[Illustration: "_In the midsummer holidays some of our fellows, who lived within walking distance, used to come back and climb the trees outside the playground wall on purpose to look at Old Cheeseman reading there by himself. He was always as mild as the tea--and that's pretty mild, I should hope! So when they whistled to him, he looked up and nodded; and when they said, 'Hello, Old Cheeseman! what have you had for dinner?' he said 'Boiled mutton.'_"
"The Schoolboy's Story."--CHARLES DICKENS.
_By permission of Messrs. Chapman & Hall._]
Of these rustic drawings, fortunately, through the aid of photography, several of the originals were saved, some of which are at Kensington Museum, where the beautiful manipulation of the work may be studied--the material and method; the mixture of pencil, point work, in some instances ink, and wash; the delicate colour of the wood, and the skilful use of body colour (Chinese white), all combining to bring about a most beautiful result.
Walker had a fine sense of humour, which was shown in the few drawings he did for _Punch_.
At a social gathering the commencement of a new story by Miss Muloch was humorously discussed. The opening chapter dwelt much on early childhood. The term, "Sacred Blue Pinafore," being used frequently so tickled Walker's fancy that he there and then made a rough sketch in blue chalk, which we here reproduce. The same evening he made the portrait sketch of his friend, W. P. Burton, a clever but eccentric character, who was present at the time.
Fred Walker's art culminated in the production of his "Harbour of Refuge," one of the greatest English pictures for beauty, pathos, and grandeur ever painted. He said one day to a friend, "look at that little old man sitting against the distant tree: that is a portrait of myself when I get to be as old as he."
We considered ourselves fortunate in securing a few of his water colour paintings. Independent of those already referred to, we may mention "Philip in Church," which was the first picture that brought him into prominent notice, and has always been considered a thoroughly representative work. It certainly helped to secure his election into the Old Water Colour Society.
SKETCH BY FREDERICK WALKER, A.R.A., R.W.S.]