rom the satirical creation, 'Arry is a most amusing
personage--his forms of speech, the quaint turns of his vulgar thought,
being in themselves irresistibly laughable--their grossness merged in
their genuine humour, and in the art so well concealed. 'Arry alone has
stamped Mr. Milliken as a satirical humorist of the front rank, and has
gone far towards making the public forget his other phase--the graceful
and sympathetic poet. The philologists, too, proclaim their debt of
gratitude to the author as the most complete collector of modern English
slang, with suitable context and situation. Dr. Murray's great "New
English Dictionary" accepts 'Arry as a name "used humorously for: A
low-bred fellow (who drops his _h's_) of lively temper and manners,"
and quotes "'Arry on 'Orseback" in _Punch's_ Almanac for 1874 as his
debut in print. And, finally, Herr C. Stoffel, of Nijmegen, has
published a philological volume on the "'Arry Letters" in _Punch_, from
1883 to 1889, examining the cant words with the utmost elaboration,
gravity, and knowledge, and producing one of the most valuable treatises
on the subject that have hitherto been published.

In addition to the work already indicated, Mr. Milliken (as shown in the
chapter on cartoons) devotes a great deal of attention to the devising
of Mr. Punch's "big cuts," both for Sir John Tenniel and Mr. Linley
Sambourne. The Almanac double-page cartoons, too--usually very elaborate
designs--have been planned by him for a good many years, as well as most
of Mr. Sambourne's fanciful calendars and "months" in the Almanacs. It
will thus be seen that--with all his work in prose and verse, from a
paragraph to a preface, and from a series to an epigram--Mr. Milliken is
Writer-of-all-work and "General Utility" in the best sense; and a more
loyal and devoted servant _Punch_ has never had.

[Illustration: GILBERT A BECKETT
(_From a Photograph by Messrs. Bassano._)]

Alfred Thompson's work, which began in 1876, is considered with that of
_Punch's_ artists. Then came Gilbert Arthur a Beckett, who after a short
spell of regular work was summoned to the Table. His first contribution
had, in fact, been published by Mark Lemon, but immediately afterwards
that Editor treated him just as he had treated his brother; and not for
some years did he receive the call. Tom Taylor it was who, attracted by
the quality of the work which the brothers were doing elsewhere, sent
the coveted invitation.[47] In 1879--