CHAPTER XVI
MARRIAGE—SOME CLERICS—FAREWELL TO VANITY FAIR
My engagement and marriage to Miss Topham-Watney.—"Drawl" and the Kruger cartoon.—"The General Group."—Field-Marshal Lord Roberts.—Archbishops Temple and Randall Davidson.—The Bishop of London.—Archbishop of York.—Canon Fleming.—Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.—Lord Salisbury's cartoon.—Mr. Asquith.—Joe Knight.—Lord Newlands.—Four great men in connection with Canada.—The Queen of Spain.—Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg.—General Sir William Francis Butler, G.C.B.—Mr. Witherby.—Farewell to Vanity Fair.
Among my lady friends during my bachelor days there was one who was always telling me that I ought to marry and settle down, and in time I began to think so myself. One day she informed me that she had found the very girl. I was introduced to her, found her exceedingly attractive, and shortly we met again at a luncheon-party. On this occasion it was arranged that the whole party should drive down to the Ranelagh Club, and it fell to my happy lot to escort her. I remember on the road we discussed the types we each preferred, and although neither fulfilled the ideal of the other it was quite a satisfactory afternoon, and we met again frequently, previous to my visit to my friend, Freddy Bentinck, at Brownsea Island. I had a glorious time there, but when I got back to town and failed to see the announcement of my marriage in The Morning Post, I hastened down into the country to find out the reason, only to discover that my engagement had been broken off. My future bride was much admired, and exceedingly popular with her many friends, and adored by her very discreet parents, and I, alas, was financially—no catch. In the circumstances I could only accept my congé, and although it was some time before I was given the opportunity of meeting her again, we were always good friends.
Some years later fate decreed that my old love and I should meet again, and we found ourselves alighting from the same train both bound on a visit to the same country-house in Herefordshire. This unexpected event proved too much for us, and this time we determined to ignore the opinions of our relatives and "so-called" good friends of former years, and within a few months we married.
The ceremony took place at St. Michael's, Chester Square, and the Rev. Canon Fleming, who was a very dear old friend of all of us, especially of my mother, officiated with the aid of the Rev. John Labouchere, Harry Newton being my best man. The reception was held at the Hans Crescent Hotel, at which there was a large attendance of friends. Amongst the many beautiful gifts we received, a canteen of silver presented to me by members of the Beefsteak Club was prominent, and in the face of fifteen years of happiness even my most pessimistic friends are bound to admit that I have not made the failure of double harness that they anticipated.
MY DAUGHTER.
MY WIFE.
During the latter part of our honeymoon we joined my wife's people at Monte Carlo, where rather an amusing incident occurred à propos of my cartoon of Kruger. Mrs. Raby Watney (my wife's mother) received a letter from her brother, Mr. Marshall Hall, in which he said that a drawing of Kruger, which had just appeared in Vanity Fair, was much appreciated, and that the reproduction, enlarged and reflected on a screen, appearing nightly at the Palace Theatre, was creating quite a sensation. He added, "Tell Leslie he mustn't allow himself to be cut out by other artists." So Mrs. Watney wrote back to him, "Look at the signature, 'Drawl,' and read it backwards."
As I have said before, it is my rule never to place my signature "Spy" under a drawing I have not made from observation of the subject himself, but so anxious was the editor to publish a cartoon of Kruger that to test my powers of imagination, and with the addition of a description of his personal appearance from one who knew him, I made it and sent it in to the office.
But the most amusing comment of all occurred in the reviews of the bound volume of Vanity Fair. As usual they were most polite and complimentary to "Spy," who was declared to be quite up to his standard, but they added, "We must confess the best drawings in the volume are by a man who signs himself Drawl," and one paper proceeded to describe the new caricaturist in full, and among other details said that he was a Dane.
On our return to London we looked about for a house and found it very difficult to find a suitable one with a studio attached, so eventually we decided on a house in Elizabeth Street, and I to keep on my old studio at 177, Bromfield Place, Pimlico Road, which I had occupied for fifteen years.
In June, 1900, there appeared in Vanity Fair the drawing of Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, whom I sketched in helmet and khaki, with a suggestion of Oom Paul introduced in a boulder in the background. This cartoon, on account of the subject, beat the record for popularity, and its sale exceeded that of all other cartoons in Vanity Fair. Later on, when the Commander-in-Chief came to my studio to give me a sitting for the drawing which appeared in The World, he told me that copies of this Vanity Fair cartoon had come to him from all parts with a request for him to sign it.
In the Christmas number of Vanity Fair Lord Roberts was prominent again as the central figure of "A General Group," which contained portraits of Sir Redvers Buller, Lord Kitchener, General Hunter, General French, General Pole-Carew, Sir George White, Lord Dundonald, General Baden-Powell, Colonel Plumer, Sir Frederick Carrington, and General Hector Macdonald. It was a difficult subject to imagine, but it worked out satisfactorily as I was familiar with nearly all in the group.
About this time I made my mental notes for the Vanity Fair drawing of Archbishop Temple in St. Paul's Cathedral. The prelate had then become almost blind, and had to be conducted to and from the pulpit.
Some years later I went to Lambeth Palace to sketch the present Archbishop (Dr. Randall Davidson). I was received by his charming wife, and when I got into conversation with the Archbishop he talked to me of his old friend, and said, "One of the best portraits I have ever seen of Archbishop Temple is that one hanging on the wall; I don't know who did it." "Oh, I'm so very pleased that you think that," I replied, "because you will find my signature there, and I did it entirely from observation after a visit to St. Paul's."
THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, DR. TEMPLE 1902
At the official residence of the Bishop of Stepney, 2, Amen Court, in the precincts of St. Paul's Cathedral, I sketched both the Bishop of London and the present Archbishop of York at the time when each ruled over the see of Stepney. When sketching Dr. Winnington-Ingram again, as Bishop of London, for The World, he came to my studio, and was extremely friendly and entertaining as a sitter. It was about the time of my marriage that my drawing of Canon Fleming appeared in Vanity Fair. Of course I knew his face very well indeed. He was the kindest-looking of men, and the cartoon eventually came into the possession of his family.
It was through my old friend, Archie Stuart-Wortley, that I first knew John Scott-Montagu, now Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, his first cousin and great pal, and we spent many delightful days together, at the Palace House, Beaulieu, and in his delightful bungalow on the Solent. John was a brilliant and most versatile young man; it was difficult to say what he could not do, and there is very little about which he does not know something. At one time he will be absorbed in engineering, at another in commerce or in literary work, or may be political. He is a very fine shot, a keen fisherman, in fact, a good all-round sportsman and a most entertaining companion. He has driven a railway engine, but although now absorbed in plans and buildings for the development of Beaulieu, and also in the building of another beautiful house on the Solent for himself, he is, of course, always tremendously keen on everything relating to The Car. His brain power and energy are amazing. I have drawn him and also his wife, who is a daughter of the late Marquis of Lothian. She is an accomplished musician and a charming hostess. I always think of Lord Montagu in connection with the difficulty of conveying a correct sense of height in these full-length Vanity Fair cartoons. For instance, to insure a clear impression of his moderate height, in my drawing I lowered the head considerably below the margin of the paper upon which it was drawn, while in its published form the printers had placed it on a level with the margin, thereby giving the impression of increased height, and consequently of a decidedly tall man.
Naturally the proportion of a figure being relative to the space surrounding it, I took good care in the case of Major Oswald Ames, who is something like 6 feet 8 inches, to make his head almost touch the margin; the same rule applied to the feet, and with the aid of a miniature chair in the background the effect was produced.
I conclude I was fortunate with sketches of the late Lord Salisbury, as a lady, a great friend of his, said that a grease paint picture I made of him, in Cyril Maude's dressing-room at the Haymarket Theatre, was quite the best she had ever seen of that distinguished statesman. In 1902, I made another, after watching him again in the House of Lords. It happened to be on the easel one day when Lord Redesdale came to my studio, and he, being struck with it, complimented me by asking if I would part with it, so that the original is now in his possession, and by his permission is reproduced in this book.
THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, 1902.
Dinner given to Joseph Knight by the Dramatic Profession At The Savoy Hotel June, The Fourth, 1905
As regards the present Prime Minister, I was on the look out for him one day, and he did not appear in the Lobby. A member of parliament came up and asked me who I was looking for. I told him I wanted Mr. Asquith, cautioning him, of course, not to let him know for what purpose. He said, "I'll soon have him out," upon which I suggested that he should tell him an amusing story. Consequently I got quite a successful caricature, and not long after the cartoon was published it was, with his approbation, reproduced in colour on the menu of some important Liberal banquet at which he was to be present.
It was with very great pleasure that I designed the menu for the complimentary dinner given by the members of the Dramatic Profession to my old friend, Joe Knight, at the Savoy Hotel on the 4th June, 1905. It contained a portrait of himself for which he sat. He was one of the oldest of the dramatic critics, and had been an art critic, and an intimate friend of Rossetti. He was a very great favourite, especially at the Garrick and Beefsteak Clubs, and he had a fine library which was distributed at his death. A characteristic habit of his was while relating a story to his neighbour at the dinner or supper table to place the palm of his hand before his mouth as though speaking in secrecy, but his voice always thundered out the words so that every one in the room could hear, and there was no secret after all!
One of the nicest men among the many hundreds who have been willing subjects is Lord Newlands. I was struck with his considerate and charming manner to all he came in contact with, even to an old charwoman. It was interesting to hear him talk of his old friend, Dr. Jowett, Master of Balliol College, whose memory he regarded with the deepest respect. My early caricature of him seemed to have pleased him so much that he not only gave a good sum for it at the sale of Vanity Fair cartoons at Christie's, but also commissioned me to make a copy of it. As Henry Hozier he was secretary to Lord Salisbury, 1878-80.
Amongst the many prominent men in connection with Canada that I cartooned were Sir Wilfrid Laurier, perhaps the most striking personality of all the colonists that came my way; Sir Walter Blake, who over here became a prominent member of the House of Commons; the late Duke of Argyll, a delightfully intellectual and kind-hearted man; Lord Minto, whom I depicted in Canadian riding-kit, who was a gentleman to the backbone and a thorough sportsman; and Lord Grey, whose distinguished career is so well known.
Of the Duke of Connaught, whose retirement, when it comes, is sure to be felt in Canada with regret, it can only be said that no one of the Royal Family could have filled the post better, and that a more popular successor to the post of Governor-General could not have been selected than Prince Alexander of Teck. Of course I mention all these as having been victims of my brush at one time or another.
Shortly before her marriage, I went to Kensington Palace to make a drawing of Princess Ena of Battenberg (now the Queen of Spain). I was in some difficulty at first about the regulation of the light upon my sitter, and to soften the effect I pinned a large sheet of brown paper over the lower part of the window, but it was suggested by her mother that, perhaps, some drapery would be equally serviceable and more ornamental from the view of those outside. I am afraid that being keen on my work I had not considered the appearance of the Palace windows as no doubt I should have done.
The young Princess was a very handsome girl, with a wealth of beautifully silky fair hair, a lovely complexion and fine eyes full of fun; she was also particularly bright and natural in her manner. At one of the sittings I met the Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg; I had not the honour of a presentation, but she entered into conversation with me. She was most charming, but although I gathered she had unusual knowledge of art, it was not until after she had left the room that I was informed of her identity. I regretted not having known at the time that she was the daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh, as I should have liked to have told her of my enjoyable cruise with her father.
So highly did the Princess Henry of Battenberg value her niece's criticism of my sketch, that when the young Princess disagreed with her over the suggestion of a slight alteration in it, H.R.H. good-humouredly gave in.
I have the pleasantest remembrance of the character drawing of General Sir William Francis Butler, G.C.B., which I made for Vanity Fair in 1907. The General was one of the Empire's very big men, and it will be remembered that prior to the Boer War he was very sharply criticised for certain pessimistic prophecies in connection with the war which annoyed everybody; but events justified every word he uttered. He married Miss Thompson of "The Roll Call" fame, and he was very much struck with a proof print from a drawing of her that I had done for The Graphic at the time she painted "The Roll Call." It chanced that he sat to me on my birthday, which was in November. I usually left my studio at sunset in time to get a walk, but that afternoon I lingered until dusk. Presently there came a ring at my bell, which I answered, and seeing some one at a distance from the gate the visitor asked me if Mr. Leslie Ward was in. I exclaimed, "Why, General! Don't you know me? You've been sitting to me all the morning." He said, "Here is a little parcel which I should like you to accept, it being your birthday," and hurried off. I took it into my studio and found it contained a pair of extremely handsome silver candlesticks of the Georgian period. My subject had a stern countenance but a kind heart.
Not long after, I began to realise that my long association with Vanity Fair was about to come to an end. When Mr. Gibson Bowles resigned his connection with the journal, in order to take an active part in the political field which had always attracted his keenest interest, I could not have contemplated a more delightful successor than Mr. A. G. Witherby as my chief, for I again received every encouragement to succeed in my work. Not only is he a very clever caricaturist and draughtsman, but he is equally clever as a writer; in addition to which he is a good sort and keen sportsman, and when he decided to part with the paper it was a great blow to me. I shall ever remember the kind hospitality I received from him and his wife during his proprietorship of the paper.
PRINCESS ENA OF BATTENBERG. Drawn at Kensington Palace, May 1906, just previously to her marriage with the King of Spain.
In early days my father cautioned me against giving more than half of my time to work for reproduction, and experience has taught me the wisdom of the warning. I think after all he was right, and I regret that for nearly forty years I devoted too much time to the work on Vanity Fair. As a society journal it was certainly for a long period a publication of unique interest, and I venture to prophesy that, when the history of the Victorian Era comes to be written in true perspective, the most faithful mirror and record of representative men and the spirit of their times will be sought and found in Vanity Fair.