Evening journal., 1913-07-01

Lord Avebury, who died the other
day at the age of seventy can
he termed the Admirable Crichton Of
the Victorian era Surveying the late
peers many sided genius and all en-
bracing activities. it seems almost inn
possible that a human life could have
been so full of achievement and use
fulness His career began very early
in the Victorian age. and his greatest
works we're accomplished before King
Edward ascended the throne. His
was a striking personality. He was
the first Englishman to have his
photograph taken. II happened this
way. Daguerre went TO London from
France to protect his invention (the
Daguerrotype) by a British patent,
and he paid Mr. Lubbock Lord Ave
bury's father a visit The latter was
Interested in all things new, and
wished to see an example. of the pro-
cess of making sun pictures. Young
Lubbock. who was playing in the gar
den. made a suitable subject. thus be-
coming a hoy pioneer.
The distinguished company Of CON
tributors to the first number Of the
Nineteenth Century Magazine was se-
lected from a distinguished company
of which Lord Avebury was a mem
ber This was the Metaphysical So
ciety founded by James Knowles and
Tennyson in 1863 Its members rang
ed from Dean Stanley 10 Hurley and
from Tyndall to Manning and its
meetings saw such unusual sights as
the Catholic Manning, supported by
two Protestant Bishops. presiding
over a discussion among Atheists
Deists, and Freethinkers The society
formed the nucleus of the band of
contributors who supported Knowles
as editor. first of the Contemporary,
and then of the Nineteenth Century
Among the great men with whom
Lord Avebury made friends was Dar-
win, whose companionship he valued
highly The great naturalist was fond
of taking long walks and he would
take the youthful philosopher With
him. He also liked Matthew Arnold.
who returned the sentiment.
Not every one can successfully COM
bne banking and literature as did the
late peer. l read the story told Of
William Sharp cFiona Macleod0
who attempted to serve both when a
clerk in the London Office of the Bank
of Melbourne. The manager gave
him his choice of accepting an agency
in an out-of- the-way place in Aus
tralia or quitting the service. Sharp
absented himself for a day to "think
the matter over" going into the coun-
try TO hear the cuckoo. Next day the
manager demanded angrily why he
had not been AZ his desk all day.
Sharp explained, but was at once dis
missed by his chief, who said: I'VE
cannot have one around here who
puts the call Of a cuckoo before busi-
ness" thus adding a shining light to
English literature.
Banking and literature made an-
other unthankful combination a CEN
tury or so ago. A banker had the
dignity of his calling to uphold. Sam
uel Rogers, however, was banker and
poet, too. Withal he was dicreet His
pleasures Of Memory" was issued as
by the author Of "An Ode to Supersti-
ton" and only with the fifth edition
were his initials allowed 10 appear.
Lord Eldon, on hearing of the author
IHUlD Ol lnt .DDpht dt OHAN NDiAN W AAiN
old-fashioned view 1If Old Glossy
0Gosling was his banker) even so
much as says a good thing. let alone
writing it, I will close my account
with him the next morning"
To Lord Avebury must be assigned
the creation Of the British Bank holi-
days which insured him a lasting re-
gard by the English people.
The Reformation, with but two ex-
ceptions, had removed from the cal
endar the numerous festivals on
which the people had freedom from
toll. The two left were Christmas
and Good Friday, which in reality
were more holy days than holidays,
10 he spent in religious observance.
The English added three more holi-
days. Easter Monday. Whit Monday
and the so-called Boxing Day" but
as banks and business houses had to
be open. the people scarcely heneft-
ed by them What Lord Avebury, then
Sir John lubbock did was to enable
banks TO close. and so came the real
bank holidays. which, though far from
lheing popular. in some Puritanical
Quarters at first. have gradually be-
come more and more national instl-