Early Career—Intimacy with Dickens—Illustrations for "The Haunted Man"—Selects his Own Subjects—A Letter from Dickens—His Approbation of the Drawing of "Milly and the Old Man"—Hints from the Novelist to the Artist—Amateur Theatricals—Frank Stone's Portrait of Lieutenant Sydney Dickens—His Election as Associate of the Royal Academy—His Portraits of 'Tilda Price, Kate Nickleby, and Madeline Bray—His Frontispiece for the First Cheap Edition of "Martin Chuzzlewit"—Sudden Death.

Frank Stone, A.R.A., father of Mr. Marcus Stone, R.A., was privileged to join the ranks of Dickens Illustrators. This distinguished artist, born in 1800, was the son of a Manchester cotton-spinner, which business he also followed until twenty-four years of age, when he abandoned mercantile pursuits in favour of Art. During the early portion of his professional career, which was begun in London under very modest and unassuming conditions, he made pencil-drawings for Heath's "Book of Beauty," and presently became successful as a painter in water-colours. His engaging personality and innate abilities caused him to be welcomed in both literary and artistic circles, and in this way he secured the warm friendship of Dickens, Thackeray, and other celebrities of the day.

The Haunted Man, 1848.Frank Stone's intimacy with Charles Dickens was especially close. In 1845 the artist, with his family, went to reside in Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, remaining there until 1851, when it became the home of Dickens. In the interval the novelist's fourth Christmas Book, "The Haunted Man," was published, for which Frank Stone prepared three designs, representing respectively "Milly and the Old Man," "Milly and the Student," and "Milly and the Children." As indicated by the following letter (dated November 21, 1848), the novelist dispatched proofs of the letterpress to the artist, in order that he might select his own subjects:—

"My Dear Stone,—I send herewith the second part of the book, which I hope may interest you. If you should prefer to have it read to you by the Inimitable rather than to read it, I shall be at home this evening (loin of mutton at half-past five), and happy to do it. The proofs are full of printer's errors, but, with the few corrections I have scrawled upon it, you will be able to make out what they mean.

"I send you on the opposite side a list of the subjects already in hand from the second part. If you should see no other in it that you like (I think it important that you should keep Milly, as you have begun with her), I will in a day or two describe you an unwritten subject for the third part of the book."

"Subjects in hand for the Second Part.

1. Illuminated page. Tenniel. Representing Redlaw going upstairs, and the Tetterby family below.

2. The Tetterby Supper. Leech.

3. The boy in Redlaw's room, munching his food and staring at the fire."

A preliminary sketch (in pencil and indian-ink) for the first subject was immediately submitted to the novelist for approval, and elicited the following reply:—

"We are unanimous.

"The drawing of Milly on the chair is CHARMING. I cannot tell you how much the little composition and expression please me. Do that, by all means.

"I fear she must have a little cap on. There is something coming in the last part about her having had a dead child, which makes it yet more desirable than the existing text does that she should have that little matronly sign about her. Unless the artist is obdurate indeed, and then he'll do as he likes.

"I am delighted to hear that you have your eye on her in the students' room. You will really, pictorially, make the little woman whom I love...."

Plate LII

"MILLY AND THE OLD MAN"
Facsimile of the Original Drawing for "The Haunted Man" by
FRANK STONE, A.R.A.

Lent by Mr. Marcus Stone. R.A.

The original sketch of Milly on the chair has fortunately been preserved, and has been kindly lent for reproduction by Mr. Marcus Stone, R.A. The drawing of the old man in the published engraving is hardly so satisfactory as the delineation of him in the sketch. The second illustration, "Milly and the Student," was duly executed; it is a very graceful design, the pose of the male figure being excellently rendered. Respecting the third illustration, the novelist communicated to the artist the following facts, to assist him in realising the principal theme:—

"There is a subject I have written to-day for the third part, that I think and hope will just suit you. Scene—Tetterby's. Time—morning. The power of bringing back people's memories of sorrow, wrong, and trouble has been given by the ghost to Milly, though she don't know it herself. As she comes along the street, Mr. and Mrs. Tetterby recover themselves and are mutually affectionate again, and embrace, closing rather a good scene of quarrel and discontent. The moment they do so, Johnny (who has seen her in the distance and announced her before, from which moment they begin to recover) cries 'Here she is!'and she comes in, surrounded by the little Tetterbys, the very spirit of morning, gladness, innocence, hope, love, domesticity, &c. &c. &c. &c.

"I would limit the illustration to her and the children, which will make a fitness between it and your other illustrations, and give them all a character of their own. The exact words of the passage I enclose on another slip of paper. Note: There are six boy Tetterbys present (young 'Dolphus is not there), including Johnny; and in Johnny's arms is Mulock, the baby, who is a girl.... Don't wait to send me the drawing of this. I know how pretty she will be with[Pg 177]
[Pg 178] the children in your hands, and should be a stupendous jackass if I had any distrust of it...."

(Slip of paper enclosed.)

"'Hurrah! here's Mrs. Williams!' cried Johnny.

"So she was, and all the Tetterby children with her; and as she came in, they kissed her and kissed one another, and kissed the baby, and kissed their father and mother, and then ran back and flocked and danced about her, trooping on with her in triumph.

"(After which she is going to say, 'What, are you all glad to see me too! Oh, how happy it makes me to find every one so glad to see me this bright morning!')"

The amateur theatricals brought author and artist constantly together, Frank Stone being an actor of some ability. The immortal Mrs. Gamp, in describing the members of that famous company of players, alludes to Frank Stone as "a fine-looking portly gentleman, with a face like an amiable full moon." He became the recipient of many nicknames, that of "Pump" (or "Pumpion") being one by which Dickens sometimes addressed him, and it was both pleasantly intended and jocularly received. In 1849 the artist painted the portrait of the novelist's fifth son, Lieutenant Sydney Dickens, who was buried at sea in 1872, his death being due to a sharp attack of bronchitis when on his way home.

Frank Stone exhibited at the Society of Painters in Water-Colours from 1833 to 1846, and was elected a member of that Society in 1842. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1838, his election as an Associate taking place in 1851. The artist, on receiving a commission from Dickens for a picture, painted a presentment of "'Tilda Price," the fiancÉe of the genial John Browdie in "Nicholas Nickleby," the picture realising the sum of £42 at the sale of the novelist's effects in 1870. This and two other paintings by Stone (portraits of Kate Nickleby and Madeline Bray) were engraved on steel by Finden, and published ("with the approbation of Charles Dickens") by Chapman & Hall in 1848; the plates were intended for insertion in the first cheap edition of "Nicholas Nickleby." Besides his illustrations for "The Haunted Man," he also designed the frontispiece for the first cheap edition of "Martin Chuzzlewit" (1849), which depicts Mark Tapley on the sick-bed; this drawing was engraved on wood by T. Bolton.

The sudden death of Frank Stone in 1859 caused Dickens heartfelt sorrow. "You will be grieved," he wrote to Forster on November 19, "to hear of poor Stone. On Sunday he was not well. On Monday went to Dr. Todd, who told him he had aneurism of the heart. On Tuesday went to Dr. Walsh, who told him he hadn't. On Wednesday I met him in a cab in the Square here [Tavistock Square], and he got out to talk to me. I walked about with him a little while at a snail's pace, cheering him up; but when I came home, I told them that I thought him much changed, and in danger. Yesterday at two o'clock he died of spasm of the heart. I am going up to Highgate to look for a grave for him."