February 19 Friday – Sam’s notebook:

Feb. 19/97. Lunched with the Henry M. Stanleys. Anecdote by Mrs. Tennant of the American who wanted his portrait painted by Sir John Millais.

Dennis McCartney’s description of Jim Townsend’s voice—“A strong bass—immensely powerful—but raucous, reedy, raspy—sort of a horse-fly voice, you know.[”]

The Welsh quarry singers in a little hall in the King’s Road to-night—two good voices; the music was stirring. It was a village crowd, right here in the metropolis of the world. A workingman made a speech. Pretty well phrased, but it had ideas, & they showed out through the cloudy grammar & the rain of his.

Money cannot do everything. It failed to find the man who could explain how the French lost their tails [NB 41 TS 13-14]. Note: Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896) not to be confused with his son, John Guille Millais (1965-1931) also an artist of some note.