d all his influence in favour of
Bradbury and Evans's great new venture, through the intermediary of
Charles Dickens. "Paxton," writes Dickens in one of his letters bearing
upon the subject that lie before me, dated October, 1845--a few months
before the launching of the "Daily News"--"has the command of every
railway and railway influence in England and abroad, except the Great
Western; and he is in it heart and purse." What more likely, then, that
Dickens, at work at Whitefriars, should be invited by his friends, his
publishers, to dine with his friends of the _Punch_ Staff?--though he
possibly did not stay to the Cabinet Council; and what more reasonable
than for them to value Paxton's considerable influence at the price of a
graceful privilege, seeing that the "Daily News" thought it, in those
early days, worth while to appoint a "Railway Editor" at a salary of
L2,000 a year? Moreover, Paxton was interested with Bradbury and Evans
in "The Gardeners' Chronicle" (in whose columns he had first published
the "Cottagers' Calendar"), to say nothing of his "Flower Garden," which
he and Dr. Lindley edited for them. Sir Joseph Paxton, then, was a
constant and appreciative attendant at the _Punch_ Table until the year
1865, the date of his death.

Mr. Peter Rackham, too, was another guest--the guest, again, and valued
friend of the publishers--well understood to have given financial
assistance in respect to the founding of the "Daily News." He was a
highly esteemed friend of Thackeray and Dickens both, and the novelists
and their publishers would send him presentation copies of their new
works. The former, by the way, presented him with a copy of his
"Virginians" when it appeared, inscribing it to Mr. Rackham in this
characteristic manner:--"In the U. States and in the Queen's dominions
All people have a right to their opinions And many don't much relish The
Virginians. Peruse my book, dear R., and if you find it A little to your
taste I hope you'll bind it." Mr. Rackham ceased his visits to the Table
in 1859, in which year, I understand, he died. Another visitor, as all
the world now knows, was Dean Reynolds Hole, who has recorded in his
"Memories" his impressions of that famous Dinner of February 15th, 1860.
To me, also, he has given an idea of the effect wrought upon him by the
frolic of the meal--an impression certainly not dimmed by time nor faded
in his imagination. He says: "There was such a clash and glitter of
sharp-