r great art
critic"! Adieu.

[Illustration]

_An Eager Authority_

[Sidenote: _The World_, Feb. 9, 1881.]

Mr. Whistler knows how to defend himself so perkily that it is a
pleasure to attack him. I hasten, therefore, with joy, to submit to
you, dear Atlas, who are growing so very clever at your languages, the
following crotchets and quavers--shall I call them? for Mr. Whistler
is just now full of "notes"--in American-Italian; they are from his
delightful brown-paper catalogue. To begin with, "Santa Margharita" is
wrong; it must be either Margarita or Margherita; the other is
impossible Italian. Then who or what is "San Giovanni _Apostolo et
Evangelistae_"? Does the sprightly and shrill McNeill mean this for
Latin? And is the "Cafe Orientale" intended to be French or Italian?
It has an _e_ too many for French, and an _f_ too few for Italian.
"Piazetta," furthermore, does duty for "Piazzetta." Finally I give up
"Campo Sta. Martin." I don't know what that can be. The Italian
Calendar has a San Martino and a Santa Martina, but Sta. Martin is
very curious. The catalogue is exceedingly short, but a few of the
names are right.

_An Admission_

[Sidenote: _The World_, Feb. 16, 1881]

Touche!--and my compliments to your "Correspondent," Atlas,
_cheri_--far from me to justify spelling of my own! But who could
possibly have supposed an orthographer loose! Evidently too "ung
vieulx qui a moult roule en Palestine et aultres lieux!"

What it is to be prepared, though! Atlas, _mon pauvre ami_, you know
the story of the witness who, when asked how far he stood from the
spot where the deed was done, answered unhesitatingly--"Sixty-three
feet seven inches!" "How, sir," cried the prosecuting lawyer--"how can
you possibly pretend to such accuracy?" "Well," returned the man in
the box, "you see I thought some d----d fool would be sure to ask me,
and so I measured."

[Illustration]

_'Arry in the Grosvenor_

Atlas--In spite of the Kyrle Society, I don't appeal to the middle
classes; for I read in the _Times_ that 'Arry won't have me. I am
ranked with the _caviare_ of his betters, and add not to the relish of
his winkles and tea.

Also, why troubles he about many things?

[Sidenote: _The World_, May 17, 1882.]

But, alas! as is aptly remarked in one of the weekly papers, "'Arry
has taken to going to the Grosvenor;" and "ce n'est pas tout que
d'etre honnete,