. George Meredith in anecdote and criticism . dith has ever been on intimate terms with theeditors who have from time to time conducted the journal whichwas first of all Greenwoods Pall Mall Gazette. Mr. FrederickGreenwood has been, and is still, one of the favoured visitors atBox Hill. Mr. Morley, of course, may be said to be, in one sense,one of George Merediths disciples, and he still remains an intimatefriend. For myself, from the time I succeeded Mr. Morley atNorthumberland Street, I found in Mr. Meredith the kindest andmost encouraging of sympathising friends. He frequently con-tributed
. George Meredith in anecdote and criticism . dith has ever been on intimate terms with theeditors who have from time to time conducted the journal whichwas first of all Greenwoods Pall Mall Gazette. Mr. FrederickGreenwood has been, and is still, one of the favoured visitors atBox Hill. Mr. Morley, of course, may be said to be, in one sense,one of George Merediths disciples, and he still remains an intimatefriend. For myself, from the time I succeeded Mr. Morley atNorthumberland Street, I found in Mr. Meredith the kindest andmost encouraging of sympathising friends. He frequently con-tributed to the Fall Mall Gazette, and I count among the goldendays of my editorial experiences the times when we drove over toBox Hill, and spent some delightful hours in listening to the largeand luminous discourse of Mr. Meredith, who combines the acumenof the philosopher with the quick intuition and insight of the poet. A charming anecdote illustrating the simplicity of the novelistslife in his later days is told by Mr. T. P. OConnor as follows :. o o FRIENDSHIPS AND HOME LIFE 129 His sons wife, who was staying- at the house, was recoveringfrom an illness, and during- the period of convalescence she usedto take drives in a httle donkey-chaise. It would hardly be thoughtthat in this could be found a source of amusement for a man ofgenius, but I am told that Mr. Meredith used to take the greatestdelight in having the little army of donkeys, from which the selectionwas made, brought outside his house in order that he might watchthem grazing, while at the same time, leaning over his gate, heconversed with the lads who had charge of the animals. In turning from the personal aspect of George Meredith I cannotbetter conclude the present chapter than by drawing upon the veryable but anonymous writer in the Daily Telegraph who was chargedwith the description of the eightieth birthday, for a final sketch of theveterans home life in the evening of his days : Old age has planted no wrinkle in M
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