Farewell to Dr. Doyle

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Farewell to Dr. Doyle is an article published in The Evening News (Portsmouth) on 13 december 1890.


Farewell to Dr. Doyle

The Evening News (Portsmouth)
(13 december 1890)

COMPLIMENTARY DINNER AT SOUTHSEA.

The approaching departure from Porstmouth of Dr. A. Conan Doyle, who will first proceed to Vienna for a few months' study and rest, and then settle down in the West-End of London, will leave a void in the literary, medical, and athletic circles of the borough. Particularly will the loss be felt by the Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society, of which he has ably fulfilled the duties of joint Hon. Secretary with Dr. Cousins, and upon which he has cast reflected glory by his brilliant success as a novelist. The members of that Society, with a few of his other friends, assembled to do him honour last night at a farewell dinner given at the Grosvenor Hotel, Southsea. The President (Dr. J. Watson), occupied the chair, with the guest of the evening on his right hand, and the Mayor (Alderman W. Pink) on his left. The company also included Drs. J. Ward Cousins (Hon. Sec), C. C. Claremont (Hon. Sec.), W. H. Axford, B. H. Mumby, Nathan Raw, O. P. Ruel, and C. P. Childs, Mr. G. Long, J. P. (Hon. Treasurer), General T. N. Harward, General A. W. Drayson, F.R.A.S., Captain R. Jackson, R. N., Captain A. W. Milier, R.N., Messrs. A. Addison, J. Addison, J. W. Boughton, J. Brickwood, A. E. Cogswell, R. East, J. Graham Niven, C. Foran, J. Brymer, G. G. Hardingham, J. Hay, Hugh S. Maclauchlhan, W. Read, W. Weston, A. W. Wood, G. L. Pares, W. E. Grant, J. Ollis, R.N., A. Fisher, W. White, G. F. Bell, and Alfred A. Seale.

After undivided attention had been given for an hour to the excellent repast furnished by Mr. T. W. Seaddan, the compauy proceeded to the consideration of tbe toast-list, the several items of which were aptly illustrated by quotations, for which Mr. J. Hay had drawn Shakespeare's plays. Here are three of the marginal references:— "Farewell, dear hearts, since I must needs be gone"; "Here you shall see a countryman of yours that hath done worthy service"; "And so, farewell. Fair weather after you." — The Chairman commenced the speeches by proposing the usual loyal sentiments, which were received with cheers. — Mr. Addison submitted "The Navy, Army, and Reserve Forces," and said he agreed with Lord Bacon that the best of armour was to be out of gunshot (Hear, hear, and laughter.) They, as civilians, cordially appreciated the Services, and fully sympathised with them in times of misfortune, and they were glad to see the esprit de corps that existed among all branches of defence, the Reserve Forces being now recognised as an integral part of the active Services. — Staff-Captain Jackson responded for the Navy, General Harward for the Army.

General Drayson, in proposing the toast of the evening, "Our Guest," said he supposed there was no one at that table who felt more melancholy than he did. It had been his misfortune within the past two years to part with two very firm friends, both of them members of the Society, namely, the Rev. Egan-Desmond and Mr. H. P. Boulnois; but now came the most melancholy part of the business, for they were going to lose Dr. Conan Doyle. For the past three years the speaker had been as intimate with him as with any person in Southsea, and he had learned to appreciate his many good qualities. Speaking from a soldier's experience in various quarters of the world, he declared Dr. Conan Doyle to be, physically, and socially, one of the most admirable companions he had ever met. (Hear, hear.) Under these circumstances he felt mournful, seeing that this was the farewell dinner to Dr. Doyle; and the only thing he felt cheerful about was that he was tolerably certain the course his friend was going to take would be one of considerable success. He would leave Southsea having established a name there that would ever remain in the memories of all present; and not only that, but his name was known wherever the English language was spoken, and his work was thoroughly appreciated. Some people, coming from abroad with whom the speaker had conversed, knew Dr. Doyle by little poems and tales in boys' magazines; others by novels, such as "Micah Clarke"; others by sensational detective stories, such as "The Sign of Four," of which his old friend, James Payn, said some time ago in the Illustrated London there was other detective story he had ever read that was a patch upon it. (Hear, hear.) He was sure he expressed the feelings everyone present in wishing Dr. Doyle every success. (Applause.) He had taken the first step towards it, and he deserved it, for he worked hard and conscientiously. He wrote upon nothing but what he had thoroughly worked up, and every detail was accurate, whether as to history or geography; and although he knew Dr. Cousins did not believe in phrenology, yet, whether they believed or not, there was Dr. Doyle's head an extraordinary bump of observation. (Laughter.) — The toast was drunk with cheers and musical honours.

Dr. Conan Doyle, in acknowledgment, said he did not know how to reply to such a speech, and such a toast as they had just listened to, for unfortunately at the very time when a man's heart was most touched he found it most difficult to express his feelings in words. He could only say that from his heart he thanked them for their kindness in coming there and receiving as they had done the toast which bad been so eloquently proposed. Perhaps at some future date, from a standpoint say five or six years hence, when he should look back on his Southsea experience, two points would stand out most clearly his recollection — the first night be spent in Southsea, and this, which was almost his last. On that first night, eight years and a half ago almost to a day, he had little adventure which afforded an amusing contrast to the cordiality and geniality of his farewell. He was a stranger to the place, and he remembered sallying forth in a long frock-coat and a very tall silk hat, impressed with the necessity of maintaining the dignity of his profession. At the top of King's-road he saw crowd watching a drunken tinker who was taking running kicks at a woman with a child in her arms. The crowd were crying "Shame, shame!" but did not interfere; and pushing through, he laid his hand in a most gentle and friendly way on the tinker's shoulder, and said "Pull yourself together my lad." He did pull himself together, and nearly knocked the speaker down. (Laughter.) Before he knew where he was, he found himself — frock-coat, top-hat, and all — engaged in a most desperate hand-to-hand conflict with a drunken tinker — (renewed laughter) — from which he was only rescued by the man suddenly turning his attention to a sailor, who was good enough to take ever the whole contract. (More laughter.) When he looked back on the period of residence which began so insuspiciously, he felt that in leaving Portsmouth he was leaving many friends from whom he hoped no space or lapse of time would ever separate him on this side of the grave. (Applause.) He might be bold, but he thought he would be leaving no enemy — unless it was that tinker. (Laughter.) To his wife and himself this was a very trying time, for they were changing all their routine, and putting themselves in the way of not seeing their friends for some time; but London nowadays was after all a suburb of Southsea, or vice versa. (Laughter.) Whatever troubles and trials might await them, the memory of that gathering would be to them like a light in the darkness. They knew that, come failure or come success, there was at least one corner on this earth where they had true warm-hearted friends. (Applause.)

Mr. J. Graham Niven proposed "The Health of the Mayor." Referring first to Dr. Doyle, he declared that he could say safely and most sincerely that every year he had been favoured with his friendship he had learned value him more and more highly. (Hear, hear.) He would feel the deeply loss that would sustained by Dr. Doyle's departure. With regard to the toast, the speaker claimed that Mr. Pink was no ordinary Mayor. (Hear, hear.) The drainage of the town, that had prolonged the life of the inhabitants, had been to a very large extent his work, for throughout the development of the scheme he had acted as Chairman of the Committee that was responsible for its being properly carried out. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Pink had rendered good service to the town in many other respects. It was he who received the Prince of Wales on his return from India, and the speaker regarded it as a fortunate thing for Portsmouth that next year, when the town would be favoured with the residence of a Royal Duke, they would have in the person of Mr. Pink a Mayor who had already received the Heir Apparent. (Applause.) It was generally thought throughout the borough that in selecting Sir William King to fill the civic chair last year the Town Council made a very wise choice; and he was sure they had made an equally wise selection in appointing Mr. Pink as his successor. (Applause.) — The toast was received with cheers, and the Mayor, in reply, claimed that the Town Council had done public good from a literary point of view in establishing the Free Library, and not withstanding the opposition with which the project met years ago, and which was largely vented upon himself, pointed to the good opinion in which the Library was held by everybody now. (Applause.) The Council had also, with the School Board, endeavoured to forward technical education in the town, and he would like to enforce that matter upon the attention of the Literary and Scientific Society. (Hear, hear.) After passing some structures upon the Christian Citizen, and expressing a wish that its conductors would look at things in a more Christian spirit, his Worship said he hoped that at the end of the year his fellow-townsmen would feel that he, like Mr. Addison and others who had gone before him, had done his duty. (Applause.)

Dr. Axford proposed "The Health of the President," and said they could not have selected a better man for the position than Dr. Watson. (Applause.) He took the opportunity of remarking how deeply the medical men of the town regretted the approaching departure of Dr. Doyle. — Replying to the toast, which was drunk with cheers, the President said he looked forward to the time when Dr. Doyle might be called upon to respond to the toast of "Our Guest" as an assembly comprising perhaps a greater number of men, and those of greater fame, who should congratulate him on having attained that success which he now gave his friends fair reason to hope for. (Hear, hear.) Then everyone whom he was now addressing would feel proud having been among the first to recognise his genius. (Applause.) — Mr. MacLaughlan, in proposing "The Visitors," expressed the members' gratification at having given them an opportunity to join in doing honour to their brilliant and distinguished townsman, Dr. Doyle. (Hear, hear.) Next month a new novel by Dr. Doyle was to be commenced in the Cornhill Magazine, and if the opinion of London critics was to be taken it would even outshine "Micah Clarke." — Mr. Wood, in acknowledgment, spoke of the great loss that Dr. Doyle's departure would mean to local cricketers and football players. — Mr. Hay proposed "The Ladies," and Dr. Raw responded. — Dr. Conan Doyle interpolated the health of Dr. Cousins, whom he described as the pivot round which the Society moved; and the toast was heartily drunk and characteristically acknowledged. — With "The Press," proposed by Gen. Drayson, the toast list came to an end.