334 "MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE!" 



for instance, published a column article, entitled " A 

 New Artist." This to me was the unkindest cut of all ; 

 for I had worked very hard all those years to make people 

 appreciate Phil May as I did from the first, and now when 

 my own best effort in that direction was published in 

 collected form I found that the past might never have 

 been Phil May was at last recognised, but as " a new 

 artist." 



It must be admitted, of course, that The Parson and 

 the Painter never had a fair chance in St Stephen's Review, 

 for the Hansard Union tactics of threatening the publish- 

 ing trade cut down the circulation of the paper so very 

 badly. It may, I think, be claimed that but for these very 

 adverse circumstances my idea that The Parson and the 

 Painter would run St Stephen's into assured prosperity 

 was very well founded. Be that as it may, Phil May 

 never looked back again, after the collected book was 

 published. He was quickly secured on the staff of Punch, 

 as also for The Graphic, and he published book after book 

 of studies from life, all of which were in great demand ; 

 but he never did anything better than The Parson and 

 the Painter, which is indeed to my mind his masterpiece, 

 though I may be thought prejudiced. 



Somehow it put fresh life into me to know that I had not 

 really been wrong with the Parson and the Painter idea, 

 though in the ceaseless struggle with the old paper I had, 

 doubtless, done many foolish things. 



The idea of starting a new paper, Big Ben, occupied me 

 for some time, and Phil May would have gone with me 

 to that if the scheme had materialised, which it did not, 

 and meanwhile I still did some work with Phil May. 

 For instance, we went to do Newmarket for The Daily 

 Graphic, and were the guests of Mr Stebbing at the 

 Rutland Arms for a week. During that time we went the 

 round of the leading trainers and, I think, put in some 

 good work ; but this was casual business and I had good 

 reason to look with anxiety to the future. 



Then came further trouble. Radclyffe had made a 



