But Mr. Leech can enjoy himself in the close
neighbourhood of salt water even when it is at its
roughest, only he prefers, apparently, to do so
on a pier-end or on the beach. There is the
truest appreciation of all that is finest in cloud
and wind and wave, in that superb study the
"Bracing Day." The grand sweep of the green
waves is very truthful, and the artist has not
been too much blown about to fail of enjoying
the fun of the scene, as keenly as the
two delightful children who are vainly trying
to make head against the hurricane. What a
jolly time those two are having of it, and with
what an appetite they will go back to dinner!
The performance of the Female Blondin is
another scene which the artist has evidently
enjoyed from some very safe place. How truly
the figure is drawn and how admirably studied
are the sweeping lines that mark the effect of
the wind on the skirts of the performer's dress.

Mr. Leech likes the hunting-field; he likes
Rotten Row; he is fond of seeing people
well dressed and prosperous; he has no
propensity for the squalid, the terrible, nor what
is almost worse, the uncomfortable—which
is a much more prevalent taste than is
supposed generally. Mr. Leech likes to see
people enjoying themselves, and so he has
dwelt with an especial relish on this specimen
of a certain phase of life which is, perhaps,
the most perfectly enjoyable that is to be
found—namely, the life at an English country-
house. Such a party as that here represented
is often supposed in Mr. Leech's drawings, but
generally the ladies and the gentlemen are
shown separately. The men are hunting or
shooting, and the ladies are writing letters or
inspecting wardrobes. In the "Game of
Croquet" they are brought together. Never was
a better invention for summer weather, when
shooting and hunting are not to be had, and
when it would be too hot for such pastimes
even were they otherwise practicable. This
picture, seems to have been one of the
artist's favourites among his own productions,
and is caressed, as the French phrase it, to a
high degree of finish. Considered in the light
of a pastime that lends itself to the looping up
of petticoats, the revelation of symmetrical
boots, and the displaying of all sorts of fancy
dresses, the "Game of Croquet" may have had
something to do with that increase of early
marriages which the recent reports on such
matters inform us of.

Sunny lawns, breezy downs with the sea below
them, English pasture land with intersecting
brooks, and pollard willows by the side of
them, gleams of sunshine here, and the shadow
of a cloud there—these are specialities of Mr.
Leech's, almost as much as those effects of dark
cloud and raging sea, to which we have before
adverted.

Although it is natural that in turning his
drawings into paintings Mr. Leech should select
those which were most characterised by
picturesque beauty, there are not wanting many
selected simply for their humour and fun. The
tact and knowledge with which, in these,
the artist has seized the strong point, the
thing which will tell, cannot be too highly
praised. Consider, for instance, that marvellous
sketch of the "Head of the Family" dining on
the stairs. Consider how much that is foregone
is implied in it. How evidently has the
miserable little man been hunted out of every
room in the house. He has never even had the
chance of brushing his hair, and it seems
probable that even his clean linen is locked up.
The matrons are having it all their own way, and
how fiercely they are gloating over the "real
master of the house" up-stairs, who is being
handled in such an intensely professional manner
by the leading official, that not the most knowing
of that terrible group can take exception
against her style of treatment. In this sketch
there is no exaggeration. The case is that this
poor little man was miserably bandied about
from pillar to post, and had no comfort in his
life. This is what the sketch tells you, and less
strongly put it would not have told it you at all.
In all the arts much that is out of sight, much
that is past, and sometimes what is future, has
to be put before you in a small compass, and
strong measures—some of them savouring of
exaggeration—are needed to carry out this
object effectively.

One is glad to find in this collection some of
our particular favourites among Mr. Leech's
works. There is the cannon-practice, for
instance— the party enjoying a sail in a pleasure-
boat, and suddenly alarmed by the descent of
some heavy object into the water close astern.
"It's only the artillery a practi-sing," they are
told by the boatman, "and that's one of their
cannon-balls." Here, too, is our delightful and
irritable friend having his hair cut, and being
greeted with the supererogatory information
that his 'air is very thin on the top. By all that
we have in our different ways endured in being
told that our hair is thin or thick, or dry or
harsh, when we wanted it simply cut by a silent
operator, we greet this ferocious expression of
indignation on the part of the injured individual
thus insulted with a reminder of his personal
defects. The satire entitled "Married for
Money," and the cruel study of the poor lady
who likes the hair turned back because "it
shows so much of the face," are in this exhibition
also, the sight of which only makes us want
more, and sends us away grumbling because
there are still wanting from the collection some
of our pet drawings, which will appear here yet,
let us hope, another day.

This gallery, in which we have made these
reflections, is certainly a delightful lounge. One
can look at Mr. Leech's drawings here, without
even the trouble of holding up the book or turning
over the leaves. You can take up your
position on one of the ottomans before two or
three of your especial favourites, and enjoy them
either alone, or still better with a friend who
thoroughly understands the merits of this
admirable artist. For, one of Mr. Leech's most
extraordinary qualities is that he appeals in turn