nformant), was
on a visit to Mark Lemon at Crawley, and at the breakfast-table a
discussion arose between the two men upon noses, their shapes and
characteristics. Turning kindly to one of his host's little daughters,
and looking at her delicate little _nez retrousse_, he said, "When they
were looking about for a nose for you, my dear, they chose the first
that turned up"--a joke often since repeated and well-nigh worked to
death.

The contribution by which he will certainly be best and most gratefully
remembered is his "Essence of Parliament"--a work which was entirely his
own conception, and which was continued for twenty years from week to
week while Parliament was sitting, with cleverness, refinement, truth,
and humour that are invaluable to the historian and delightful to the
general reader. For this work his experience and training as the
"Chronicle" reporter were invaluable to him. Brooks was essentially a
politician in feeling, full of suggestion--apt, happy, and
ingenious--and yet could turn with ease and equal facility to social,
literary, poetical, or art-critical work, to his daily "leader" or
weekly article for the "Illustrated London News." He was in his time the
cartoon suggestor-in-chief, and towards the end of Mark Lemon's life
rendered great assistance in the editorship of the paper; although
Percival Leigh was the recognised _locum tenens_. Lemon had been dead
but just a week when Brooks wrote (June 1st, 1870) from the _Punch_
office to a friend:--

"Yesterday I accepted the Editorship of _Punch_. It will be a tie,
and give me trouble, but I seem to have been generally expected to
take the situation, and it is not good to disappoint General
Expectations, as he is a stern officer. Wish me good fortune--but I
know you do.

"I was offered a seat on a four-horse coach, for the Derby,
alongside M. Gustave Dore. But I am here. Who says I have no
self-denial?"

--which shows that he was already in harness.

In his editorship he took the utmost pride, and he would defend his
paper with spirit. When an ill-mannered acquaintance told him "that of
all the London papers he considered _Punch_ the dullest," Brooks
replied, "I wonder you ever read it." "I don't," said the other. "So I
thought," retorted the Editor, "by your foolish remark."

Shirley Brooks fell ill with a complication of disorders, and Mr.
Burnand did him the same service on _Punch_ that he had done fo