Page:The Story of the House of Cassell (book).djvu/221

 which told the story of missionary operations, and "Cities of the World." The Shaftesbury appeared first in 1886, and later there was a condensed edition in one volume.

The story of Charles Lowe's biography of Bismarck is curious. His association with Cassell's began in 1878, and came about through his friendship with Robert Wilson. Mr. Lowe was then a sub-editor of the Times, and Wilson, an old Edinburgh fellow-student, would go to gossip with him over a pipe in his chambers in the Temple.

"Dropping science, Wilson had drifted into journalism," says Mr. Lowe, "and was a copious contributor to various serial publications of Cassell's. At this time Cassell's were bringing out an 'International Portrait Gallery,' and knowing the nature of my work on the Times, and my special devotion to foreign affairs, Wilson suggested to the editor of the former that he might ask me to do several of the biographies for him. He did so, and assigned to me for subjects Bismarck, the Emperor Francis Joseph, and Count Andrassy. This work I did as well and carefully as I could, and, on getting clean proofs of the three articles, sent them to Mr. Macdonald, the manager of the Times, who had given me a footing on the paper mainly on account of my knowledge of French and German, to show him what I could do in the way of positive writing myself. At this time the Berlin Congress was sitting, and Macdonald presently returned me my articles without comment—for he was a man of few words. But towards the end of the year, what was my stupefaction one day at receiving from him a brief note begging me to lose no time in repairing to Berlin, there to represent the Times as its resident correspondent in place of Dr. Abel, retired. Whether my appointment to Berlin was propter hoc or only post hoc I never knew for certain; but I was always inclined to think that those biographical articles, shown both to the manager and to Mr. Chenery, editor of the Times, had been a determining element in my selection for the post.

"That was shortly before Christmas, 1878, about the time of the death of the Queen's second daughter, Princess Alice of Hesse; and fifteen months later, in March, 1880, I was instructed by my editor to proceed to Darmstadt and send him a special account of the confirmation of the widowed Grand Duke's two eldest daughters—Victoria and Elizabeth, one of whom was afterwards to marry her cousin, Prince Louis of