Give a brief life-sketch of A. G. Gardiner.

Ans.

Introduction: Regarding A. G. Gardiner’s parents it is known that Henry James Gardiner and Susannah Taylor were both twenty two years old when they were married in 1848, according to the entry on the fly-leaf of the Family Bible. The same fly-leaf of the Family Bible bears the record of the birth of the eight Gardiner children during the next seventeen years. Our writer, Alfred George Gardiner was the youngest and was born on 2nd June, 1865. Henry James Gardiner suffered from a great weakness and that was uncontrolled drinking. Under intoxication he used to regard himself a Prince. He was a cabinet maker but lived hand to mouth for his fondness of wine. A. G. Gardiner’s father, who was a cabinet maker by profession, would have earned a lot but was often out of employment only because of being a drunkard. His mother obviously was the central power of the Gardiner household.

Childhood in Poverty: Alfred was a delicate child and on account of his father’s fondness of wine, the family continuously faced financial hardships and was in debt. Gardiner faced great hardships during his early childhood. Besides ill health and penury he could not get proper schooling. Although he was good at studies yet he had to leave school at an early age of fourteen. He was a talented lad with varied interests. He tried to compensate the disadvantage of formal education at school with the study of books for self-education and information.

As a Journalist: Gardiner’s love of books paid him handsome dividends in the coming years when he became a journalist. Gardiner had made up his mind early to write story, poetry and articles. This he did with remarkable success, and he was indebted to his elder brother Alfred who took keen interest in shaping his younger brother’s career. Gardiner gratefully recorded this association:

“I stood in awe of him not only on account of his years-he was five years my senior-but still more because of the greater exactitude of his mind, his superior will power and physical courage which I did not share. Our relative qualities in this respect were defined by the nicknames conferred on him at school. He was ‘Pug Gardiner and I was ‘Pug’s brother’. He did heroic things in the playground, on the river, in the cricket field. I looked on, not, I think in envy, but with a sort of reverent admiration, owed to him much for he led to me into the world of books and by his own tastes gave me a sense of things of the mind. But he was a hard task master. It was his lot to supervise my practice work in journalism.”

Literary Guardianship: Emulating his elder brother, Arthur, George also compiled a “Quotation Book” in which he copied the passages from his favourite authors and kept on adding. These books, in years to come had several volumes and became the veritable treasure house to be tapped constantly for materials for his later day writings. Gardiner’s reading was also chosen by his elder brother Arthur’s assistance. As a result of Arthur’s interest in the academic pursuits of his younger brother, Gardiner’s knowledge and literary style were considerably augmented and embellished.

Gardiner was a voracious reader and he avidly and assiduously devoured and assimilated the works of William Hazlitt to cultivate his temper and those of Thomas Babington Macaulay to develop a view of history and to imbibe the feel and rhythm of language. All Gardiner’s work is as evidence of the success of his early endeavours and excursions.

Apprenticed to Meggie: Gardiner was apprenticed to Frederic Henry Meggie of Chelmsford at the early age of seventeen. Meggie instructed him in the art of shorthand writing and reporting. When Gardiner got his first job he was young in age and small in stature. His early years of professional journalism were quite trying, exacting and strenuous. During these early years Gardiner had to journey through the lanes, by lanes, fields and villages of Essex countryside by cart or pony. Luckily Gardiner could get glimpses of a world that was fast vanishing.

The Rising Sun: By changing positions quickly and with the help and encouragement of well-wishers, Gardiner moved up and got an assignment with the weekly ‘Bournemouth Directory’ and from there he got on to the staff of the evening paper “Northern Telegraph” which was being set up under the proprietorship of T. P. Ritzema. This was in 1887. This was his proving ground. He continued here for the next fifteen years, becoming the editor of the weekly edition in 1889. His success here got him the great publicity and success. He became Assistant Editor, then its leader writer. He contributed a ‘Cyclist’s Sketch Book’ and as “Argus” wrote travel articles. As “Tatter” he wrote literary and art reviews and also the first series of his character sketches.

The Making of a Social Critic : Gardiner was from the south-east raised in a background of working class Toryism and an Anglican to boot. He lived his faith with quiet detachment. He was a critic of privilege and monopoly and was opposed to the inequities of the established church. His father’s negative example made Gardiner a confirmed Temperance reformer. At Blackburn he saw an inextricable link between drunkenness, squalor and conservatism. He held himself and those around him to the highest moral standards, detesting vulgarity, assailing snobbery and castigating corruption. He defined godliness in terms of good works.

Family Disintegration: Due to the peculiar circumstances of the Gardiner household, the family disintegrated soon. Two of his brothers emigrated to the United States of America. The necessity of finding suitable employment led others to drift away. There was a great difference in the ages of Gardiner children. It was another reason why the family could not hold together. By the time the Gardiner parents died there was little direct contact between the children. Alfred George Gardiner gave death a slip when at twenty he suffered from a heart ailment and was told that he had not long to live. But Gardiner lived on happily till he was eighty-one years old.

From Obscurity to Limelight: Daily News: In this progress Gardiner continued to benefit from his endeavours and excursions. His years of apprenticeship first under his elder brother Arthur, then under Meggie and later with the provincial journals were of great value and help to him.

Editor of ‘Daily News’: Gardiner who was suddenly put into the glare of national politics by becoming the Editor of ‘Daily News’ in 1902, brought with him his vast, varied and rich experience of provincial journalism. Coupled with his vision, enthusiasm and dynamism, the paper. soon cast off all the indolence and indifference and, as if suddenly started to throb with social, zeal and passion it began to sparkle with brilliance, sharpness and candour. Gardiner was essentially and emphatically a writing man and knew what was good writing in others. Gardiner held the charge with great confidence and distinction bringing glory not only to himself but also to the cause and masters he served.

Gardiner’s Versatile Personality: Gardiner’s was a versatile personality. He read for information and enlightenment. His comments on literature were as incisive and authoritative as those on social and political affairs. A word or two about his personal life: When Gardiner thought he was secure in his position, he married a gardener’s daughter, Ada Clayton, his childhood sweetheart. They had six children. Gardiner was a handsome person 5′ 9.5″ tall with fine features and full crop of hair that began to turn grey early. At school Gardiner excelled at geometry, freehand and model drawing. He practised sketching and achieved felicity which was exhibited on the margins of memoranda, on the backs of envelopes and in the portraits that adorned the notes and poems he wrote for his children especially on their birthdays.

Alpha of the Plough’: During the editorship of the “Daily News’ Gardiner achieved the maturity of mind which made him a force to reckon within the realm of political journalism. It was also during this period that, he discerned the full potential and import of his talent and genius. He also realized the blemishes and limitations of his style. It was during this period that he decided to separate, A. G. Gardiner’s style was declamatory and combative from his genial, gentle and discursive style which found expression is his short, interesting and enlightening essays written under the pseudonym Alpha of the Plough. The distillation of two styles was a great achievement and Gardiner exploited it to the maximum, first in the character sketches, confounding his critics and confronting his admirers. In character sketches, Gardiner produced the portraits of the leading lights in the various fields of human activities of his time. Their virtues and faults were exhibited with imaginative sympathy and candour. His delightful and charming essays won, in the words of Robert Lynd, a new place in literature for Gardiner. These were written under the pen name of “Alpha of the Plough”.