ons; but the
sum of his literary labours on the paper would not compare with that of
the members on the Staff. To him fell the organisation, administration,
and practical making-up of the paper.

In the early days of _Punch_, during those infantile convulsions to
which the paper threatened to succumb, Mark Lemon assured his position
by the great zeal with which he carried out his duties; and at the
transfer of _Punch_ he was left sole Editor, by the fiat of the new
proprietors. Stirling Coyne left without real regret, though in
considerable dudgeon at his treatment; he had many other irons in the
fire, and the conditions of journal-weaning were unattractive to him.
But to Henry Mayhew it was a bitter disappointment. It was he who had
made _Punch_ what it was; he found himself ousted from his legitimate
position, and he considered, in his own words, that Mark Lemon "had
allowed himself to be bought over," so that a coolness sprang up between
the two men which was never quite removed.

In his work Lemon did not spare himself. For a time Horace Mayhew was
his sub-editor, to whom fell the usual duties of the post--("Be it
yours," as a careless speaker in the office nicknamed "Heavens!" is
traditionally said to have advised, "Be it yours, 'Orace, to hurge the
hartises [artists] hon!")--but before long Lemon took that duty upon
himself, driving round to the chief contributors one day in the week to
satisfy himself that their drawings and "copy" would be to time. The
story goes that he always employed the same driver, and that when the
man was about to replace the old vehicle with a new one, he suggested to
Lemon, with glowing pride at the brightness of the idea, that he should
have a figure of _Punch_ emblazoned on the panels. In later years
Lemon's son Harry acted as his secretary, and sometimes, though
unofficially, as his sub-editor, and generally undertook the
"travelling" for his father.

It was in Lombard Street, Whitefriars, of classic memory, that Bradbury
and Evans carried on the practical part of their business; and here Mark
Lemon might often be seen, radiant and effulgent as the circulation
rose. In May,1843, _Punch_ had removed from Wellington Street, Strand,
to 194, Strand, an office which he gave up to his young rival, "The
Great Gun," in January, 1845, in order to remove to 92, Fleet Street.
Here he only remained for a couple of months, and, migrating in March of
the same year, he set up for good and all in