An Emergency Man
House was to write a memoir of Gustave Doré for the "Doré Gallery." His historical work began with a "History of the War between France and Germany." A "History of the United States" followed in 1874–77, a "History of the Russo-Turkish War," and a "Universal History", and at the time of his death, in 1886, he was engaged upon the "Life and Times of Queen Victoria," of which he had written the first eleven chapters.
This work, published 1886–88, was concluded by the late Robert Wilson, a clever journalist who had been a god-sent assistant to Henry Kingsley when the novelist was vainly endeavouring to edit the Edinburgh Daily Review. Wilson attracted widespread attention by a powerful memoir of Sir James Young Simpson, of chloroform fame, which appeared as an obituary notice in that paper. Shortly afterwards he was invited to London by the Daily Telegraph with a view to becoming a leader-writer. He used to relate how, as a test, he was given a Government Blue Book issued that morning, and told to write a leader on it there and then in Peterborough Court. It was a simple thing to him. Wilson had already done some work for Cassell's. He had revised Louis Figuier's book on the Human Race, and later he edited "Great Industries of Great Britain," securing an unusually fine staff of writers, amongst them Dr. Rabagliati, of Bradford; James Henderson, afterwards Chief Inspector of Factories; W. D. Scott-Moncrieff, the inventor; A. E. Fletcher, who became editor of the Daily Chronicle; John Forbes-Robertson, the art critic and father of the famous actor; and Robert Smiles, brother of "Self Help" Smiles.
When Ollier died, no copy for his "Queen Victoria" had been accumulated, and it was essential to keep faith with the public. Wilson accepted the job of completing the book, and did it with all the facility of the ready journalist. Wilson was a hard worker and a great talker. He had no small change of conversation, but a Scotch passion for debating first principles which he fed even
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