breakfast.
the guests being afterward driven down
to the dock on a four-n-hand drag TO see
me off. there We're moments In the I'M
mediate future when the reflection was
forced upon me that the money the break
fast had cost would be an agreeable thing
to have But l was filled with hope.
MY compa Mon on the voyage was dear
old Prof. Youmans. who was going over
to spend his holiday with Herbert Spen-
Ger. and / was given TO understand. In
casual conversation on the way over. that
living in England was. on the whole.
cheap This is a superstition that esner-
ally obtained in America at this time, and
it gave me a good deal of comfort.
From Liverpool. where l parted with
my companions. l went Immediately to
stratfordon-Avon The first incautious
thing l did was to inquire at the post
office whether heavy packages of. say,
drawings might be sent TO America with
out the postage having been prepaid. l
was assured that this was possible. and
thereupon took nice private sitting room
at the hotel 1t appealed to me because
Washington Irving had once used it. SO /
did not ask for any details about terms.
This was also incautious. l stayed some
weeks and made my drawings. sent them
off with a,2d stamp on them
asked for my bill This bill. al
though a shock to me- was what you all
know it would have been / left my trunk
with the landlord and started for London.
In the train. after very careful consid-
Grafton. ! arrived al the result that l
could. with care. last there until l re-
ceived my remittance for the drawings l
had just sent off to America, which rea-
sonably expected would be in about three
weeks time. When the three weeks were
up had notice from Washington to the
effect that my drawings were held for
postage in the dead letter Office and
would be forwarded to their destination
on the receipt of the balance.
Il was a young man of twenty-six,
and this was all a long time ago. but l
vividly recall those next three weeks. 1
am not sure il was not month: Ii
seemed a year However. this incident
being presently closed. l was able to send
for the trunk which l had left behind al
Stratford. and soon as il arrived ! has
tened TO present my letter of introduce
ton. and began Immediately to experience
hospitality and kindnesses innumerable.
The London of Dickens still existed to a
great extent and one still could see in
who had made the great Victoria era of
English letters famous l saw George
Eliot and Browning. Anthony Trollope
and Charles Reade. and Matthew Arnold.
Tom Hughes. Huxley and Herbert Spen-
Ger. to mention only those who have
gone from u.s. Lord Leighton. great man
that he was. the steadfast and helpful
friend of all young artists, was beginning
his career as president Of the Royal
hear at Sir Lawrence ma-Tadema's
those musicians who had made famous
the Monday pops
But to come to more recent days. in
far as my own profession is concerned.
it is a source of great satisfaction to
know-as we do know-that here in Eng
land the average of performance grows
higher every year, and I may be allowed.
with my colleagues. to be very proud of
younger men, whom we. in our turn
have watched from their beginnings and
in whose careers we have taken an in
terest.