Alarming Symptoms after Having Boiled Beef and Gooseberry Pie.[...017] Great Want of Veneration......................................[...018] Something like a Holiday......................................[...019] Innocent and Amusing Tricks for Boys .........................[...020] Another.......................................................[...021] A London Gent Abroad..........................................[...022] Unfeeling Observation.........................................[...023] Sailing versus Railways.......................................[...024] Innocence.....................................................[...025] Never Satisfied...............................................[...026] Living in Hope................................................[...027] Jealousy......................................................[...028] A Puzzling Order..............................................[...029] How to get rid of a Gratis Patient............................[...030] Hooking and Eyeing............................................[...031] In for It.....................................................[...032] Bless the Boy.................................................[...033] Pity the Sorrows of the Poor Police...........................[...034] Speculators...................................................[...035] Preparations for War..........................................[...036] Early Beginnings..............................................[...037] May difference of opinion never alter Friendship..............[...038] The Test of Gallantry.........................................[...039] Interesting scene during the Canvas for Mr————................[...040] Mal-apropos...................................................[...041] A little bit of Hunting.......................................[...042] Alarming......................................................[...043] An Impudent Minx..............................................[...044] Very Acute....................................................[...045] Men of Business...............................................[...046] Delicacy of the Season........................................[...047] Unlucky ......................................................[...048] Nothing like warm Bathing.....................................[...049] The Ruling Passion............................................[...050] Different People have Different Opinions......................[...051] The Alderman's Advice to his Son..............................[...052] An Omnibus Incident...........................................[...053] Very Proper Diet for Warm Weather.............................[...054] Mr. Verdant's attempt at Bookmaking ..........................[...055] Easily Satisfied..............................................[...056] The Chatalaine—a really useful Present........................[...057] Domestic Bliss................................................[...058] Rather Disappointing..........................................[...059] Domestic Bliss-Time 3.30 — Thermometer 30 degrees.............[...060] A Dumb Waiter.................................................[...061] Murder Will Out...............................................[...062] Different People have Different Opinions......................[...063] Advice Gratis.................................................[...064] Grandmamma is supposed to have given Tom some plums...........[...065] The Rising Generation.........................................[...066] Sour Grapes...................................................[...067] Dog Days......................................................[...068] Hall along of the Betting Offices.............................[...069] A Romance of Roast Ducks......................................[...070] Delicate......................................................[...071] A Great Loss..................................................[...072] Rather a Bad Look-out.........................................[...073] Curious Effect of Relaxing Air................................[...074] Oh! The Curtains..............................................[...075] A Left-handed Compliment......................................[...076] Taken at his Word.............................................[...077] The Opera.....................................................[...078] Fishing off a Watering Place..................................[...079] The Conservatory..............................................[...080] The Garret....................................................[...081] Late Hours....................................................[...082] No Place like Home when the family are at a Watering Place....[...083] A British Ruffian.............................................[...084] Very Considerate..............................................[...085] Filling up the Census Paper...................................[...086] Reward of Merit...............................................[...087] Doing a Little Bill...........................................[...088] Alarming......................................................[...089] Domestic Bliss................................................[...090] Returning from the Seaside—A Little Commission................[...091] A Jolly Dog...................................................[...092] A Bon-bon from a Juvenile Party...............................[...093] Throwing stones through ice...................................[...094] True Respectability...........................................[...095] A Young Gentleman and Scholar.................................[...096] Perfect Sincerity; or Thinking Aloud..........................[...097] Perfect Sincerity; or Thinking Aloud..........................[...098] Perfect Sincerity; or Thinking Aloud..........................[...099] No Doubt......................................................[...100] Very Low People...............................................[...101] A Weighty Matter..............................................[...102] A Cheap Day's Hunting, No. 1..................................[...103] A Cheap Day's Hunting, No. 2..................................[...104] A Cheap Day's Hunting, No. 3..................................[...105] The Gentle Craft..............................................[...106] Apropos of Bloomerism.........................................[...107] One of the Delightful Results of Bloomerism...................[...108] Bloomerism in a Ball-room.....................................[...109] Barrack Life..................................................[...110] Bon-bon from a Juvenile Party.................................[...111] Domestic Bliss................................................[...112] Solicitude....................................................[...113] Flunkeiana....................................................[...114] A Horrible Business...........................................[...115] Putting his foot in it........................................[...116] Flunkeiana....................................................[...117] Flunkeiana....................................................[...118] Domestic Bliss................................................[...119] Splendid Day with the Queen's.................................[...120] Domestic Bliss................................................[...121] Domestic Bliss................................................[...122] Flunkeiana....................................................[...123] Flunkeiana....................................................[...124] Subject for a Picture.........................................[...125] Fishing off Brighton..........................................[...126] Flunkeiana....................................................[...127] An Enthusiastic Fisher........................................[...128] The Worst of Evening Parties..................................[...129] Sporting-Youth who has lost the Hounds........................[...130] A lapse of twenty minutes—Sporting Youth returns..............[...131] Flunkeiana....................................................[...132] Domestic Bliss................................................[...133] The Opera.....................................................[...134] How to Dress a Lobster........................................[...135] An Exclusive..................................................[...136] Flunkeiana....................................................[...137] Snow-flakes,—No. 1............................................[...138] Snow-flakes,—No. 2............................................[...139] Snow-flakes,—No. 3............................................[...140] The Hat-moving Experiment.....................................[...141] A False Position..............................................[...142] Servantgalism; or, What's to become of the Missusses?.........[...143] Servantgalism; or, What's to become of the Missusses?.........[...144] Servantgalism; or, What's to become of the Missusses?.........[...145] The Camp at Chobhan—Hospitality...............................[...146] The New Bonnet................................................[...147] A Great Mental Effort.........................................[...148] Cruel.........................................................[...149] A Caution to little boys at a Festive Season..................[...150] A Playful Creature............................................[...151] A Very Vulgar Subject.........................................[...152] Study of an Elderly Female Hailing the Last Omnibus...........[...153] A Large Bump of Caution.......................................[...154] Latest from Paris.............................................[...155] A Serious Threat..............................................[...156] A Trifle the Matter with the Kitchen Boiler...................[...157] Competition...................................................[...158] Gammoning a Gent..............................................[...159] Enter Mr. Bottles, the Butler.................................[...160] Flunkeiana—a fact.............................................[...161] Railway Smoking...............................................[...162] How to get a Connection.......................................[...163] Thinking Aloud................................................[...164] A Brutal Fellow...............................................[...165] A Delicious Sail off Dover....................................[...166] Division of Labour............................................[...167] A Thorough Good Cook..........................................[...168] Bottom Fishing................................................[...169] First Night in the New House..................................[...170] No Offence....................................................[...171] Matrimonial Solicitude........................................[...172] Aquatics......................................................[...173] Difference of Taste...........................................[...174] Teeth Extracted...............................................[...175] "By the Sad Sea Waves"........................................[...176] Miss Brown kindly takes her cousin out fishing................[...177] The Woman at the Wheel........................................[...178] The Female of the Future......................................[...179] How cool and nice French-Polished floors are—How very Hard ...[...180] Villikens in the Drawing Room.................................[...181] Wise Man......................................................[...182] Quite Safe....................................................[...183] A Great Prospect..............................................[...184] A Gorgeous Spectacle..........................................[...185] Something Like Sport..........................................[...186] Trade.........................................................[...187] Delightful Out-door Exercise in Warm Weather..................[...188] Servantgalism ................................................[...189] Servantgalism.................................................[...190] Bit from the Mining Districts.................................[...191] Bit from the Mining Districts.................................[...192] Servantgalism.................................................[...193] Delightful Privilege during Winter Months.....................[...194] Speaking from Experience......................................[...195] Surprise for Tomkins..........................................[...196] All Right.....................................................[...197] Sea-side Saturday Evening.....................................[...198] Serious for the Military......................................[...199] Fashions for Fast Men.........................................[...200] A Rare Treat..................................................[...201] Alas for the old Institutions.................................[...202] The Moustache Movement........................................[...203] Wonderful Effect of Ether in a case of scolding wife..........[...204] Rather Awkward for Tompkins...................................[...205] Servantgalism ; or, What's to become of the Missusses?........[...206] Sailing Instructions..........................................[...207] A Country Ball................................................[...208] After Partaking very Heartily.................................[...209] The Influenza.................................................[...210] How to Flatter a Gent.........................................[...211] Best Foot Foremost............................................[...212] The Rising Generation.........................................[...213] Meeting His Half-way..........................................[...214] Consols at 90.................................................[...215] Consols at 80.................................................[...216] A Brilliunt Idea..............................................[...217] The Rising Generation.........................................[...218] Invention Hotter than Cure....................................[...219] Honeymnon at Sea..............................................[...220] A Heal Difficulty.............................................[...221] A Case of Real Distress.......................................[...222] Literal.......................................................[...223] Good Security.................................................[...224] On the Moors..................................................[...225] Speaks for Himself............................................[...226] One of the Fine Arts..........................................[...227] Table Rapping.................................................[...228] A Good Education..............................................[...229] The Finishing Touch to a Picture .............................[...230] Close of the Season...........................................[...231] Fires for the Winter—Something wrong with the Chimney ........[...232] An Association for the Advancement of Science on an Excursion.[...233] Business-Like.................................................[...234] Jack Ashore ..................................................[...235] No News is Good News (?)......................................[...236] Paterfamilias Superintends removal of the snow from the roof..[...237] Pleasing Effect Below.........................................[...238] The Battle of the Pianos......................................[...239] Delightful for Mother.........................................[...240] A Caution to young men who wear sharp pointed moustaches .....[...241] Scene-Drawing Room............................................[...242] Friend, Doctor, and Wife......................................[...243] A Visit to the Antediluvian Reptiles at Sydenham..............[...244] The Too Faithful Talbotype....................................[...245] False Pretences...............................................[...246] Another Bit from the Mining Districts ........................[...247] The Moustache Movement........................................[...248] Long Vacation.................................................[...249] Agricultural..................................................[...250] Flunkeiana....................................................[...251] The Ticket-Showing Nuisance...................................[...252] Scholastic....................................................[...253] Pleasures of Housekeeping.....................................[...254] These Hats....................................................[...255] Rather Alarming...............................................[...256] Thinking Aloud................................................[...257] General Thaw and Bursting of the Water Pipes..................[...258] Innocent Mirth................................................[...259] Frightful.....................................................[...260] Bachelor Housekeeninp.........................................[...261] The Sensational...............................................[...262] Marly in the Morning..........................................[...263] Moral Influence of Executions.................................[...264] No Consequence................................................[...265] The First of September........................................[...266] Two Aspects...................................................[...267] The Police ...................................................[...268] Women and Freemasonry.........................................[...269] Did You live..................................................[...270] Awful result of giving a Season ticket to your wife...........[...271] Such a Lark...................................................[...272] From the Mining Districts,—an Attempt at diverting Natives....[...273] Moderate Terms................................................[...274] Fine Business, indeed! The Wretch!............................[...275] Old Clothes...................................................[...276] Servantgalism.................................................[...277] How Disgreeable the Boys are..................................[...278] The Rising Generation.........................................[...279] Poor Muggins..................................................[...280] Our Little Friend Tom Noddy...................................[...281] Coarse, but Characteristic....................................[...282] Old Lady and Leveller.........................................[...283] A Perfect Wretch..............................................[...284] The Moustache Movement........................................[...285] Life in London................................................[...286] At the Crimea.................................................[...287] Friendly, but very Unpleasant.................................[...288] Keeping Step..................................................[...289] The Moustache Movement........................................[...290] Too Bad.......................................................[...291] Prudent Resolve...............................................[...292] Disgusting for Augustus.......................................[...293] Servantgalism.................................................[...294] Flunkeiana Rustica............................................[...295] A Fact........................................................[...296] In Hope.......................................................[...297] Hope Rewarded.................................................[...298] Not to be Daunted.............................................[...299] Hope and Fear.................................................[...300] Most Provoking................................................[...301] Never Say Die.................................................[...302] Marry on 300 a Year...........................................[...303] The Husband as he ought not to be.............................[...304] Fair and Equal................................................[...305] A Very Particular Party.......................................[...306] Comparisons...................................................[...307] Good Looking..................................................[...308] A Cautious Bird...............................................[...309] Pleasing Delusion in re Round Hats............................[...310] Roasted Chestnuts.............................................[...311] "Where Ignorance is Bliss"....................................[...312] Folly to be Wise".............................................[...313] Private Opinion...............................................[...314] Taken Aback...................................................[...315] Nicely Caught.................................................[...316] Perfectly Dreadful............................................[...317] Cupid at Sea..................................................[...318] Very Considerate..............................................[...319] A Railway Collision—A Hint to Station Masters.................[...320] Patience Rewarded.............................................[...321] A Sketch from the Stand at Scarboro...........................[...322] Astounding Announcement from the Small Country Butcher........[...323] Offended Dignity..............................................[...324] Amateur Pantomine.............................................[...325] Remarkable Occurrence.........................................[...326] Young Upholsterers............................................[...327] The Valentine.................................................[...328] True Gallantry................................................[...329] Self-Help.....................................................[...330] Startling Advice..............................................[...331] Early Responsibility..........................................[...332] A Moral Lesson from the Nursery...............................[...333] The Bloated Aristocrat........................................[...334] Married for Money—the Honeymoon...............................[...335] Under the Mistletoe...........................................[...336] Alarming Proposition..........................................[...337] Young Lady of the Period......................................[...338] Serve Him Right...............................................[...339] Everything in its Place.......................................[...340] A Hint to Gentlemen...........................................[...341] A Hint to Railway Travellers..................................[...342] Oh, Yes; Of Course............................................[...343] The Quadrille in Hot Weather..................................[...344] The New Regulation Mess.......................................[...345] A Painful Subject.............................................[...346] Photograph Beauties...........................................[...347] The Opera,—No. 1..............................................[...348] The Opera,—No. 2..................................,...........[...349] A Sketch at a Railway Station.................................[...350] Hi' Art.......................................................[...351] Flunkeiana....................................................[...352] Servantgaliism................................................[...353] Symptoms of Hard Reading......................................[...354] The Stout Lady................................................[...355] Head of the House,—No. 1......................................[...356] Head of the House,—No. 2......................................[...357] Milk versus Water.............................................[...358] Thrilling Domestic Incident...................................[...359] Very Artful Contrivance.......................................[...360] A Windy Day...................................................[...361] Common Objects at the Seaside.................................[...362] Astonishing a Young One.......................................[...363] Awkward Predicament...........................................[...364] A Notion of Pleasure..........................................[...365] A Bad Time for John Thomas....................................[...366] Learning to Swim..............................................[...367] On the Roof...................................................[...368] Nothing but Eating............................................[...369] Lively for Jones..............................................[...370] Very Odd......................................................[...371] Wholesome Feast...............................................[...372] Of a very Studious Turn.......................................[...373] A very green-eyed monster.....................................[...374] Juvenile Dissipation..........................................[...375] None but the Brave deserve the Fair...........................[...376] Tit for Tat...................................................[...377] Solicitude....................................................[...378] Skeletons.....................................................[...379] Great Minds Think Alike.......................................[...380] An elegant row about a machine................................[...381] What a Terrible Turk..........................................[...382] A Safe Convoy.................................................[...383] Impertinent Curiosity.........................................[...384] Tickled with a Straw..........................................[...385] Horrible Question after a Greenwich Dinner....................[...386] Touching Appeal...............................................[...387] A Great Mistake...............................................[...388] It's the Early Bird that Picks up the Early Worm..............[...389] Serious Thing for Brown.......................................[...390] The Moustache Movement........................................[...391] The Beard.....................................................[...392] Consolation...................................................[...393] Fortunate Fellows.............................................[...394] Pursuit of Pleasure...........................................[...395] A Domestic Extravaganza.......................................[...396] Sisterly Love.................................................[...397] Freezing......................................................[...398] A Peace Conference............................................[...399] When Railway Companies fall out the Public derive the benefit.[...400] Quite True....................................................[...401] A Holiday.....................................................[...402] Cold in the Head..............................................[...403] Touching......................................................[...404] A Fishing Adventure...........................................[...405] Self-Examination..............................................[...406] Delicate Test.................................................[...407] The Moustache Movement........................................[...408] Conclusive Table-Turning Experiment made at Greenwich.........[...409] The Farmyard..................................................[...410] A Suburban Delight............................................[...411] Juvenile Etymology............................................[...412] Portrait of the Old Party who rather likes Organ-grinding.....[...413] An Injured Individual.........................................[...414] Practical Science.............................................[...415] A Shock.......................................................[...416]
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
John Leech was born in London, on the 29th August, 1817. His father, John Leech, was an Irishman, a man of fine culture, and a good Shakespearean scholar. He was the landlord of the London Coffee House on Ludgate Hill, one of the most important of the city hotels at that time. For a while the father was successful in his vocation, but ultimately, through financial embarrassment, was obliged to give up the hotel.
The father was a man of real ability, possessing considerable skill with the pencil, and from him, no doubt, the son inherited his special talent. And, again, on the mother's side there was relationship with the great scholar Richard Bentley, so that on both sides of the house young Leech had considerable advantages so far as mental heredity was concerned.
At a very early age the mother observed the extraordinary aptitude for drawing that her boy possessed, and did all in her power to encourage it. When young Leech was only three years old, he was found by the family friend, the great artist, Flaxman, seated on his mother's knee, drawing with much gravity. The sculptor pronounced his sketch to be remarkable, and gave the following advice:—"Do not let him be cramped with lessons in drawing, but let his genius follow its own bent. He will astonish the world." A few years after this, some more of the youthful artist's drawings were shown to the celebrated sculptor, and, after examination, he said—"The boy must be an artist; he will be nothing else or less."
At seven, the boy was sent to Charterhouse. This early departure from home was, of course, a sore trial to the fond mother, who was bound up in her child, but, knowing that it was for her son's future welfare, she threw no obstacles in the way of his departure from home. She was, however, resolved that somehow she would see her child frequently. With this object she hired a room in one of the houses commanding a view of the playground, and there frequently she sat behind a blind, happy in getting an occasional glimpse of her boy—sometimes at play, and sometimes strolling about in the grounds with his school mates. During his stay of nine years at Charterhouse, the boy did not distinguish himself in classical studies. Indeed, all that can be said, is that he acquired a thoroughly sound English education. He was, however, liked by everyone at school for his good temper and winning ways. Among his fellow pupils was the famous William Makepeace Thackeray, with whom he formed a warm friendship that lasted throughout life.
At sixteen years of age, young Leech left Charterhouse, and, notwithstanding Flaxman's advice that the boy should follow the profession of an artist, his father put him to the medical profession at St. Bartholomew's, under Mr Stanley, the surgeon of the Hospital. After a time he was placed under Mr Whittle, an eccentric practitioner at Hoxton, and subsequently under Dr John Cockle, afterwards physician to the Royal Free Hospital. Throughout his various situations, young Leech become famous among his fellow students and friends for his extremely clever—and, at the same time, always good-natured—caricatures. He was for ever drawing scenes, characters, and incidents in daily life. About this time, young Leech's liking for horses probably received its first development, through his friendship with Mr Charles Adams. Mr Adams was the owner of two horses which it was his delight to drive tandem fashion, and in his excursions Leech was his constant companion. To this circumstance we are, no doubt, partially indebted for many of the clever bits of driving and country road life depicted by the pencil of the artist. At this early period of his career, Leech made numerous life friendships with men who afterwards became distinguished. Notable among these men were Albert Smith and Percival Leigh.
At eighteen years of age, Leech published his first work, entitled "Etchings and Sketchings by A. Pen, Esq." It was a small work of four quarto sheets. As he got more and more engrossed in artistic work, the young student seems to have gradually given up his medical studies, and to have resolved to live by his pencil. In course of time he turned his attention to lithography, and, having drawn pictures upon lithographic stones, he has been known to spend many a weary day in carrying such heavy stones from publisher to publisher in search of a buyer. But as his fame increased, the difficulty of getting remunerative employment rapidly diminished. A good deal of Leech's early work, among other things, was in connection with Bell's Life in London, the best-known sporting paper of the time. Here he was associated with Cruikshank, Madons, "Phiz," and Seymour. It was when at work for Bell's Life that he first imbibed a taste for field sports, which developed into a strong feature in his pictorial career. He joined the hounds in Herefordshire, where Millais became his fellow pupil in acquiring the arts of the chase. Among the schemes of drollery that our artist participated in about this time was the Comic Latin Grammar, Leigh contributing the text, and Leech the illustrations. This was followed by the Comic English Grammar, and likewise by the Children of the Mobility, a parody on a well-known work devoted to the serious glorification of our juvenile aristocracy.