Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 6).djvu/85

quartette of sons, and a quaint drawing of George IV. "doing the front" at Brighton.

Albert Smith, with his autograph, has a prominent place.

"He died on Derby Day, the great cockney carnival, which he had so often described," said Mr. Yates. "He was a dear friend; he introduced me to my wife, and was best man at the wedding. It was at his door—poor fellow—after leaving his widow, that I met the clergyman who had married them twelve months before, the Rev. J. M. Bellew, the father of Mr. Kyrle Bellew, the actor. That is his portrait. Bellew read the church service better than any man I have ever heard, but the way in which he read the commandments was really very humorous. When he arrived at the seventh commandment, he would thunder it out in terrible tones, as much as to say, 'It's for you, and don't you forget it!' but when he came to the eighth, he gave it out in a rapid, flippant way—'Thou shalt not steal!' as though he wished his congregation to quite understand that it was not intended as an insult! He was curiously quaint in many ways, though always a thorough good fellow. He once arranged a performance of 'Hamlet,' in which he sat in front whilst the various characters were on the platform, moving and introducing the necessary action as he gave the words. It is impossible to describe the ludicrous muddle everybody got into."

Mr. Yates's Mother.
From a Minature.

The library, where we now repaired, is the finest room in the house. The passage leading to the work-room is lined with the original cartoons for the World, by Alfred Bryan. The study is almost square, and I regarded as a pleasant though simple omen the sight of the vase of flowers on the big black oak writing-table from Farnham Chase. Dickens nearly always had flowers on his table when he was writing. The flowers are by the side of a writing slope—an old writing slope much worn, but very precious. Dickens was writing on it an hour or two before he died. And the inscription reads: "This desk, which belonged to Charles Dickens and was used by him on the day of his death, was one of the familiar objects of his study which were ordered by his will to be distributed amongst those who loved him, and was accordingly given by his executrix to Edmund Yates."

The fetiches of the occupant are several and varied. A Chinaman nods his head, a tiny pig looks contemptuously on at a larkishly-inclined monkey and a trio of Shem, Ham, and Japhet from the common or garden Noah's Ark! They follow their possessor about. The room contains close upon four thousand volumes—including many valuable first editions. About the walls are etchings of Tennyson, Huxley, Darwin, Lord Salisbury, Mr. Chamberlain, and Irving.

"When I was dramatic critic of the Daily News, Irving made his first appearance in 'Ivy Hall,'" said Mr. Yates. He brought a letter of introduction from John L. Toole.

"My Dear Edmund,—Mr. Yates—Mr. Irving; Mr. Irving—Mr. Yates.

"Now be as good