AN ARTIST AND DR. BARNARDO'S
Sta,—Your book critic, Mr. Osbert Lancaster, in your issue of January 16th, refers to the recently published life of Mr. Heath Robinson. To my mind he stood alone as a humorous artist, and I recall the first occasion when we met, now many years ago. He most generously offered to me (then a complete stranger) to make a drawing for the benefit of Dr. Barnardo's Homes, which later was reproduced in thousands on a postcard and sold in schools like hot cakes. He said, " But do you really want a comic picture or tragedy or both ? For my public seem to look. upon me as only a comic artist." He then produced a wonderful large volume (of some fairy-stories, I think) which he had illustrated in colour most beautifully. However, he did produce a wonderful picture corn- bining both requisites, and named it To the Rescue. The late black-and- white artist, Aubrey Beardsley, whom your critic refers to, fagged for me as a boy at school in 1884-85, and I possess some of his schoolboy
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