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CHARLES LÉANDRE
77

was brought into contact at the reunions given by his uncle — the Deputy Christofle, with but scant regard for their dignity.

Settling in Montmartre, he rapidly captured the quartier with his marvellous caricatures of the "types" of the neighbourhood, and of the Bohemians of the greater Paris who flocked to its cabarets artistiques. Thenceforward his fame has rapidly spread far and wide: of course he was a patron of the Chat Noir, and later of the Quat' z' Arts, to whose papers he contributed.

We have only to examine his drawings to realise that — given the opportunity to publish his work — success was inevitable. Before me is one of his drawings in Le Rire — "The effect of Latin and table salt on a youth of Normandy." It represents a christening scene tn the church of a Normandy village. The irreverent babe in granny's arms is howling the roof off its mouth, while the ancient cleric with port-wine nose, his service interrupted, essays to quiet the little darling; and we can see he is only debarred by professional etiquette from using language unfitting the Church. Grandpa beams good-naturedly at the wickedness of his latest descendant, while the fond mamma joyfully simpers her complete approval of the hopeful's lung power. A priggish chorister holds a long guttering church candle, which his hot hands are melting in the middle; outside in the porch the bell-ringer with a jug of cider and a glass is pulling his hardest at the