The press cuttings sent me while abroad concerning the accident amused
me, as I was reported in some papers to have broken both my legs,
while among the kind letters I received was one from Hermann Vezin,
the actor, who was lying on a bed of sickness from which he never
recovered. I reproduce here another, and amusing, communication which
came from an anonymous friend after the accident I have just
described. It invites me, as will be seen, to "smile" in spite of all.
[Illustration: SMILE DAMN YOU SMILE! ]
My studio on the ground floor at Buckingham Gate made an excellent
hospital, but I was still prevented from doing any work for some time.
When _The World_ approached me after my decision to terminate my
connection with _Vanity Fair_, the inducement was that in addition to
the same remuneration which I had received from that paper, I was
permitted to retain the rights of my original drawings. In
consequence, I was able to send a collection to the Turin Exhibition
at the request of Sir Isidore Spielmann, for which I received a Grand
Prix.
My second drawing of the present King was published by his permission
in _The World_ in 1910; it was but a short time before the death of
King Edward, for a paragraph in reference to it appeared in _The
Morning Post_ opposite the announcement of the late King's death. I
knew on the best authority that the Prince was a very fine shot, so I
represented him in shooting-kit grasping his gun. H.R.H. took the
greatest trouble to sit in order that every detail of the picture
should be perfectly correct; indeed, on the occasion of the first
sitting he not only changed into a complete suit of shooting-clothes,
but he permitted me to choose the suit I thought best for the drawing.
He told me he always shot with a hammered gun, and preferred it to any
other, and that he made a point of wearing a red tie when shooting. On
reminding him of boyhood days and the circumstances of my cruise on
the _Hercules_, he remembered the incident perfectly. Not long after,
I received the honour of sittings from the Duke of Connaught. I had
been presented to H.R.H. at St. James's Palace by Sir Henry De Bathe
at my first levee, and not having a Court suit of my own, I hired one
for the occasion. When I returned to my cab after the levee I was
horrified to discover that through careless tailoring my black velvet
breeches had split across my thigh, the accident evidently having
occurred at the moment I made my obeisance. I was naturally very much
concerned at this ill-timed catastrophe, and could only hope that it
had escaped observation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account