e only part giving any trouble to the maker of the
gelatine relief block. The skilful management of the parts in light
shows again "the art of leaving out."]

I am touching now upon a difficult and delicate part of the subject,
and must endeavour to make my meaning clear. The illustrations in
_Punch_ have, until lately, all been engraved on wood (the elder artists
on the staff not taking kindly to the processes), and the style and
manner of line we see in its pages is due in great measure to the
influence of the wood engraver.[8]

This refers to fac-simile work, but the engraver, as we know, also
interprets wash into clean lines, helps out the timid and often unsteady
draughtsman, and in little matters puts his drawing right.

The wood engraver was apprenticed to his art, and after long and
laborious teaching, mastered the mechanical difficulties. If he had the
artistic sense he soon developed into a master-engraver and illustrator,
and from crude and often weak and inartistic drawings produced
illustrations full of tone, quality, and beauty. From very slight
material handed to him by the publisher, the wood engraver would evolve
(from his inner consciousness, so to speak) an elaborate and graceful
series of illustrations, drawn on the wood block by artists in his own
employ, who had special training, and knew exactly how to produce the
effects required. The system often involved much care and research for
details of costume, architecture, and the like, and, if not very high
art, was at least well paid for, and appreciated by the public. I am
speaking of the average illustrated book, say of twenty years ago, when
it was not an uncommon thing to spend L500 or L600 on the engravings.
Let us hope that the highest kind of wood engraving will always find a
home in England.

Nobody knows--nobody ever will know--how much the engraver has done for
the artist in years past. "For good or evil,"--it may be said; but I am
thinking now only of the good, of occasions when the engraver has had to
interpret the artist's meaning, and sometimes, it must be confessed, to
come to the rescue and perfect imperfect work.

[Illustration: No. VIII.

Illustration to "_Dreamland in History_," by Dr. Gloucester. (London:
Isbister & Co.) Drawn by HERBERT RAILTON.

Example of brilliancy and simplicity of treatment in line drawing for
process. There is no illustration in this book which shows better the
scope and variety of common