Yours ever truly,M. E. BANCROFT.
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46 Russell Square,March 19th, 1884.
Dear Gee Gee ("I've spotted you"),—You'd do much more good if you'd just leaveCox and Boxalone, and stick to writing what I ask you to. I chuckled over this week'sVery Trying, No. VIII.Capital. I've written to Committee, and told 'em Weedon is amuch betterfellow than you are.Ergo, if they likeyou, they'll elect Weedon; if theydon'tlike you,stillthey'll elect Weedon.
Q.E.D.Yours ever,F. C. BURNAND.
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6 Hill Street,24th May, 1884.
Dear Mr. Grossmith,—I am very much obliged to you for your note and the photos sent with it. My daughter will write her own thanks for your note addressed to her.
I take the liberty of sending you one of my photographs in return for those you have so kindly sent me.
With many thanks,
I remain,Very truly yours,WOLSELEY.
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May 14th.
My dear Grossmith,—I am desired by the Duke of Albany to invite Mrs. Grossmith and yourself to lunch at Claremont, on Friday next, before the concert. A train leaves Waterloo for Esher at 12.15, by which I hope you will come. Please send a line in reply to the Comptroller of the Household, Claremont, Esher; and
Believe me,Yours very sincerely,ALEC YORKE.
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Sainte Croix,Upper East Sheen,Mortlake,June 13th, 1887.
My dear George Grossmith,—I hope there is no doubt about you and your wife giving us the pleasure of sharing our housewarming on the 6th prox.; for, in addition to the gratification of having you both with us, I want you to volunteer a song on the occasion. . . . You mustn't ridicule the idea of my giving a housewarming at my time of life, for on the 27th inst. I shall have achieved my 70th year; but the meeting of old friends under a new roof will be a cheery event to look back upon by an aged pilgrim who is starting a new family home in his 71st year. With kindest regards to Mrs. Grossmith,
Believe me,My dear George Grossmith,Faithfully yours,T. GERMAN REED.
The following is from the once famous clown, the legitimate successor to Grimaldi, with whom he played:
51 Upper Lewes Road,Brighton,October 8th, 1885.
My dear Mr. Grossmith,—Yours to hand. Many thanks for the kind epistle respecting my birthday and health. I should like to have seen you. Pray give me a call next time you visit Brighton. God bless my dear, kind, good old friend, John L. Toole. Excuse my being brief. Shakespeare says, "Let those who play your clowns, speak no more than is put down for them."
So I remain,Very faithfully yours,TOM MATTHEWS.
Eighty years of age October 17th, 1885.
Excuse all mistakes, my sight is bad.
He does not show it in his letter; for he had sketched, in coloured crayons, a tiny representation of himself in the motley—head and shoulders.
Sir Rivers Wilson, Eric Lewis, Lord Garmoyle (now Earl Cairns), Frank Miles, Herman Merivale, Kyrle Bellew, Jules Lasserre, Brandon Thomas, Alfred German Reed, Lady Fanny Fitzwygram, Mrs. Arthur Stirling, Alice Barnett (Lady Jane inPatience), Leonora Braham, Jessie Bond, Jenny Lee (Jo), Carlotta Addison, Alfred Scott Gatty, Countess of Londesborough (asking me to sit with his lordship and "cheer him up" at the time of his dreadful accident), Lady Dorothy Nevill.
Everybody knows that Lady Dorothy Nevill gives very charming luncheon parties, their chief characteristic being the odd assortment of celebrities. On one of these occasions the announcement of the guests, who, somehow or other, arrived in strange couples, was especially amusing. The servant threw open the drawing-room doors, and announced "Lord Pembroke and Mr. George Grossmith." As I am only five-feet-five in height and comic in appearance, and his lordship is six-feet-six and rather serious, it is not to be wondered at that those already assembled indulged in a titter. The next announcement by the servant was "The Earl of Wharnecliffe and Mr. Justin McCarthy." For political reasons alone, this was amusing. Then came "The Duke of Wellington and Mr. Corney Grain." I do not know why, but this sounded very funny. It is only fair to Lady Dorothy to state that these are not "surprise" parties. Her guests are always informed whom they are to meet.
The following letter isaproposof mydebutat the OperaComique:
The Green Room,10 Adelphi Terrace, W.C.,December 10th, 1877.
Dear George,—Let me congratulate you very heartily on your success. I read with very great pleasure the good notices about you. I shall hope tohearyou soon; because when at "The Globe" I shall cut a hole in the wall, and hope to listen to the charming music whilst I'm going through my own performance.
With kind regards to your wife and self, and all good wishes for your continued success in your new arena,
I am,Yours sincerely,J. L. TOOLE.
Besides being a very old and privileged friend of the famous and popular comedian, I have had the pleasure of being associated with him in business, having composed the music forMr. Guffin's ElopementandThe Great Tay-kins, written by Arthur Law, and produced at Toole's theatre.
Toole is fond of stories about other people. Here is one about him. Not being a musician, and not being a quick study, it becomes no easy task to drum a song, or especially duet, into his head. InThe Great Tay-kinsthere was a "one-line-each" duet between him and Mr. E. D. Ward. I could not get Toole to get the rhythm right. He kept saying it was all right, but it was not. This is what it ought to have been:
[image]
This is how Toole first got it:
[image]
After a dozen rehearsals of these few bars, he got it thus:
The company were in roars of laughter; but Toole struggled on perfectly seriously until he got it. He was then as pleased as Punch, and insisted on my lunching with him, an invitation I was not likely to refuse.
The following is from Sir Algernon Borthwick, who was my proposer for the Garrick Club:
Morning Post,February 17th, 1883.
Dear Grossmith,—You were elected this afternoon, not only unanimously, but with warmest expressions of welcome and goodwill. I never saw so cordial and sympathetic an election.
Sincerely yours,ALGERNON BORTHWICK.
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March 29th, 1882.
My dear Grossmith,—If you are not too tired, and have no better engagement, will you come up and see my "show"—all portraits (Chamber of Horrors)—before they go to the R.A. on Friday evening? The usual business—not dress.
Yours sincerely,FRANK HOLL.
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FromMrs. JOHN WOOD.23 Gordon Square, W.C.,July 10th, Midnight.
My dear George,—I cannot go to rest to-night without thanking you really and truly for your invaluable help this afternoon, and for the very graceful courtesy you have shown through the entire affair. I can only say if at any time I can do anything for you, you will confer a favour on me by asking it. Your dear little wife cheered me by saying she and everybody were very pleased with us, and I don't think she would have said so if she hadn't meant it. So good-night to you both, and God bless you.
Your faithful friend,MATILDA WOOD.
The following, from George M. du Maurier, the incomparablePunchartist, has reference to the death of "Chang," the enormous dog which he possessed, and which he so often immortalised on the pages of the above periodical:
New Grove House,Hampstead Heath.
We are all (especially I) much touched by your kind note about poor old "Chang," whom we miss very much. Although his death was expected, it was very painful when it came, more so than I should have thought possible in the case of an animal. His bones have gone to the museum of the College of Surgeons, and his skin is coming back to me. He was so big that, having no groom or manservant to look after him, I had to be his slave, and nothing is so attaching as voluntary slavery; so that I cannot yet rejoice in my new-found liberty. Please thank your wife for me for her kind feeling.
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12 The Terrace,Kennington Park, S.E.,October 1st, 1885.
Dear Grossmith,—On the 29th inst. I make my last appeal to the public, and on that occasion I want all the friendly support I can obtain. May I ask the favour of your vocal assistance? If agreeable and convenient, the programme will be complete.
Yours faithfully,WM. CRESWICK.
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Marlborough House,May 16th, 1888.
Dear Mr. Grossmith,—The Princess has desired me to thank you for so kindly sending her that prettily-bound collection of your songs. H.R.H. is delighted to have it, and will value and prize the book extremely.
Believe me, yours truly,CHARLOTTE KNOLLYS.
I naturally conclude "my little list" with letters from Gilbert and Sullivan, to whom I shall ever feel grateful for their many kindnesses and the opportunities they have offered me of more or less distinguishing myself:
19 Harrington Gardens,South Kensington,24th February, 1884.
My dear Grossmith,—Carte tells me you had made some engagement for to-morrow afternoon. If so, pray don't trouble to come down to the theatre, as I knowyourbusiness is all right. But some of the others have become slack, and want bracing up.
Yours faithfully,W. S. GILBERT.
During my dangerous illness, Mr. Gilbert never failed a day to come up and enquire after me. He also came down to Brighton with D'Oyly Carte, and kept me in roars of laughter the whole time. This was one of the bright days during an anxious time. But to see Gilbert at his best, is to see him at one of his juvenile parties. Though he has no children of his own, he loves them, and there is nothing he would not do to please them. I was never so astonished as when on one occasion he put off some of his own friends to come with Mrs. Gilbert to a juvenile party at my own house.
The following had reference to a mock melodrama, written by myself, which Barrington, my brother, and I were to act at Sir Arthur's on an occasion when he was entertaining the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, and other distinguished guests:
1 Queen's Mansions, Victoria Street, S.W.
Dear Grossmith,—Are you down in this neighbourhood to-morrow any time? If so, we might run through the "melos" here, or I could meet you in town (Chappell's) at 3.30. Send me a wire early, please.
I hope Mrs. Grossmith will come; and, furthermore, that she understands that I shall never send her a separate invitation, as I shall always be delighted to see her whenever you come. It does not, of course, follow that I shall be delighted to seeyouwhenevershecomes.
Yours sincerely,ARTHUR SULLIVAN.
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Hotel de Paris,Monte Carlo,28th February, 1887.
Dear G. G.,—The earthquake knocked me about so much mentally, that I could not write sooner to you to say how glad I am that you are all right again—for both our sakes. Don't get ill again, but take care of yourself. We are all calm again here, but we had a nasty time of it. I think the suspense afterwards was worse than the shock itself. . . .
Yours sincerely,ARTHUR SULLIVAN.
The following is an instance of the good feeling that has always existed between the authors and actors:
1 Queen's Mansions,Victoria Street, S.W.,15th January, 1884.
My dear Grossmith,—Many thanks for your very kind letter. It is pleasant to be thought of when one is ill; and it is also pleasant to know that one's works are in the hands, not only of artists, but offriendslike yourself, who bring something more than a mere professional interest to bear on their work. I have had a very sharp and severe attack; but, fortunately, a short one. I have been out three times for a drive, and to-day go into the country till Friday. My kind remembrances to Mrs. Grossmith.
Yours sincerely,ARTHUR SULLIVAN.
On second thoughts, I will conclude with a letter from myself to the purchasers ofA Society Clown:
Dear Readers,—If I have succeeded in amusing or interesting you, I shall feel myself more than repaid for my trouble. If I have bored or disappointed you, I beg to offer my apologies; for it was not my intention to do so.
Your grateful and obedient Servant,GEORGE GROSSMITH.
28 Dorset Square,July, 1888.
[Transcriber's note: In Chapter VI, the reference to the first production ofThe Sorcerer"in 1887" appears to be a misprint.]
[Transcriber's note: The missing first word of the quotation at the beginning of Chapter VII appears to be a misprint.]