Page:The Story of the House of Cassell (book).djvu/177

 in the morning. One remembers how Jack Wilkes won over Dr. Johnson by his wit and gaiety when Boswell brought them together at the dinner-table."

During his two years in the editorial chair, only on one occasion was Oscar Wilde known to be angry. This was when John Williams, the Chief Editor, came to see him waving a copy of Marshall P. Wilder's book, "People I have Smiled With," of which Cassell's were then preparing an English edition. In a paragraph dealing with Oscar Wilde the American "smiler" wrote: "The first time I saw Oscar he wore his hair long and his breeches short; now, I believe, he wears his hair short and his trousers long." Striding up and down the room, Oscar Wilde ejaculated, "Monstrous! Perfectly monstrous!" and to appease him the offending paragraph was deleted.

Some of the letters from the contributors to the Woman's World are not without interest. A month or two before her death Mrs. Craik wrote, "For myself, whatever influence I have is, I believe, because I have kept aloof from any clique. I care little for Female Suffrage, and have given the widest berth to that set of women who are called, not unjustly, the Shrieking Sisterhood. Yet I like women to be strong and brave, both for themselves and as helpers, not slaves and foes of men."

Dr. Anna Kingsford wound up a letter by asking, "Are you going to have stories in your magazine? Because I have just perpetrated a little tale suggesting an incident I saw at Monte Carlo. Shall I send it to you to look at? It is very light and . . . pathetic. At least I think so. Well, at all events, here it is. You will see at a glance whether it suits you. If not, please send it back as soon as you can, because I don't make any rough copies of the stories I write. I write them down first hand, just like letters, so if MSS. are lost they are like children drowned or run over."

Oscar Wilde's attitude towards his editorial colleagues was always cordial. His pleasant relations with Mr. Arthur Fish, who assisted him with the magazine,