It wag only on my return from a holiday in a spot where newspapers do not penetrate that I was apprise ed of the death of my friend by several brief and somewhat misleading notices in the London press and T hasten, within the limits of my poor ability, to pice on record a more accurate picture of a truly lovable and supremely interesting personality.
Sandy, as he was known to a wide circle of friends, had herdly attained middle age at the time when he passed from us and his untimely decease leaves a gap which it will be difficult indeed to fill. Of a singularly sunny and engaging dis-Fosition he retained his boyish fun long after his first youth, and his fertile brain was for ever eve pranks and jests for the delectation of his friends.
To the stories of his moroseness end ill temper no credence need be attached. His life was not all sunshine ud he submitted to an enforeed inactivity with a patience and good humour which only failed him on rare occasions. He hed, it is rue, a proper*pride and was' quick to resent impositions on his good nature and the vulgar curiosity which, owing to. the exposed nature played by inconsiderate persons on Puig lenge beaxtod and enviably lic "holidays.
tree from hatred, malice and -all Uncheritableness, he was net without 'a few venial faults Which those who bad the privilege -of-his friendship readily forgave -him, i ly consi-Gering them the natural, concomiinto of an artistic temperament; He had an unfortunate tendency to forget to return things he borrowed, and generous to a fault himself, he soutd sometimes borrow from others, Taking their permission for granted. He wun also too apt t0 invite the sympathy of members of the fair sex, particularly if young and attractive, and i would, have. been Indlerovs if ft had not been othe: tic to see him sitting with a fair dismal holding his hand and sen: tinental expression on his face totally alien to his usual sturdy and independent chinscter.
It was as a mimic that his greatest claim to fame lay and in this art few could. equal and_none could Surphsy him. His vine were the Sonmen types of humanity and the Grriter hess vivid. recollection of from a friend he deftly Femoved the cover from the frame and enlarging the hole in the centre he improvised a cloak; the iby he removed, broke in. plecey and bestowed in an empty paper bag trid fashioning a hut out of, news: paper he gave a side splitting imita-Tom of a member of the genus "tap: per" walking with mincing step with and bag and umbrella Which onused the assembled company to roar with mirth—all except the gentleman whose umbrella had been command. eered.
A lifelong vegetarian and teetotaler Sandy belied the all too prevalent idea which refuses to associate vegetarianism with physicd energy, ing "trong, agile and lissom to a degree. Te had a somewhat homely face redeemed by a kindly air and framed in hair of Titian hue which he wore somewhat longer that the dictates of fashion nowadays permit. His loss will be most deeply felt in both ian and human soclety—for Sandy was the younger srangoutang at the Zee.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.