eed be, he would make his
sketch, unseen and unseeing, upon a piece of cardboard or in a
sketch-book, in the side-pocket of his overcoat. In this way detail,
mannerism, gesture, pose--character, in fact, would be secured, and next
week's _Punch_ might contain the portrait--sometimes severe, generally
humorous, and always well-observed. A rapid worker, too, is
Furniss--incomparably the quickest of his colleagues--who could produce
anything from a thumbnail sketch to a full-page drawing, portraits and
all, in an hour or so, although he would prefer, of course, to have fair
time to arrange his composition, to pencil it in, and then work it up
carefully from the living model. On the occasion when Lord Randolph
Churchill's hunting adventures in South Africa kept London amused, Mr.
Furniss, who was in the country and about to start for town by rail, saw
an account of the exploit in the morning paper. He wired to Mr. Burnand:
"See Churchill's lion-hunt, page -- 'Times.' Splendid opportunity.
Reply ---- Junction." At ten-thirty he found the answer awaiting him at
the junction: "Good. Let engravers have it to-day." He set to work at
once in the train. Having to change several times, he found the
junctions of great use for drawing in the faces; and by half-past four
the finished page was in Mr. Swain's possession.

[Illustration: TWO FRIENDS.

(_By Harry Furniss._)]

Indefatigable and unconventional, as much a journalist as an artist,
gifted with a rapid intelligence and a subacid humour, Mr. Furniss, in
his work on _Punch_, has been extremely varied, and by the strength of
his personality he imparted to the Parliamentary side of the paper a
touch of his own convictions. It was obvious from his treatment of the
Irish that he was a strong Unionist, and that his sympathy with the
Irish party was neither very deep nor very cordial. This was emphasised
by some of the best caricatures he ever produced. They were bitterly
resented; but probably more ill-feeling was created by the ludicrous
picture he subsequently drew of the patriots as they returned, sea-sick,
moist, and dejected, to Dublin from the "London Conference," entitled "A
Sketch at Kingstown." On the top of this came the irritation caused by
his laughable but merciless mimicry, in his famous entertainment of "The
Humours of Parliament," of the imaginary Member for Ballyhooly; but it
was the caricatures of Mr. Swift MacNeill, M.P., that brought matters to
a head. Mr. MacNe