Footnote 46: This picture was entitled "Silent Pleading" and represents a tramp with a child in his arms, who are discovered asleep in a shed by the squire and the village constable.
"MR. VENUS SURROUNDED BY THE TROPHIES OF HIS ART"
_Facsimile_ of Original Sketches for "Our Mutual Friend" by
The opportunity soon arrived when the novelist's interest in the son of "poor Frank Stone" assumed a very practical form, for at this juncture it occurred to him to test the artistic capabilities of Marcus Stone, probably without any intention of permanently ousting "Phiz." The young _protégé_, however, possessed no knowledge of etching, and, indeed, had gained but little experience in any other form of illustration. Fortunately, the art of drawing upon wood (then much in vogue, but now practically obsolete) needed very little training in the hands of one skilled in the use of the pencil, so that Dickens was induced to favour Marcus Stone by agreeing to the adoption of the readiest means of producing his designs for the engraver. It is not generally known that the artist's first attempt at drawing on wood was the frontispiece for the first cheap edition of "Little Dorrit" (1861), which, although showing marked ability, is by no means equal to his subsequent efforts. Marcus Stone was fortunate in making his _début_ as a black-and-white draughtsman at the time when a remarkable array of talent presented itself in the pages of the _Cornhill Magazine_, just then launched by Thackeray, the illustrations for which were supplied by Millais, Fred. Walker, Sandys, and Leighton--a new school of designers, whose admirable pencillings could not fail to inspire the younger members of the craft.
[Sidenote: =Our Mutual Friend, 1864-65.=]
Mr. Marcus Stone, who was scarcely twenty-one years of age when he first essayed the art of book-illustration, rightly considers that one of the most important events of his life was the receipt of the commission to illustrate "Our Mutual Friend," and, doubtless, he fully realised at the time how valuable was the _prestige_ arising from such collaboration with so popular a writer as Charles Dickens. This story, like those which preceded it, was issued in monthly parts, the first instalment appearing in May 1864. At the beginning the novelist was about four numbers in advance, but he lost his advantage as the tale progressed, until at length he found himself in a position necessitating the preparation of each number month by month, as required by the exigencies of publication. Before the initial number could be circulated, a pictorial wrapper was requisitioned, for which Mr. Stone designed a series of _tableaux_ embodying somewhat allegorically the leading characters and incidents, and displaying prominently in the centre the title of the story, the word "Our" being dropped in over one of the subjects. A preparatory sketch was submitted to Dickens, who, while thoroughly approving thereof, made certain proposals tending to its improvement. Writing to the artist (February 23, 1864) he said: