,illustration3 ,,the ,,queen',s ,,first 
,,baby4  ,drawn and ,etched by ,her     
,majesty the ,queen4                    
,pictures with ,histories4      ,a      
,,picture within a picture--there is a  
romance surrounding every canvas1  a    
story hidden away with every product of 
the pencil or brush4 ,our  frontispiece1
 ,the ,queen's ,first ,baby1 provides an
 excellent example4  ,during the first  
few years of ,her ,majesty's married    
life a room in  ,buckingham ,palace was 
fitted up with all necessities for      
printing  etchings1 and here the ,queen 
and ,prince ,consort would come and take
  impressions of their own work from the
 printing press4 ,it is such a one  that
 we are enabled to reproduce--a         
fac-simile of an etching1 sketched  in  
the first place1 prepared and put on the
 press1 and finally printed  by the     
,royal mother of the little one it      
represents4 ,the original  etching is   
now in the possession of the writer4 ,it
 is probably the  earliest picture known

 of the ,empress ,frederick of ,germany1
 ,princess  ,royal at the time--for the 
etching bears date ,february #bb1 #ahda1
 when  the ,princess was but three      
months old4 ,every line1 every item     
betokens  how anxious the ,royal artist 
was to obtain a faithful drawing of her 
first child1 whose name1 ,victoria1 is  
written under it4 ,the little  ,princess
 is so held that the nurse's face is    
quite concealed1 and in no  way divides 
the attention the mother was desirous of
 winning for her  little one4 ,when the 
,queen was making the sketch1 a cage    
with a parrot  had been placed on a     
table near at hand1 in order to rivet   
the child's  attention4 ,the whole thing
 is suggestive of the simplicity and    
homeliness which characterised the      
dispositions of the ,royal workers at   
the press2 and we think the picture     
tells its own history of life in the    
,palace fifty years ago4                
,illustration3 ,,her ,,majesty ,,queen  
,,victoria4  ,the first portrait painted

 after her ,coronation4    ,the history 
as to how the first portrait of ,her    
,majesty after her  coronation was      
obtained is also full of interest4 ,the 
,queen is  represented in all her       
youthful beauty in the ,royal box at    
,drury ,lane  ,theatre1 and it is the   
work of ,e4 ,t4 ,parris1 a fashionable  
portrait  painter of those days4 ,parris
 was totally ignorant of the fact that  
when  he agreed with ,mr4 ,henry        
,graves1 the well-known publisher1 to   
paint the  portrait of a lady for fifty 
guineas1 he would have to localise      
himself  amongst the musical instruments
 of the orchestra of the ,national      
,theatre1 and handle his pencil in the  
immediate neighbourhood of the big      
drum4 ,neither was he made aware as to  
the identity of his subject until  the  
eventful night arrived4 ,bunn was the   
manager of ,drury ,lane at the  time1   
and he flatly refused to accommodate    
,mr4 ,graves with two seats in  the     
orchestra4 ,but the solution of the     

difficulty was easy4 ,bunn was  indebted
 to ,grieve1 the scenic artist1 for a   
thousand pounds4 ,grieve was  persuaded 
to threaten to issue a writ for the     
money unless the order  for two was     
forthcoming4 ,bunn succumbed1 and the   
publisher triumphed2  and whilst the    
young ,queen watched the performance1   
she was innocently  sitting for her     
picture to ,parris and ,mr4 ,graves1 who
 were cornered in  the orchestra4       
,parris afterwards shut himself up in   
his studio1 and  never left it until he 
had finished his work4 ,the price agreed
 upon was  doubled1 and the ,queen      
signified her approval of the tact      
employed by  purchasing a considerable  
number of the engravings4 ,the          
reproduction of  the picture in these   
pages becomes the more interesting from 
the fact  that it is done by permission 
of the still living occupant of one of  
the  two orchestra seats--,mr4 ,henry   
,graves4    ,illustration3 ,,in ,,the   
,,orchestra3 ,,sketching ,,the ,,queen4 

,much might be said regarding missing   
and mutilated pictures4 ,the story  as  
to how ,gainsborough's ,duchess of      
,devonshire was cut from the frame  a   
few days after #aj1ajj guineas had been 
paid for it is well known1 but  we may  
add a scrap of information hitherto     
unpublished1 which will1 we  think1 add 
somewhat to the value of the work as a  
picture with a  history4 ,the ingenious 
thief knew very well that in order to   
get his  prize in safety through the    
streets it would be necessary to roll it
 up4  ,this1 of course1 could not be    
done without cracking the paint4        
,accordingly1 he had provided himself   
with paste and paper to lay over  the   
picture4 ,but when he came to lay the   
paper on the canvas1 he found  that he  
had forgotten--a brush6 ,the people who 
flocked to see the  beautiful ,duchess  
were kept at a respectful distance by   
the customary  barrier of silken rope4  
,the clever purloiner cut off a few     
inches of the  thick cord1 and1 fraying 

out one of the ends1 improvised a really
  excellent substitute wherewith to lay 
on the paste4 ,the brush of rope  was   
found next morning on the floor1 where  
he had left it1 and told a  story of    
such ingenuity as certainly demands a   
word of recognition4    ,it is probable 
that were a novelist to concoct a plot  
out of the story  surrounding a certain 
,sir ,joshua ,reynolds in the possession
 of ,lord  ,crewe1 the public would snap
 their fingers at it and dub the whole  
thing  ridiculous and impossible4    ,a 
former ,lord ,crewe had a picture       
painted of his son and daughter4        
,though the faces were faithful1 the    
attitudes of the figures were  somewhat 
fanciful2 the daughter is holding a     
vase1 and the boy is posing  as a cupid4
 ,when the son had grown to manhood he  
quarrelled with his  father1 and he1 to 
mark his extreme anger1 caused the cupid
 to be cut  out of the canvas1 giving   
instructions for it to be destroyed1 and
 a  tripod painted in its place4 ,thus  

it remained for over a hundred years4   
,but the little cupid was not lost4 ,it 
had1 by some mysterious means1  after   
this lapse of time1 found its way into  
the hands of a dealer1 who  recognised  
it1 having seen an engraving of the     
original before it was  cut4 ,he        
immediately communicated with the       
present ,lord ,crewe1 who still  had the
 picture4 ,it was found that the cupid  
fitted exactly into the  space where the
 tripod stood4 ,lord ,crewe not only    
caused the cupid to be  restored to its 
proper place1 but1 in order to          
commemorate this  remarkable incident1  
took out the now historical tripod1 had 
a piece of  canvas with appropriate     
scenery painted1 and caused the tripod  
to be  inserted therein4 ,the cupid now 
hangs in his house as a memento of a    
strange act on the part of one of his   
ancestors4    ,illustration3 ,,son ,,and
 ,,daughter ,,of ,,lord ,,crewe4 ,by    
,sir ,joshua  ,reynolds4    ,lord       
,cheylesmore1 well known as having one  

of the finest collections of  ,landseers
 in the world1 has a dog painted by this
 great artist1 with a  curious story    
attached to it4 ,after ,charles         
,landseer had all but  completed the    
painting of his celebrated picture of   
,charles ,i4 at ,edge  ,hill1 he        
persuaded his brother ,edwin to paint in
 a dog4 ,this ,sir ,edwin  consented to 
do2 and1 after the work was engraved1   
the original got into  the hands of a   
dealer1 who cleverly cut out the dog1   
and had another put  in place of it4 ,he
 secured the services of an able artist 
to paint a  background for the animal   
which had been so ignominiously deprived
 of  the honour of reclining in the     
presence of ,charles ,i4 ,this he sold  
as a  ,landseer--as1 indeed1 it was2 and
 this highly interesting little         
creature is the one now owned by ,lord  
,cheylesmore4 ,as regards that of       
,charles ,i4 at ,edge ,hill1 we believe 
we are correct in saying that it  was   
recently purchased by the ,walker ,art  

,gallery at ,liverpool4    ,a somewhat  
similar circumstance befell ,holbein's  
famous picture of ,the  ,field of the   
,cloth of ,gold1 which hangs at ,hampton
 ,court ,palace4 ,after  the execution  
of ,charles ,i41 ,cromwell proposed to  
sell many of the late  monarch's        
pictures to dealers and others who      
approached him on the  subject1 and     
amongst others that painted by ,holbein4
 ,negotiations for  the purchase        
concluded1 the time came round for its  
delivery4 ,on  examining ,the ,field of 
the ,cloth of ,gold it was discovered   
that one of  the principal faces--that  
of ,henry ,,viii4--had been cut out in a
 complete  circle4 ,naturally1 the      
dealer--a foreigner--declined to        
conclude the  bargain1 and the mutilated
 ,holbein was stowed away4 ,after the   
,restoration1 a nobleman appeared at    
court and begged ,charles ,,ii4 to      
graciously accept an article which the  
king might possibly be glad to  know was
 still preserved to the ,english nation4

 ,it proved to be a  circular piece of  
canvas1 representing the robust         
countenance of ,henry  ,,viii41 which   
the nobleman had himself cut from the   
picture in ,cromwell's  time4 ,this     
great work was seen at the ,tudor       
,exhibition last year1 the  mark of the 
circle being plainly visible4           
,illustration3 ,,the ,,children ,,threw 
,,their ,,marbles ,,at ,,the ,,beauty4  
,the fact of a picture worth #aj1jjj    
being converted into a sort of  bullseye
 mark for schoolboys' marbles is a      
little history in itself4 ,the  work1 by
 ,gainsborough1 is that of the          
,honourable ,miss ,duncombe--a  renowned
 beauty of her day1 who lived at ,dalby 
,hall1 near ,melton  ,mowbray4 ,she     
married ,general ,bowater4 ,for over    
fifty years this  magnificent work of   
art had hung in the hall of this old    
house in  ,leicestershire1 and the      
children1 as they played and romped     
about the  ancient oaken staircases1    
delighted to make a target of the       

,gainsborough1 and to throw their       
marbles at the beauty4 ,it hung there   
year after year1 full of holes1 only to 
be sold under the hammer one day  for   
the sum of #f1 a big price for the torn 
and tattered canvas4 ,the  owner of the 
bargain let it go for #ahc #aes41 the   
lucky purchaser this  time being ,mr4   
,henry ,graves4 ,the day it came into   
the famous  printseller's shop in ,pall 
,mall1 ,lord ,chesterfield offered      
#a1jjj guineas  for it1 at which price  
it was sold4 ,but romances run freely   
amongst all  things pertaining to       
pictures1 for before the work was       
delivered a fever  seized ,lord         
,chesterfield and he died4 ,lady        
,chesterfield was informed  that1 if she
 wished1 the agreement might be         
cancelled4 ,her ladyship  replied that  
she was glad of this1 as she did not    
require the picture1  which accordingly 
remained in ,mr4 ,graves' shop waiting  
for another  purchaser4 ,it had not long
 to wait4 ,one of the wealthiest and    

most  discriminating judges of pictures 
in ,england1 ,baron ,lionel ,rothschild1
  came in search of it1 and the         
following conversation between him and  
the  owner1 ,mr4 ,graves1 ensued3       
,illustration3 ,,the ,,honourable ,,miss
 ,,duncombe4 ,by ,gainsborough4    ,you 
ask me fifteen hundred guineas for it8  
exclaimed the great  financier1 when he 
was told the price2 why1 you sold it the
 other day  for a thousand6    ,yes1 ,i 
know ,i did1 replied the dealer1 but    
that was done in a hurry1  before it had
 been restored4    ,well1 now ,i'll give
 you twelve hundred for it--twelve      
hundred1 said  the ,baron1 looking      
longingly at the work4    ,now1 ,baron1 
said ,mr4 ,graves1 good-humouredly1     
though firmly1 if you  beat me down     
another shilling1 you shan't have the   
picture at all4    ,very good--then send
 it home at fifteen hundred guineas4 ,it
 is now  amongst the most valued        
artistic treasures of the ,rothschilds1 
and  #aj1jjj would not buy it to-day4   

,the two illustrations we now give of   
pictures--one of which is still  missing
 and the other recovered after a long   
lapse of time--are both  after ,sir     
,joshua ,reynolds4 ,it is certain that  
the missing one will never  be seen     
again4 ,reward after reward has been    
offered1 but all to no  avail--,the     
,countess of ,derby1 by ,sir ,joshua1 so
 far as the original  goes1 is a thing  
of the past4 ,the mystery as to its     
sudden disappearance  has never been    
fully cleared up1 but it is indisputable
 that the ,earl of  ,derby of the period
 had this picture painted of his wife1  
that he  quarrelled with her1 and that  
just at this time the picture vanished4 
,little room is left for doubt that the 
,earl himself destroyed the work4       
,illustration3 ,,the ,,countess ,,of    
,,derby4 ,by ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds4    
,the other is that of ,miss ,gale1      
painted when she was fifteen1 a canvas  
worth at least #e1jjj 7page #bcb74 ,she 
married ,admiral ,gardner1 who was  so  

much attached to his wife1 that whenever
 he went to sea he always  took the     
picture with him1 and had it            
conspicuously hung up in his  cabin4    
,his vessel was wrecked off the ,west   
,indies1 and though the  ,admiral was   
saved1 the ship1 with ,miss ,gale in the
 cabin1 went down4  ,there it lay at the
 bottom of the ocean for a considerable 
period1 until  at last attempts were    
made to recover it4 ,this was           
successfully  accomplished1 though the  
canvas was much damaged1 and was        
afterwards  reduced in length and       
breadth4 ,the picture seems to have been
 peculiarly  unfortunate1 both on land  
and sea1 for in #ahfd it was damaged    
again by  the ,midland ,railway4 ,until 
recently it was in the possession of the
 ,rev4  ,allen ,gardner ,cornwall4      
,illustration3 ,,miss ,,gale4 ,by ,sir  
,joshua ,reynolds4    ,the fact of a    
picture of fabulous value being picked  
up in a  pawnbroker's shop1 or veritable
 gems being discovered fastened with    

tin-tacks to the wall of a servant's    
bedroom1 is alone sufficient cause  to  
rank them among pictures with a history4
 ,but surely no such  remarkable        
instance of innocence regarding the real
 value of a work has  been known for a  
long time as that which came to light in
 a ,west ,end  picture dealer's shop a  
few weeks ago4 ,the story is a simple   
one4 ,a  painter--presumably an         
amateur--ran short of canvas1 and1      
living in the  country1 some days must  
needs elapse before he could get a fresh
 supply4  ,hanging up in his house was  
an old work1 representing an            
ancient-looking  gentleman4 ,he had hung
 there a long time1 practically         
unnoticed4 ,to meet  the emergency1 the 
painter conceived a happy thought1 and  
one which he  immediately proceeded to  
carry into effect4 ,why not paint on the
 back of  the ancient-looking gentleman 
who had hung uncared-for for so long8   
,the  canvas was taken off the          
stretcher1 turned round1 and            

re-stretched1 the  back of the picture  
being used on which to paint a copy of  
,sir ,joshua  ,reynolds' ,age of        
,innocence4 ,innocence there truly      
was--for the  painting which the amateur
 had screened from view turned out to be
 a  ,gainsborough4 ,the original        
,gainsborough is at the present moment  
at the  back of the newly-painted       
picture1 and is partly hidden by the    
stretcher1 as shown in the sketch 7page 
#bcc71 made as it lay by the  counter in
 the dealer's shop4    ,illustration3   
,,the ,,hidden ,,gainsborough4    ,one  
artist might be singled out of whom it  
may safely be said that he  never       
painted a picture without a history     
attached to it4 ,landseer's  works      
abound in suggestive incident and       
delightful romance4 ,he would  paint out
 of sheer gratitude a picture worth     
#aj1jjj simply because an  admirer1 for 
whom he had executed a commission1 had  
expressed his  approval of the artist's 
genius1 by paying him more money than   

that  originally agreed upon4 ,such an  
incident as this was the means of       
bringing ,landseer's brush to work on   
,the ,maid and the ,magpie1 now in  the 
,national ,gallery4    ,there are two or
 three anecdotes--hitherto unpublished1 
we  believe--relating to pictures with  
histories1 and associated with          
,landseer's name4    ,it is said--and   
results have proved how justly--that    
,landseer never  forgot a dog after once
 seeing it4 ,the ,shepherd's ,bible is a
 rare  instance of this4 ,mr4 ,jacob    
,bell referred to this work as the      
property  of a gentleman who was for    
many years a candidate for a picture by 
,sir  ,e4 ,landseer1 and kept a collie  
dog in the hope that he might some day  
be  so fortunate as to obtain his       
portrait4 ,the collie1 however1 died4   
,some  two years afterwards1 its owner  
received a note from ,sir ,edwin        
appointing a day for a sitting4         
,fortunately1 he had provided himself   
with another dog1 hoping yet to secure  

the services of the greatest of  all    
animal painters1 and taking the creature
 with him1 kept the  appointment on the 
day named4 ,he told ,landseer that the  
old favourite  was dead1 and gave a     
description of his colour and general   
appearance4    ,oh6 yes1 the painter    
replied1 ,i know the dog exactly1 and he
 made a  sketch which proved the truth  
of his words4 ,the picture was painted  
in  less than two days1 and the portrait
 of the dead animal was exact1 even  to 
the very expression of the dog's eye4   
,landseer1 too1 was often very happy in 
his choice of a subject4 ,dignity  and  
,impudence is one of the treasures of   
the ,national ,gallery1 and  though the 
one is a fine bloodhound named ,grafton1
 and the other a  little terrier called 
,scratch1 it is likely that two         
gentlemen  innocently suggested the     
whole thing to him4 ,it seems that one  
day  ,landseer entered a picture shop1  
and was annoyed at the way in which he  
was treated by one of the assistants1   

who mistook him for a customer1  and who
 addressed him in a style a trifle too  
pushing and businesslike  to suit his   
taste4    ,just then the proprietor     
entered1 a fine1 handsome1 dignified    
man4    ,well1 have you got anything new
 in the way of a picture8 he asked4     
,no1 replied ,landseer1 but ,i've just  
got a subject4 ,i'll let you know  when 
it is finished4 ,the result was the     
picture referred to1 and it is  said    
that the grand bloodhound bore a        
striking resemblance to the  picture    
dealer1 whilst the little terrier1      
presumably1 was suggested by  the       
assistant2 whose manner1 after all1 was 
simply that of a sharp man  of business4
    ,there's ,life in the ,old ,dog     
,yet1 another fine work1 was1 in #aheg1 
the  property of ,mr4 ,henry            
,mc,connell1 for whom it was painted in 
#ahch4 ,mr4  ,mc,connell was asked if he
 would lend it to the ,art ,treasures   
,exhibition  at ,manchester4 ,he had a  
very great horror of railway travelling1

 but  agreed to grant the request on one
 condition1 that the picture1 with the  
others asked for1 should be sent down by
 road4 ,everything was packed up1  and  
the precious load started on its        
journey4 ,the van had got about         
half-way to ,manchester1 when1 in       
passing over a level crossing--common   
enough in those days--the horses were   
startled by an approaching train4  ,it  
was impossible to get across the lines  
in time1 and the engine dashed  into the
 van1 shattering many of the pictures1  
including ,there's ,life  in the ,old   
,dog ,yet4 ,so great was the destruction
 that when the driver  went to the front
 wheel of the engine1 he found entwined 
round it a  piece of the canvas of this 
famous picture4    ,an anecdote might be
 told regarding ,the ,cavalier's ,pets1 
further  illustrating the rapid rate at 
which ,landseer worked1 and the fate    
which  seemed to hang over his canine   
subjects4 ,the dogs were pets of ,mr4   
,vernon's1 and a sketch was made in his 

house as a commission to ,sir  ,edwin4  
,it seems1 however1 that ,landseer      
forgot all about it1 until some  time   
afterwards he was met by the owner of   
the pets in the street1 who  gently     
reminded him of his little commission4  
,in two days the work as it  is now seen
 was completed and delivered1 though not
 a line had been put  on the canvas     
previous to the meeting4 ,both the      
beautiful creatures came  to an untimely
 end4 ,the white ,blenheim spaniel was  
killed by a fall from  a table1 whilst  
the ,king ,charles fell through the     
railings of a  staircase at his master's
 house1 and was picked up dead at the   
bottom of  the steps4    ,we cannot do  
better than conclude with an anecdote   
which connects this  great painter with 
the early life of ,her ,majesty4        
,that the ,queen has always displayed a 
marked interest in works of art is      
indisputable4 ,her collection of        
pictures1 many of them of the ,flemish  
and ,dutch schools1 her ,vandykes and   

,rubens1 are almost priceless4 ,but     
,her ,majesty's favours bestowed on     
matters artistic have also drifted  into
 home channels1 as witness her generous 
spirit shown at all times  towards ,sir 
,edwin ,landseer4    ,amongst all the   
priceless works to be found in the      
,royal galleries1 one  picture may here 
be singled out with a pleasing story    
attached to it4  ,loch ,laggan shows the
 ,queen in a quiet and unassuming gown1 
beside her  camp-stool1 at which she has
 a few moments before been sketching4   
,the  ,princess ,royal and the ,prince  
of ,wales are there as children4 ,in the
  centre stands a pony with a burden of 
deer on its back1 its owner1 a  stalwart
 ,highlander1 at its head1 with an      
expression of countenance  half-amused1 
half-surprised4    ,sir ,edwin          
,landseer--who painted the picture--was 
at the time in ,scotland  giving lessons
 to the ,queen4 ,whilst on his way to   
,balmoral he wandered  in the direction 
of ,loch ,laggan1 and became perplexed  

as to which path  to take4 ,espying the 
,highlander1 he bade him hasten to find 
the ,queen1  and say that ,sir ,edwin   
would reach her ere long4 ,the man      
needed no  second bidding1 and jumped on
 the pony's back4 ,he had not proceeded 
far  round the lake before he drew up   
his pony in front of a lady1 who was    
sketching1 whilst her two children were 
busying themselves by handing  her the  
various drawing implements as required4 
,respectfully removing his cap1 he asked
 if she could tell him where he  might  
possibly find the ,queen4    ,oh1 yes1  
replied the lady1 turning from her      
drawing1 ,i am the ,queen4    ,this was 
too much for the worthy ,scot4 ,he could
 not associate the great  stone on which
 ,her ,majesty had been sitting with all
 the splendour of a  throne4 ,all he    
could do was to put his hands upon his  
knees and  suggestively utter the single
 word--,gammon6    ,by this time ,sir   
,edwin had arrived4 ,he drew the picture
 with the  ,highlander in the very act  

of relieving himself of an expression   
not  often heard in the presence of     
,royalty4 ,our drawing is a sketch of   
the  figures in the painting of this    
highly interesting scene4               
,illustration3 ,,gammon6                
,making an ,angel4    ,,by ,j4 ,,harwood
 ,,panting4      ,,grotesque--yes1 that 
is the word for the gathering4    ,an   
ogre cannot always enjoy the regal      
society of a king2 nor can it be  said  
that the features of ,hodge are usually 
to be seen glancing1 with  grinning     
condescension1 upon a grave ,prime      
,minister4 ,there were other  anomalies1
 too numerous to mention1 in the room2  
for this was one of the  workshops of   
the curious ,kingdom of ,make-,believe1 
of which1 at the  present time1 if we   
may except the aforesaid company1 ,john 
,farley was  the solitary occupant4     
,illustration3 ,,daubs4    ,john        
,farley1 nicknamed ,daubs1 was          
scene-painter of the ,comedy ,theatre1  
,porchester1 and this was the room      

whence proceeded those marvellous       
designs that stirred the gallery to     
enthusiastic applause1 the boxes to     
derisive laughter4    ,it was the season
 of pantomime4 ,the curtain had been    
rung down upon the  grand               
phantasmagorical1 allegorical1 and      
whimsicorical legend of ,king  ,pippin1 
and the denizens of that monarch's      
court--or1 rather1 their  faces--were   
resting peacefully from their labours on
 the wall4 ,john  ,farley1 too1 was     
presumably resting from his labours1 for
 he was  sitting upon a wooden stool1   
smoking vigorously1 and gazing1 with a  
far-away glance1 into the region of     
,nowhere4 ,it was not a satisfied       
expression1 this of ,john ,farley's--no1
 decidedly not4 ,it appeared to  have a 
quarrel with the world1 but did not seem
 to know precisely at  which quarter of 
it to commence hostilities4 ,truth to   
tell1 he was a  disappointed man4 ,he   
had started life1 as many another1 with 
high aims  and ambitions1 and they had  

brought him no better fruit than        
scene-painter to the ,porchester        
,theatre1 with1 instead of academic     
diplomas and honours1 the unflattering  
title of ,daubs6 ,do you wonder1  then1 
that sitting there1 a man verging upon  
the thirties1 he looked  upon life with 
little love1 and upon the constituents  
of its big  constituency with little    
admiration8    ,john had a private      
grievance as well as a public4 ,he lived
 in a flat of  a block of houses situate
 in ,seymour-street1 about a quarter of 
an  hour's walk from the theatre4 ,for  
some days past he had determined on     
making another bid for fame and fortune 
by painting a grand picture4 ,he  had   
commenced various designs for this      
masterpiece1 but none of them  had      
proved entirely satisfactory4 ,and now1 
as though to frustrate all  his hopes1 a
 new source of disturbance had arisen4  
,john possessed one of  those mercurial1
 nervous temperaments1 born principally 
of a morbid1  solitary life1 which      

demanded absolute quiet for any         
profitable  employment of the intellect4
 ,for this reason he detested the       
atmosphere  of a theatre1 and for this  
reason he yet more detested the fate    
that had  cast his fortunes in its      
midst4 ,in the apartments where he      
lived1 mean  as they were1 he usually   
found tranquillity4 ,he could at least  
think1  smoke1 sketch1 or write1 as the 
fit took him1 without disturbance4 ,but 
now1 just at the time when he most      
desired and needed quiet1 the bugbear   
he fled had attacked him in his very    
stronghold4    ,in the rooms beneath    
those he occupied lived a poor widow    
with her two  children1 a boy and girl4 
,john knew this much from the landlady4 
,he  knew1 too1 that the boy was        
employed at the ,comedy ,theatre4       
,further than  this he had not cared to 
inquire4 ,usually they were as quiet as 
the  proverbial mouse1 but latterly     
,john's ears had been afflicted with    
groans and cries of pain1 proceeding    

from the widow's apartments1 and  kept  
up with aggravating regularity          
throughout the night4 ,they were the    
cries of a child--no doubt about        
that--and a child in great suffering4 ,a
  person less centred in his own        
projects than ,john might have at least 
felt some sympathy with the sufferer1   
but ,john had evidently lost  kinship   
with the deeper emotions1 and instead of
 sympathy he experienced  only a feeling
 of annoyance and keen resentment       
against the widow and  her brats1 as he 
styled them4 ,thus it was that1 think as
 he would1 the  subject of this grand   
picture which was to take the world by  
storm and  out-,raphael ,raphael1       
persisted in evading him2 and thus it is
 we find  him1 in a more cynical mood   
than usual1 at the ,comedy ,theatre1 in 
no  haste to return to the scene of his 
failures4    ,what is the use of        
striving8 mused ,john1 as he slowly     
puffed his pipe4  ,one might as well    
throw up the sponge4 ,fate is too much  

for me4 ,he  follows at my elbow        
everywhere4 ,his usual running-ground is
 not enough  for him4 ,now he follows me
 home1 and gives me a solo of his own   
peculiar  music through one of his imps4
    ,a timid knock sounded upon the     
door4 ,john was busy with his thoughts1 
and did not hear it4    ,that theory of 
,longfellow's is correct--art is long4  
,in what sphere  could you find a       
longer8 ,supportable might this be1 but 
cold  indifference to a poor devil      
aching for a gleam of sympathy is       
insupportable4    ,the knock at the door
 was repeated1 but with the same effect 
as before4    ,the grinning public--just
 tickle its side3 that is all it needs4 
,he who  caters most to its stupidity in
 life is he who gains the proud         
distinction of a public mausoleum at his
 death4 ,i have not got quite  into the 
way1 but still ,i see in perspective a  
monument dedicated  to--',daubs4'    ,a 
sound1 light as gossamer wing1 was heard
 in the room4 ,john ,farley  turned his 

head4 ,then he stared2 then he rubbed   
his eyes2 then he stared  again4 ,well  
he might4 ,was this an offspring of the 
immortal whom he had  just been         
apostrophising8    ,it was decidedly an 
imp--at least it had the apparel of one4
 ,it was  clothed in scarlet2 dependent 
from its haunches was a tail2 on its    
head  a ,satanic cowl4 ,but there was   
melancholy rather than mischief in its  
eye1 and it was of a restful1 confiding 
brown rather than an unrestful1         
flashing black4    ,illustration3 ,,it  
,,was ,,an ,,imp4    ,john again        
inserted his knuckles in his eyes1 and  
waved off the smoke  from his pipe4 ,and
 then he recognised his uncanny visitor4
 ,it was the  little son of the widow   
who lived under his flat4 ,he was one of
 the imps  of ,king ,pippin's kingdom in
 the pantomime1 and doomed for a small  
pittance to indulge his apish tricks    
nightly with the gnomes and fairies  of 
that fanciful realm4    ,daubs6 said the
 imp4    ,yes1 only that was necessary  

to incite ,john's wrath4 ,a nickname    
that was  supportable from the actors   
and scene-shifters was insupportable    
from a  child4    ,daubs therefore      
turned sharply upon the boy3--    ,are  
you referring to me8    ,yes1 sir4      
,john was on the point of brusquely     
informing the lad that he was not       
acquainted with a gentleman of the name 
of ,daubs1 and peremptorily  showing him
 the door4 ,a glance from the honest    
brown eyes1 however1  restrained him4   
,it told him that what he had at first  
assumed to be  impudence was really the 
result of ignorance--that1 and only     
that4    ,i would like to know you1 ,mr4
 ,daubs4 ,you don't mind knowing a      
little  boy--do you8    ,john opened his
 eyes in astonishment4 ,what a curious  
imp6 ,john was not  aware that anybody  
had any particular desire for his       
society2 in fact1  the reverse had      
hitherto seemed the case4 ,he was       
usually regarded as an  unsociable      
being4    ,i have not the least         

objection to making your acquaintance1  
said he1  unreluctantly1 it must be     
confessed4    ,oh1 thank you1 said the  
little fellow1 drawing nearer1 and      
putting his  hand confidingly in        
,john's1 and looking up at him with     
bright1 happy  eyes4 ,then perhaps ,i   
may--may ,i8    ,what may ,i meant was a
 gentle pressure of the lips upon the   
smoky  cheek of ,john4 ,if ,john had    
been astonished before he was still more
  astonished now--so much so that the   
pipe he was smoking fell from his       
fingers1 and was broken into fragments  
on the floor4 ,what had he1 a  grumpy   
bachelor1 to do with kissing8 ,twenty   
years had passed since his  cheek had   
felt the pressure of lips1 and then they
 were the death-cold  lips of a younger 
brother--surely about the size of this  
strange  imp--who had left him with that
 dumb farewell for ever4    ,what is    
your name1 my lad8 said he1 softly4     
,willie ,maxwell4 ,mother calls me 'her 
,willie4' ,dodo--that is my sister1  you

 know--when she is well 7here the little
 fellow sighed7 says that  ,i'm her pet4
 ,but at the theatre ,i'm only known as 
',fourth ,imp4' ,mr4  ,billings--,mr4   
,billings was the stage-manager of the  
,comedy--has  promised that1 if ,i'm a  
good boy1 ,i shall some day be ,first   
,imp6    ,that will be a rise in the    
world1 and no mistake1 remarked ,john4  
,well1 ,mr4 ,daubs1 it will be a little 
more money for mother--threepence  extra
 a night--but ,i shouldn't like to push 
out ,teddy ,morris4 ,you know  ,teddy8  
,john was obliged to confess that he had
 not the honour of that young           
gentleman's acquaintance4 ,he never     
troubled himself with anything or       
anybody outside his own department4     
,teddy ,morris is ,first ,imp4 ,he      
doesn't like me1 you know1 because he   
thinks ,i'm--what do you call it1 ,mr4  
,daubs8    ,ambitious8    ,yes1         
'bitious1 that's the word4    ,john's   
crusty humour was gradually melting1 and
 he smiled--first1 at  anyone disliking 

this frank1 affectionate boy2 next1 at  
the rivalry of  the imps4 ,all the      
world1 thought he1 is indeed a stage1   
and the  struggle for a position on it  
extends to strange quarters4    ,but    
,i'm not 'bitious1 ,mr4 ,daubs--here    
,willie paused1 and deliberately        
climbed on ,john's knee--no1 ,i really  
ain't1 'cept of you6    ,john started at
 this bold confession4 ,he was on the   
point of exploding  into loud laughter1 
but the brown eyes were looking         
earnestly into his1  and with these     
searching witnesses before him ,john    
thought that such an  ebullition of     
mirth would be little short of          
profanation4    ,oh1 you're ambitious of
 me1 are you8 ,well1 my little man1 if  
it's your  intention to supplant me as  
scene-painter to the ,comedy ,theatre1  
,i'm  exceedingly grateful to you for   
giving me due notice of the fact4 ,only 
let me know when you think ,i ought to  
resign my position1 won't you8    ,yes1 
assented ,willie1 with childish navet2  

and then1 putting his  head nearer to   
,john's1 as though to take him into     
still closer  confidence--,do you know1 
,i've often seen you1 and wanted to     
speak to  you1 but somehow ,i've not    
liked to4 ,i've watched you when you    
weren't  looking1 and you've always     
seemed to look like--you don't mind a   
little  boy saying it1 ,mr4 ,daubs--like
 that4 ,willie pointed to a mask of one 
of  the ogres4 ,john did not think the  
comparison very flattering1 and felt    
very uncomfortable4 ,the next instant   
the child was nestling closer to  him2 a
 pair of thin arms were clasped tightly 
round ,john's neck2 and the  lips which 
again pressed his whispered softly3 ,but
 you're not a bit  like that now1 ,mr4  
,daubs4    ,then the comparison was     
forgiven1 but not forgotten4    ,tell   
me1 ,willie1 why you are ambitious of   
me8 ,ambitious of me1 ,john  mentally   
added1 who thought myself the least     
envied mortal in the  world6            
,willie's only answer was to take       

,john's big hand into his small one2    
then he instituted a minute comparison  
between the two2 then he patted  it     
fondly2 then he dropped it suddenly1 and
 remained buried in deep  thought4 ,john
 gave himself up to the child's whim4   
,it was a delicious  experience--the    
more delicious because unexpected4 ,this
 was an infantile  world1 made up of    
quaint ideas and actions1 of which even 
the memory had  been almost obliterated 
from his mind4 ,thought took him back to
 its last  link--that which had been    
rudely snapped by the death of his      
brother4 ,he  sighed1 and the sigh was  
echoed4    ,it will be a long           
while--many years1 ,i suppose1 ,mr4     
,daubs--before my  hand gets like yours8
    ,mr4 ,daubs thought it would be4    
,willie sighed again4 ,painting's very  
hard1 sir--ain't it8    ,illustration3  
,,painting',s ,,very ,,hard1            
,,sir--,,ain',t ,,it8    ,oh1 no1 my    
boy2 it's the easiest thing in the      
world1 said the artist  bitterly2 and   

the world accepts it at its right value1
 for it is never  inclined to pay very  
dearly for it4 ,just a few paints1 a    
brush1 and  there you are4    ,well1    
,mr4 ,daubs1 ,i hardly think that's     
quite right--you don't mind my  saying  
so1 do you8--'cause ,i saved up a       
shilling and bought a paintbrush  and   
some paints1 and tried ever so hard to  
make a picture1 but it was no  use4 ,no1
 it was nothing like a picture--all     
smudge1 you know--so ,i  thought that   
p'raps ,god never meant little boys     
should make pictures1  and that ,i would
 have to wait till ,i grew up like you1 
,mr4 ,daubs4    ,it's as well somebody  
should think ,i can paint pictures2 but 
do you  know1 my young art critic1 that 
many persons have no higher estimate of 
my efforts than you have of yours--that 
is to say1 seeing the eyes  widening in 
astonishment1 their term for them is    
'smudge6'    ,no1 do they say that8 ,no1
 ,mr4 ,daubs1 they wouldn't dare1 said  
,willie1  indignantly4 ,why1 you paint  

lovely horses and flowers1 and trees1   
and  mountains1 and your birds1 if they 
could only sing1 like the little bird   
,dodo once had1 they would seem quite   
alive4    ,john had never had so        
flattering1 nor so unique a criticism of
 his art4  ,molire1 thought he1 used to 
read his plays to the children1 and     
gather something from their prattle4    
,why should ,i disdain opinion from a   
like source1 especially as it chimes in 
so beautifully with what my  vanity     
would have had me acknowledge long      
since8    ,well1 youngster1 admitting   
that ,i am the fine artist you would    
make of  me1 what then8 ,in what way do 
you expect to convert a world which     
prefers real horses1 real trees1 and    
real birds8 ,see1 now1 even here--at    
the ,comedy ,theatre--we have only to   
announce on the playbills that a  real  
horse1 a real steam-engine1 or a real   
goose or donkey1 for  that matter1 will 
be exhibited1 and the best efforts of my
 artistic  genius are thrown into the   

shade4 ,you are a case in point4 ,could 
,i draw  an imp that would meet with    
half the success that you do8 ,but what 
nonsense ,i am talking--you don't       
understand a word of it4    ,oh1 yes1   
,mr4 ,daubs1 ,i do--something4 ,do you  
know what ,i think8    ,say on1         
youngster4    ,i think we don't often   
know or think what is best for us4      
,mother says  little boys don't always  
know what is best for them4 ',real' is a
 live  thing--ain't it8 ,i used to      
think1 ,mr4 ,daubs1 you were a real live
 ogre  once4 ,but now ,i know you       
ain't--are you8 ,this with a pressure of
 the  arms again round ,john's neck4    
,what could the real live ogre say to   
such an appeal8 ,after a pause3 ,mr4    
,daubs1 can ,i tell you something--may  
,i8    ,john assented1 wondering what   
was the next strange thing this curious 
sprite would ask4    ,and will you say  
'yes' to what ,i ask8    ,john again    
assented1 though he thought that        
possibly his assent might  necessitate a

 journey to ,timbuctoo4    ,well1 ,i    
want you to make me--an angel6 ,and then
 he quickly added1  seeing the startled 
expression on ,john's face1 ,you are so 
clever6    ,an angel6    ,yes1 an angel4
 ,you won't say no8 ,there was a quiver 
of anxiety in the  boy's tones4 ,it's   
for ,dodo4    ,for ,dodo6 ,but1 child1  
,i'm not a manufacturer of angels6      
,but you can draw birds4 ,birds have    
wings1 and so have angels1 and it's  for
 ,dodo1 he again repeated4    ,the logic
 of ,willie's reasoning was irrefutable4
 ,where was ,john  standing8 ,he        
scarcely knew4 ,he had caught the boy's 
conception4 ,this1  then1 was the reason
 of his anxiety to become an artist4    
,never imp was  surely such a seraph6   
,the angel was for his sister4 ,they    
were her moans  and cries ,john had     
heard in his lonely chamber these three 
nights past1  and it was with an angel  
her brother hoped1 in his childish      
imagination1  to bring relief from pain 
and suffering4 ,with one quick flash of 

inspiration ,john saw it all--the       
intense longing1 the all-embracing      
love1 the unselfishness1 the exquisite  
sense of bringing to suffering  its one 
great alleviation4 ,and as he thought1  
,john's head dropped1 and a  tear fell  
on the eager1 youthful face upturned to 
his4    ,mother says that all angels are
 in heaven1 and ,dodo's always talking  
about angels4 ,she says she wants to see
 one1 and would like one to come  to    
her4 ,but they can't1 ,mr4 ,daubs1      
unless we first go to them4 ,and ,i     
don't want--no1 no1 ,i don't want--with 
a big sob--,dodo--to--go--away4  ,if ,i 
could take it to her she would stay     
here4    ,john's heart was full--full to
 overflowing4 ,he could scarcely speak4 
,go--go1 and change your clothes1       
youngster1 and we will try to make you  
an angel4    ,oh1 thank you so much4    
,in a flash ,willie was gone1 and ,john 
was left alone4 ,heaven help me6  he    
said1 with a tender1 pathetic glance in 
the direction whence the  little figure 

had vanished2 ,heaven help me6 and ,john
 did what he had  not done since his own
 brother died4 ,he fell upon his knees1 
and sent a  hasty prayer heavenward for 
inspiration4 ,then he took a large piece
 of  cardboard1 and some crayons1 and   
commenced--making an angel6 ,he worked  
as one inspired4 ,with nervous1 skilful 
fingers he worked4 ,all was silent  in  
the great city below2 the stillness lent
 inspiration to the artist's            
imagination4 ,never had he seemed in    
closer touch with ,heaven4 ,to give     
,john his due1 the petty contentions of 
men had always been beneath him1  but   
the peace which passeth understanding   
had never been his1 because  of the     
selfishness by which his better nature  
had been warped4 ,now1  through this    
child's unselfishness1 he almost heard  
the flapping of  angelic wings1 and he  
depicted them1 in all their softened    
beauty1 upon  his cardboard1 with a face
 between that seemed to look out in     
ineffable  love upon a guilt-laden      

world4 ,this was what the artist        
wrought4    ,oh1 ,mr4 ,daubs6    ,the   
exclamation was pregnant with meaning4  
,willie had returned1 and was  devouring
 with open mouth and eyes the sketch of 
the angel4    ,well1 youngster1 do you  
think that will do for ,dodo8    ,and   
that's for ,dodo8 was the only answer1  
for the boy was still  absorbed in the  
artist's creation4    ,have you ever    
seen an angel1 ,mr4 ,daubs8 ,ah1 you    
must have4 ,i knew you  were clever at  
horses1 and trees1 and birds1 and skies1
 but ,i didn't  guess you were so good  
at angels4 ,it's just what mother said  
they were6    ,there1 don't make me     
vain1 but take it2 and--added ,john     
partly to  himself1 may the ,king of    
,cherubim hold in reserve his messenger1
 not  for a death-warrant1 but a        
blessing6    ,thank you1 so much4 ,but  
,i'm going to pay you1 you know4 ,and   
,willie  drew out proudly an old        
pocket-handkerchief1 and1 applying his  
teeth  vigorously to a special corner of

 it1 took therefrom a sixpence4    ,john
 smiled1 but took the coin without a    
word4 ,then he lifted the boy  up1 and  
kissed him tenderly4 ,the next moment he
 was alone2 ,willie had  departed with  
his angel4 ,the artist listened to the  
pattering footsteps  as they descended  
the stairs1 then bowed his head upon his
 arms1 and  what with his three nights  
of unrest1 and thinking over what he had
 been  and might have been1 fell into a 
profound sleep4                         
99 99 99 99 99    ,not long had he been 
in the land of counterpane1 when of a   
sudden there  was a stir from without4  
,the night air was quick with cries1 and
 a childish treble seemed to echo  and  
re-echo above them all4 ,there was      
something familiar in this latter       
sound4 ,it was as a harsh note on a     
diapason that had but recently  brought 
him sweetest music4    ,in a moment     
,john had gained the street4 ,he had    
connected the cry with  one             
object--,willie4 ,that object had for   

him a value infinite1 so quick  in its  
power of attraction is the spark of     
sympathy when once kindled4  ,john's    
view of life had seemed1 in this last   
half-hour1 to have greatly  widened4 ,it
 took account of things previously      
unnoticed2 it opened up  feelings long  
dormant4 ,his ear was strangely         
sensitive to the beat of  this new      
pulse--so much so that a vague terror   
shaped itself out of that  night-cry4   
,it seemed to him to portend disaster4  
,but surely his worst fears are         
realised6 ,what is that moving mass away
  in the distance8 ,soon ,john has      
reached the spot4 ,he hears a hum of    
sympathy1 and then there is a           
reverential silence3 ,john's ears have  
caught the pitying accents of a         
bystander1 ,poor lad6 ,heaven help him6 
,illustration3 ,,what ,,is ,,that8      
,help him6 ,help whom8    ,john's mind  
is quick at inference4 ,he parts the    
crowd1 and with certain  glance looks   
upon its point of observation4 ,he knew 

it3 no need of words  to tell him4 ,a   
little form is there1 mangled with the  
hoofs of a horse4  ,its life-blood is   
slowly oozing out on the pavement4 ,the 
face has the  hue of death--no mistaking
 that--and yet it has around it         
something of  the halo of saintship4    
,john gazes as one distraught4 ,the face
 he sees1  now pinched with the agonies 
of death1 is that of ,willie ,maxwell6  
,good ,god1 is it possible8    ,but a   
brief moment or two since1 it seemed to 
,john1 this poor boy was in  the bloom  
of health1 full of the radiant sunshine 
of life4 ,now the  finger of death had  
touched him1 and he stood on the        
threshold of the  ,kingdom of ,shadows4 
,for an instant ,john was ready to      
launch again his maledictions against   
,fate4 ,the presence of this child had  
cast a ray of sunshine on a sunless     
existence--had given to it a brief gleam
 of happiness1 which was  flickering out
 in this tragic way on the roadside4    
,john had so  frequently taken a selfish

 estimate of life1 that even in this    
supreme  crisis that feeling was        
momentarily uppermost1 but only         
momentarily4 ,the  child was resting in 
the arms of a rough carman1 and as ,john
 looked a  spasm of returning           
consciousness passed over the little    
sufferer's  frame4 ,then there was a    
faint moan4 ,was there a chance of      
saving the  boy's life8 ,john came      
closer1 and as he did so a light seemed 
to radiate  from the child's face on to 
his4    ,now the eyes are looking at him
 in a pained1 dazed way4 ,there is a    
gleam  of recognition1 and about the    
mouth flickers a smile of content4      
,mr4                                    
,da--,da--,daubs1--,i'm--so--glad-you've
--come4    ,john kneels on the ground1  
and kisses the pale1 cold lips of the   
sufferer4 ,the little arms are nervously
 at work2 then with an effort  they are 
extended towards him3 ,will you please  
take this1 ,mr4 ,daubs8    ,john looked4
 ,it was the sketch of the angel6 ,i'm  

so glad ,i didn't drop  it4 ,i held it  
tight1 you see1 ,mr4 ,daubs--oh1 so     
tight6 ,i was afraid ,dodo  wouldn't get
 it4 ,no one knows ,dodo1 you see4 ,i   
can't--take--it--to  her--to-night2     
so--will you--please8    ,john's tears  
are falling fast upon the pavement4 ,he 
seems to hear the  stifled sobs of the  
bystanders as he takes in his hand the  
sketch of the  angel4 ,i shall--see     
her--again--when the--light comes4      
,now--it is--so  dark--and cold--so     
cold6 ,john mechanically takes off his  
coat1 and  wraps it around the little   
form4    ,thank you--,mr4               
,daubs--you're--a--kind--gentleman4 ,may
 ,i--may  ,i8----,john had heard a      
similar request before that evening1 and
 thanked  ,god that he knew what it     
meant4 ,he bent his face forward4 ,that 
for  dear--dear mother1 and that        
for--darling--sister--sister ,dodo4     
,as ,john's lips received the death-cold
 kisses1 a strange thing happened4  ,the
 picture of the angel was suddenly      

wrested from his grasp1 and flew  upward
 and upward1 in shape like a bat4 ,there
 was a moment of  mystery--of intense   
darkness and solemn silence4 ,then the  
heavens were  agleam with sunshine1 and 
,john seemed to see radiant forms       
winging their  way earthward4 ,one of   
these outsped the rest4 ,nearer and     
nearer it came1  and ,john in wonderment
 fixed his gaze intently thereon4 ,he   
had never  seen a real angel before1 but
 he recognised this one4 ,it was the    
angel  he had sketched1 transfigured    
into celestial life4 ,it came to where  
the  child rested1 and ,john fell       
backward1 dazzled with its light4 ,when 
he  looked up again the child and the   
angel had both vanished1 and all was    
again dark4                             
99 99 99 99 99    ,illustration3 ,,wake 
,,up1 ,,wake ,,up6    ,daubs1 ,daubs6   
,wake up1 wake up6    ,john looked up   
with sleepy eyes4 ,where the deuce was  
he8 ,not in any  angelic presence1 that 
was certain4 ,the voice was not pitched 

in a very  heavenly key1 and wafted     
odours of tobacco and beer rather than  
frankincense and myrrh4 ,john pinched   
himself to make sure he was awake4      
,this was assuredly no celestial        
visitor1 but ,verges--that was his      
theatrical nickname--the ,comedy        
,theatre watchman4    ,is it you1       
,verges8 ,will you have the kindness to 
tell me where ,i am8  ,john looked      
around him in bewilderment4 ,the masks  
seemed grinning at him  in an           
aggravating way4    ,well1 you are at   
present1 ,mister1 in the ,comedy        
,theatre2 but you was  just now very    
soundly in the land of ,nod1 ,i guess4  
,you'd make a splendid  watchman1 you   
would6    ,verges' denunciation came    
with beautiful appropriateness1 as he   
had just  come from the public-house    
opposite1 where he had been indulging in
  sundry libations for this hour past at
 the expense of some of its  customers4 
,it is a dream1 then--not a hideous     
reality8 ,thank ,god1 thank ,god6       

,what's a dream8 said ,verges1 looking  
with some apprehension at ,john4  ,when 
he saw that gentleman begin to caper    
round the room his fears were  not      
lessened1 for he thought that ,john had 
taken leave of some of his  senses4     
,am ,i awake now1 ,verges8    ,well1 you
 look like it4    ,you are certain8 and 
he put a shilling into ,verges' hand4   
,i never knew you to be more waker4 ,you
 can keep on being as wide-awake  as you
 please at the same price1 ,mister6     
,give me my hat and coat1 ,verges4      
,thank you1 and ,john passed rapidly    
out at the door with a hasty ,good      
night6 ,verges looked after him with    
wide-mouthed astonishment2 then he      
looked at the piece of money in his     
hand2 then he tapped his forehead1 and  
shook his head ominously1  muttering1   
,daubs is daft--clean daft6    ,john    
would not trust his waking senses till  
he reached the corner of the  street at 
which he had seen so vividly in his     
dream the incidents just  recorded4 ,a  

solitary policeman was walking up and   
down1 and not so much  as a vehicle was 
to be seen4 ,and then another fear took 
possession of  ,john4 ,was his dream a  
presentiment of danger1 and had an      
accident  befallen ,willie in some other
 form8    ,he soon reached his lodgings1
 hurried up the staircase1 and listened 
fearfully outside the widow's door4     
,nobody seemed astir1 but he could  see 
that a light was burning within4 ,should
 he knock8 ,what right had he1  a       
perfect stranger1 to intrude at this    
unreasonable hour8 ,he remembered1  too1
 his bitter thoughts and words about the
 widow and her children--her  brats6 ,so
 he mounted reluctantly to his          
apartments4 ,how the                    
silence--previously so much             
desired--oppressed him6 ,he would       
eagerly  have welcomed at that moment a 
cry1 a sob1 or any sound of life from   
the  room below4 ,but the sufferer gave 
no token1 and ,john1 in turn1 became    
the sufferer in the worst form of       

suffering--that of mental anguish4      
,he could stand it no longer4 ,john     
determined1 at any cost1 to see  whether
 or not ,willie had returned in safety4 
,so he descended1 and  knocked at ,mrs4 
,maxwell's door4    ,come in1 said a    
quiet voice1 and ,john opened the door4 
,the first thing  that met his gaze was 
his picture of the angel hanging at the 
head of a  child's cot4 ,beneath it1    
calmly asleep1 was ,dodo--,willie's     
sister4 ,a  frail morsel of humanity she
 seemed1 with pale1 almost transparent1 
complexion--the paler by its contrasting
 framework of golden hair4 ,mrs4        
,maxwell was busily engaged at          
needlework4 ,she hastily rose when she  
saw  her visitor4 ,i thought it was     
,mrs4 ,baker 7,mrs4 ,baker was the      
landlady71 she said4 ,she usually looks 
in the last thing4    ,pardon me for    
intruding1 but ,i was anxious to know   
whether your son had  arrived here in   
safety8    ,yes1 oh yes2 some time      
since4 ,are you the gentleman who gave  

him the  angel8    ,yes1 said ,john1    
simply4    ,thank you so much2 you have 
made my little girl so happy4 ,children 
have  strange fancies in sickness1 and  
she has been talking about nothing but  
angels for days past4 ,see1 pointing to 
the sleeping child1 it is the  first    
night she has slept soundly for a whole 
week4    ,the holiest feeling ,john had 
ever experienced since he knelt as a    
child  at his mother's knee passed over 
him4 ,he had never before felt so       
thoroughly that a good action was its   
own reward4    ,may ,i crave one great  
favour as a return for so trivial a     
service8 ,will  you let me see your son8
    ,the widow immediately arose1 took a
 lamp1 and beckoned ,john to follow  her
 into the next room4 ,there was little  
,willie fast asleep in his cot4  ,his   
lips1 even in his sleep1 were wreathed  
in a happy smile1 and as ,john  bent and
 reverently kissed them1 they murmured  
softly3 ,mr4 ,daubs6    ,when ,john     
again mounted to his chamber it was with

 a light heart4 ,his  evil              
angel--dissatisfaction--had gone out of 
him1 and his good                       
angel--contentment--reigned in its      
stead4    ,from that time forth he      
shared the widow's vigils2 he was to her
 an  elder son--to the children1 a      
loving brother4 ,his heart1 too1        
expanded  in sympathy for his fellows1  
and under this genial influence his     
energies1 previously cramped1 expanded  
also4 ,the best proof ,i can give  of   
this1 if proof be necessary1 is that the
 picture which he shortly  afterwards   
exhibited1 entitled ,the ,two ,angels1  
was the picture of the  year1 and       
brought to him the fame which had       
previously so persistently  evaded him4 
,one of the happiest moments in his life
 was when he took  ,dodo--now quite     
recovered--and ,willie to view his      
masterpiece4                            
,illustration                           
,illustration3 ,,birthday ,,cards       
,,the birthday card1 as we know it now1 

can scarcely have been with us  more    
than fifty or fifty-five years1 and     
there is very little doubt that  the    
more ancient reminder of ,st4           
,valentine's ,day suggested the idea of 
putting a verse1 appropriate to a       
birthday1 in the place of the often     
far-fetched sentiments of ,february the 
fourteenth4 ,nearly all our later  poets
 have contributed to birthday           
literature1 and we may presume that  the
 delightful morceaux which came from    
their pens were written on a  card or   
sheet of paper1 and quietly dispatched  
to the recipient4 ,eliza  ,cook1 ,tom   
,moore1 ,burns1 ,cowper1 ,johnson1 ,tom 
,hood1 ,charles ,lamb1 and  ,mrs4       
,hemans have given to the world the most
 beautiful of thoughts  within the      
limits of a four-line verse4 ,where is a
 more suggestive  sentiment--considered 
by many the finest of all such          
verse--than that  which ,pope addressed 
to ,martha ,blount8--      ,is that a   
birthday8 ',tis1 alas6 too clear        

',tis but the funeral of the former     
year4    ,thackeray1 too1 could write   
delightful lines4 ,his daughter--,mrs4  
,thackeray-,ritchie--sent the following 
to the writer1 written by her  father to
 ,miss ,lucy ,batler in ,america3--     
,,lucy',s ,,birthday4      ,seventeen   
rosebuds in a ring1    ,thick with      
silver flowers beset    ,in a fragrant  
coronet1    ,lucy's servants this day   
bring4    ,be it the birthday wreath she
 wears1    ,fresh and fair and          
symbolling    ,the young number of her  
years1    ,the sweet blushes of her     
spring4      ,types of youth1 and love1 
and hope1    ,friendly hearts1 your     
mistress greet1    ,be you ever fair and
 sweet1    ,and grow lovelier as you    
ope4    ,gentle nursling1 fenced about  
,with fond care1 and guarded so1        
,scarce you've heard of storms without1 
,frosts that bite1 and winds that blow6 
,kindly has your life begun1    ,and we 
pray that ,heaven may send    ,to our   
floweret a warm sun1    ,a calm summer1 

a sweet end4    ,and where'er shall be  
her home1    ,may she decorate the      
place1    ,still expanding into bloom1  
,and developing in grace4    ,to-day our
 birthday poets are limited--not in     
numbers1 for the  publishers of cards   
are inundated with verses--but in those 
of merit4  ,one firm1 indeed1 during the
 last twelve or thirteen years has      
received  no fewer than #aej1jjj        
compositions1 of which number only some 
#e1fjj have  been found usable2 not a   
very great number1 when it is remembered
 that  something between ten and twelve 
millions of cards pass between          
well-wishers in this country alone every
 year1 and that a similar  quantity are 
exported to the ,united ,states1 ,india1
 ,china1 and the  ,colonies4 ,from five 
shillings to two or three guineas       
represents the  market value of a       
birthday poem1 and the shorter such     
expressions are1  the greater is their  
value4 ,but eminent writers of course   
obtain much  more4 ,lord ,tennyson was  

once asked to pen a dozen birthday poems
 of  eight lines each4 ,a thousand      
guineas were offered for the            
stanzas--but1  alas for birthday        
literature1 the great poet declined to  
write verse on  order1 even at the rate 
of ten guineas a line4    ,the ,bishops1
 too1 have been approached on the       
subject1 for verses of a  religious     
tendency are more sought after than any 
others2 those of the  late ,frances     
,ridley ,havergal are an instance4 ,but 
the worthy bishops  frankly admitted    
that the gift of poetry had not been    
allotted to them4  ,the late ,bishop of 
,worcester said3 ,i have not poetical   
talent enough to  write short poems4    
,dr4 ,king1 ,bishop of ,lincoln1 said3  
,i am sorry1 but  ,i am not a poet4 ,the
 ,bishops of ,manchester and ,liverpool 
also honestly  confessed to being no    
poets1 whilst ,dr4 ,temple1 ,bishop of  
,london1 said3  ,i am afraid ,i should  
make a great mistake if at my age ,i    
began to write  short poems2 generously 

adding1 the ,bishop of ,exeter is a     
genuine  poet4    ,illustration3 ,,miss 
,,helen ,,marion ,,burnside4    ,perhaps
 the most popular writer to-day is the  
lady whose initials--,h4 ,m4  ,b4--have 
been appended to many millions of       
cards--,miss ,helen ,marion  ,burnside1 
of whom we give a portrait4 ,miss       
,burnside was born at ,bromley  ,hall1  
,middlesex1 in #ahdc1 and at twelve     
years of age was seized with a  severe  
attack of scarlet fever1 the result of  
which was that she lost  her hearing4 ,a
 year later she commenced to write      
birthday poetry1 and  her prolific      
abilities will be understood1 when we   
mention that she has  written1 on the   
average1 two hundred birthday poems     
yearly ever since4  ,miss ,burnside1    
too1 is clever with her brush1 and      
before she was  nineteen years of age   
the ,royal ,academy accepted one of her 
pictures of  fruit and flowers1 and1    
later1 a couple of portraits in crayons4
    ,we now turn to the designs for     

birthday cards--for though the motto is 
the principal consideration1 a pretty   
and fanciful surrounding is by no  means
 to be despised4    ,royal ,academicians
 really do little in this branch of art4
 ,though both  ,mr4 ,poynter and ,mr4   
,sant have applied their brushes in this
 direction1  and ,sir ,john ,millais has
 before now signified his willingness to
 accept  a commission1 it is presumed   
that ,r4,a4's prefer not to have their  
work  confined to the narrow limits of a
 birthday card4 ,an ,r4,a4 could ask a  
couple of hundred pounds for a design1  
and get it4 ,mr4 ,alma ,tadema1 when    
asked what he would charge to paint a   
pair of cards1 replied--#fjj4  ,ordinary
 designs fetch from three to six        
guineas1 though a distinctly  original  
and novel idea1 be it only in the shape 
of a score of splashes  from the brush1 
is worth from ten to fifteen guineas4   
,both the ,princess ,louise and         
,princess ,beatrice have done some      
really  artistic work1 but their efforts

 have not been made public--save in the 
instance of the ,princess ,beatrice1    
whose ,birthday ,book is well known4    
,cards designed by ,royalty have passed 
only between members of the ,royal      
,family4 ,they are very simple and      
picturesque1 flowers and effective      
landscapes with mountain scenery        
figuring prominently4 ,it is            
indisputable that women excel in such   
designs4 ,theirs seems to be a  light1  
airy1 graceful1 and almost fascinating  
touch2 there appears to be  no          
effort--they seem only to play with the 
brush1 though with delightful  results4 
,amongst those ladies who are just now  
contributing excellent  work might be   
mentioned the ,baroness ,marie ,von     
,beckendorf1 a ,german  lady1 whose     
flowers are delicate and fanciful to a  
degree4 ,miss ,bertha  ,maguire is also 
gifted in the way of flower-painting1   
whilst ,miss ,annie  ,simpson paints    
many an exquisite blossom combined with 
charming  landscape4    ,the            

illustrations we give show a page of    
what have now become ancient  cards1 and
 another of the very latest modern      
styles4    ,illustration3 ,,old ,,style4
    ,it will at once be seen how the    
birthday card has grown out of the      
valentine4 ,the two designs in the top  
corner of the first are  essentially of 
a fourteenth of ,february tendency4     
,note the tiny god of  love1 that       
irrepressible mite of mischief1 ,cupid1 
playing with a garland  of roses2 and   
there1 too1 is the heart1 a trifle too  
symmetrical to be  natural1 with the    
customary arrow1 almost as big as young 
,cupid himself1  cruelly thrust through 
the very middle of it4 ,the centre card 
is a  ,french design1 embossed round the
 edges with lace paper1 with a silken   
cross and hand-painted passion flowers  
laid on the card proper1 which is  of   
rice-paper4 ,the remaining specimen is  
exceedingly quaint in the  original1 and
 has passed through more than forty     
birthdays4 ,it is almost  funereal in   

appearance1 as indeed were most of those
 made at that  period2 indeed1 many of  
the specimens of old-time birthday cards
 we have  examined are made up of       
weeping willows1 young women shedding   
copious  tears into huge urns at their  
feet1 and what1 to all appearance1 is a 
mausoleum in the distance4 ,and above   
all is written1 ,many happy returns  of 
the day6    ,illustration3 ,,new        
,,style4    ,the other set of cards1 the
 modern ones1 are all suggestive of the 
good  wishes they carry with them4 ,many
 of them are of satin with real lace1   
delicately hand-painted marguerites1    
pansies1 and apple-blossoms1 whilst  the
 elaborate fan1 with its flowing        
ribbons1 is edged with white            
swan's-down and gaily decorated with    
artificial corn and poppies4 ,these  are
 from designs kindly placed at our      
disposal by ,messrs4 ,raphael ,tuck     
,sons4 ,the printing of the cards is in 
itself an art4 ,one of the largest      
printing establishments in the world    

devoted to this purpose is that of      
,messrs4 ,raphael ,tuck  ,sons1 in      
,germany1 whence comes the greater      
portion of those required for the       
,english market4 ,in the little village 
of ,rendnitz1 just outside ,leipsic1    
from a thousand to twelve hundred       
people find employment4 ,here may be    
found a room containing no fewer  than  
thirty-two of the largest presses1 on   
which colour-lithography is  being      
printed4 ,every machine does its own    
work1 and the amount of labour  required
 on a single birthday card is such that 
many cards pass through  eighteen or    
twenty different stages of printing1 and
 in some  exceptionally elaborate       
instances the number has run up to      
thirty-seven4    ,the cards are printed 
on great sheets of board1 and from a    
thousand to  fifteen hundred such       
sheets1 so far as one colouring is      
concerned1  constitute a good day's     
work4 ,these sheets measure #bi inches  
by #cj  inches1 and when the various    

colours are complete1 they are cut up by
  machinery into some twenty or more    
pieces1 according to the size of the    
card4 ,nor is the printing of birthday  
cards confined to cardboard4  ,effective
 work has been of late years produced on
 satin1 celluloid1 and  ,japanese paper2
 and prices range from as low as        
twopence half-penny a  gross to as much 
as seven and eight guineas for each     
card4 ,the  production of a birthday    
card1 from the time it is designed to   
the time  when it is laid before the    
public1 generally occupies from eight to
 nine  months4                          
,illustration                           
,the ,architect's ,wife4                
,,from ,,the ,,spanish ,,of ,,antonio   
,,trueba4        ,,antonio ,,trueba1 who
 is still alive1 was born on ,christmas 
,eve1      #ahba1 at ,sopuerta1 in      
,spain4 ,as in the case of ,burns1 his  
father      was a peasant1 and ,antonio1
 as a child1 played in the gutters      
with the other village urchins1 or      

worked with his father in the           
fields4 ,but at fifteen1 one of his     
relations1 who kept a shop      at      
,madrid1 made him his assistant4 ,by day
 he waited on the      customers2 by    
night he studied in his room4 ,genius   
like that of      ,burns and of ,trueba 
cannot be kept down4 ,like ,burns1 the  
boy      began to put forth songs1      
strong1 sweet1 and simple1 which        
stirred the people's hearts like music1 
and soon were hummed in      every      
village street4 ,his fame spread2 it    
reached the ,court2 and      ,queen     
,isabella bestowed upon him the lofty   
title of ,queen's      ,poet4 ,he wrote 
also1 and still writes1 prose stories of
 all      kinds1 but mostly such as1    
like the following1 belong to the       
romance of history1 and are rather truth
 than fiction4                          
,i4    ,,towards the middle of the      
fourteenth century1 ,toledo was laid    
under  siege by ,don ,enrique de        
,trastamara2 but the city1 faithful to  

the ,king  surnamed the ,cruel1 offered 
a brave and obstinate resistance4       
,often had the loyal and valiant        
,toledans crossed the magnificent bridge
  of ,san ,martin--one of the structures
 of greatest beauty of that city of     
splendid erections--and had cast        
themselves on the encampment of ,don    
,enrique1 which was pitched on the      
,cigarrales1 causing sad havoc to the   
besieging army4    ,in order to prevent 
the repetition of these attacks1 ,don   
,enrique  resolved upon destroying the  
bridge4    ,the ,cigarrales1 upon which 
the army was encamped1 were beautiful   
lands  enclosing luxuriant orchards1    
pleasure gardens1 and summer residences4
  ,the fame of their beauty had inspired
 ,tirso and many ,spanish poets to  sing
 its praises4    ,one night the         
luxuriant trees were cut down by the    
soldiers of ,don  ,enrique1 and heaped  
upon the bridge4 ,at day-dawn an immense
 fire raged  on the bridge of ,san      
,martin1 which assumed huge proportions1

 its  sinister gleams lighting up the   
devastating hordes1 the flowing current 
of the ,tagus1 the ,palace of ,don      
,rodrigo1 and the little ,arab ,tower4  
,the  crackling of the strong and       
massive pillars1 worked with all the    
exquisite skill of the artificers who   
created the marvels of the  ,alhambra1  
sounded like the piteous cry of ,art    
oppressed by barbarism4    ,the         
,toledans1 awakened by this terrible    
spectacle1 ran to save the  beautiful   
erection from the utter ruin which      
menaced it1 but all their  efforts were 
unavailing4 ,a tremendous crash1 which  
resounded throughout  the creeks and    
valleys watered by the ,tagus1 told them
 that the bridge  no longer existed4    
,alas6 it was too true6    ,when the    
rising sun gilded the cupolas of the    
,imperial ,city1 the ,toledan  maidens  
who came down to the river to fill their
 pitchers from the pure  and crystal    
stream1 returned sorrowfully with empty 
pitchers on their  heads2 the clear     

waters had become turbid and muddy1 for 
the roaring  waves were carrying down   
the still smoking ruins of the bridge4  
,illustration3 ,,maidens ,,returned     
,,sorrowfully ,,with ,,empty ,,pitchers4
    ,popular indignation rose to its    
highest pitch1 and overflowed all       
limits2 for the bridge of ,san ,martin  
was the only path that led to the       
lovely ,cigarrales4    ,joining their   
forces for one supreme effort1 the      
,toledans made a furious  onslaught on  
the camp1 and1 after blood had flowed in
 torrents1  compelled the army to take  
flight4                                 
,,ii4    ,many years passed since the   
bridge of ,san ,martin had been         
destroyed4    ,kings and ,archbishops   
had projected schemes to replace it by  
another  structure1 of equal strength   
and beauty2 but the genius and          
perseverance  of the most famous        
architects were unable to carry out     
their wishes4 ,the  rapid1 powerful     
currents of the river destroyed and     

swept away the  scaffolding and         
framework before the gigantic arches    
could be completed4    ,don ,pedro      
,tenorio1 ,cardinal ,archbishop of      
,toledo1 to whom the city owes  her     
glory almost as much as to her ,kings1  
sent criers throughout the  cities and  
towns of ,spain1 inviting architects1   
,christian and ,moorish1  to undertake  
the reconstruction of the bridge of ,san
 ,martin2 but with no  result4 ,the     
difficulties to be encountered were     
judged insurmountable4    ,at length one
 day a man and a woman1 complete        
strangers to the place1  entered ,toledo
 through the ,cambron ,gate4 ,they      
carefully inspected the  ruined bridge4 
,then they engaged a small house near   
the ruins1 and  proceeded to take up    
their quarters there4    ,on the        
following day the man proceeded to the  
,archbishop's ,palace4    ,his ,eminence
 was holding a conference of prelates1  
learned men1 and  distinguished knights1
 who were attracted by his piety and    

wisdom4    ,great was his joy when one  
of his attendants announced that an     
architect  from distant lands solicited 
the honour of an audience4    ,the      
,cardinal ,archbishop hastened to       
receive the stranger4 ,the first        
salutations over1 his ,eminence bade him
 be seated4    ,my ,lord ,archbishop1   
began the stranger1 my name1 which is   
unknown to  your ,eminence1 is ,juan de 
,arvalo1 and ,i am an architect by      
profession4    ,are you come in answer  
to the invitation ,i have issued calling
 upon  skilful architects to come and   
rebuild the bridge of ,san ,martin1     
which  in former times afforded a       
passage between the city and the        
,cigarrales8    ,it was indeed that     
invitation which brought me to ,toledo4 
,are you aware of the difficulties of   
its construction8    ,i am well aware of
 them4 ,but ,i can surmount them4       
,where did you study architecture8      
,in ,salamanca4    ,and what erection   
have you to show me as a proof of your  

skill8    ,none whatever1 my lord4      
,the ,archbishop made a gesture of      
impatience and distrust which was       
noticed by the stranger4    ,i was a    
soldier in my youth1 continued he1 but  
ill-health compelled  me to leave the   
ardous profession of arms and return to 
,castille1 the  land of my birth1 where 
,i dedicated myself to the study of     
architecture1  theoretical and          
practical4    ,i regret1 replied the    
,archbishop1 that you are unable to     
mention any  work of skill that you have
 carried out4    ,there are some        
erections on the ,tormes and the ,duero 
of which others  have the credit1 but   
which ought to honour him who now       
addresses you4    ,i do not understand  
you4    ,i was poor and obscure1        
rejoined ,juan de ,arvalo1 and ,i sought
 only  to earn bread and shelter4 ,glory
 ,i left to others4    ,i deeply regret1
 replied ,don ,pedro ,tenorio1 that you 
have no means of  assuring us that we   
should not trust in you in vain4    ,my 

lord1 ,i can offer you one guarantee    
which ,i trust will satisfy your        
,eminence4    ,what is that8    ,my     
life6    ,explain yourself4             
,illustration3 ,,explain ,,yourself4    
,when the framework of the centre arch  
shall be removed1 ,i1 the  architect1   
will stand upon the keystone4 ,should   
the bridge fall1 ,i shall  perish with  
it4    ,i accept the guarantee4    ,my  
lord1 trust me1 and ,i will carry out   
the work6    ,the ,archbishop pressed   
the hand of the architect1 and ,juan de 
,arvalo  departed1 his heart full of    
joyous expectation4 ,his wife was       
anxiously  awaiting his return4 ,she was
 young and handsome still1 despite the  
ravages of want and suffering4          
,catherine6 my ,catherine6 cried the    
architect1 clasping his wife to his     
arms1 amid the monuments that embellish 
,toledo there will be one to  transmit  
to posterity the name of ,juan de       
,arvalo6                                
,,iii4    ,time passed4 ,no longer could

 the ,toledans say1 on approaching the  
,tagus  across the rugged cliffs and    
solitary places where in former times   
stood  the ,garden of ,florinda1 ,here  
once stood the bridge of ,san ,martin4  
,though the new bridge was still        
supported by solid scaffolding and      
massive frames1 yet the centre arch     
already rose to view1 and the whole  was
 firmly planted on the ruins of the     
former4    ,the ,archbishop1 ,don ,pedro
 ,tenorio1 and the ,toledans were       
heaping gifts  and praises on the       
fortunate architect whose skill had     
joined the  central arch1 despite the   
furious power of the surging currents1  
and who  had completed the gigantic work
 with consummate daring4    ,it was the 
eve of the feast of ,san ,ildefonso1 the
 patron saint of the  city of ,toledo4  
,juan de ,arvalo respectfully informed  
the ,cardinal  ,archbishop that nothing 
was now wanting to conclude the work1   
but to  remove the woodwork of the      
arches and the scaffolding4 ,the joy of 

the  ,cardinal and of the people was    
great4 ,the removal of the scaffolding  
and  frames which supported the masonry 
was a work attended with considerable   
danger2 but the calmness and confidence 
of the architect who had pledged        
himself to stand on the keystone and    
await the consequences of success  or   
lose his life1 inspired all with perfect
 trust4    ,the solemn blessing and     
inauguration of the bridge of ,san      
,martin was  fixed to take place on the 
day following1 and the bells of all the 
churches of ,toledo were joyously       
ringing in announcement of the grand    
event appointed for the morrow4 ,the    
,toledans contemplated with rejoicing   
from the heights above the ,tagus the   
lovely ,cigarrales1 which for many      
years had remained solitary and         
silent--indeed1 almost abandoned--but   
which on the day following would be     
restored to life4    ,towards nightfall 
,juan de ,arvalo mounted the central    
arch to see that  all was ready for the 

opening ceremony4 ,he went humming to   
himself as he  inspected all the works  
and preparations4 ,but1 suddenly1 an    
expression  of misgiving overspread his 
countenance4 ,a thought had struck      
him--a  thought that froze his blood4   
,he descended from the bridge and       
hastened  home4    ,at the door his wife
 received him with a joyous smile and a 
merry word  of congratulation4 ,but on  
beholding his troubled face she turned  
deadly  pale4    ,good heavens6 she     
cried1 affrighted1 are you ill1 dear    
,juan8    ,illustration3 ,,are ,,you    
,,ill1 ,,dear ,,juan8    ,no1 dear wife1
 he replied1 striving to master his     
emotion4    ,do not deceive me6 your    
face tells me that something ails you8  
,oh6 the evening is cold and the work   
has been excessive4    ,come in and sit 
down at the hearth and ,i will get the  
supper ready1 and  when you have had    
something to eat and are rested you will
 be at ease  again6    ,at ease6        
murmured ,juan to himself1 in agony of  

spirit1 whilst his wife  busied herself 
in the preparation of the supper1       
placing the table close  to the hearth1 
upon which she threw a faggot4    ,juan 
made a supreme effort to overcome his   
sadness1 but it was futile4  ,his wife  
could not be deceived4    ,for the first
 time in our married life1 she said1 you
 hide a sorrow  from me4 ,am ,i no      
longer worthy of your love and          
confidence8    ,catherine6 he exclaimed1
 do not1 for heaven's sake1 grieve me   
further  by doubting my affection for   
you6    ,where there is no trust1 she   
rejoined in feeling tones1 there can be 
no true love4    ,then respect1 for your
 own good and mine1 the secret ,i       
conceal from  you4    ,your secret is a 
sorrow1 and ,i wish to know it and to   
lighten it4    ,to lighten it8 ,that is 
impossible6    ,to such a love as mine1 
she urged1 nothing is impossible4       
,very well3 then hear me4 ,to-morrow my 
life and honour will be lost4 ,the      
bridge must fall into the river1 and ,i 

on the keystone shall perish with  the  
fabric which1 with so much anxiety and  
so many hopes1 ,i have  erected6    ,no1
 no6 cried ,catherine1 as she clasped   
her husband in her arms with  loving    
tenderness1 smothering in her own heart 
the anguish of the  revelation4    ,yes1
 dear wife6 ,when ,i was most confident 
of my triumph1 ,i discovered  that1     
owing to an error in my calculations1   
the bridge must fall  to-morrow when the
 framework is removed4 ,and with it     
perishes the  architect who projected   
and directed it4    ,the bridge may sink
 into the waters1 but not you1 my loved 
one4 ,on  bended knees ,i will beseech  
the noble ,cardinal to release you from 
your  terrible engagement4    ,what you 
ask will be in vain4 ,even should the   
,cardinal accede to your  entreaty1 ,i  
refuse life destitute of honour4    ,you
 shall have life and honour both1 dear  
husband1 replied ,catherine4            
,,iv4    ,it was midnight4 ,juan1 worn  
out with grief and anxious work1 at last

 had  fallen asleep2 a feverish sleep   
that partook more of the character of a 
nightmare than of ,nature's sweet       
restorer4    ,meanwhile his wife had for
 some time made a show of sleeping4 ,but
 she  watched her husband anxiously4    
,when she felt certain that he had at   
length succumbed to a deep sleep1 she   
softly rose1 and scarcely daring  to    
breathe1 crept out into the kitchen4    
,she opened the window gently and       
looked out4    ,the night was dark2 now 
and again vivid flashes of lightning lit
 up the  sky4 ,no sound was heard save  
the roar of the rushing currents of the 
,tagus1 and the sighing of the wind as  
it swept in and out among the           
scaffolding and complicated framework of
 the bridge4    ,catherine noiselessly  
closed the window4 ,from the hearth she 
took one of  the half-burnt faggots     
which still smouldered1 and throwing a  
cloak over  her shoulders went out into 
the silent streets1 her heart beating   
wildly4    ,where was she proceeding8   

,was she carrying that burning faggot as
 a  torch to light her path in the dense
 darkness of a moonless night8 ,it  was 
indeed a dangerous track1 covered as it 
was with broken boulders1  and uneven   
ground4 ,yet she strove rather to       
conceal the lighted wood  beneath her   
cloak4    ,at last she reached the      
bridge4 ,the wind still sighed and      
whistled1 and  the river continued to   
break its current against the pillars1  
as though  irritated at meeting         
obstacles which it could no longer sweep
 away4    ,catherine approached the     
buttress of the bridge4 ,an involuntary 
shudder  of terror passed through her   
frame4 ,was it because she stood on the 
edge  of that abyss of roaring waters8  
,or was it because her hand1 only       
accustomed hitherto to deeds of         
goodness1 was now brandishing the torch 
of destruction8 ,or rather did she      
tremble because a tremendous peal of    
thunder at that moment resounded through
 the vault of heaven4    ,waving the    

torch to kindle it afresh1 she applied  
it to the dry1  resinous wood of the    
scaffolding4 ,the wood quickly ignited1 
and the  flame1 fanned by the wind1     
ascended with fearful rapidity1         
spreading and  involving arches and     
framework and the whole structure of the
 bridge4    ,illustration3 ,,the ,,flame
 ,,ascended ,,with ,,fearful ,,rapidity4
    ,then she quitted the scene swiftly4
 ,aided by the glare of the             
conflagration and the vivid flashes of  
lightning which lit up the sky1         
,catherine soon traversed the space     
which separated her from her home4  ,she
 entered as noiselessly as she had left 
it1 and closed the door4 ,her  husband  
still slept soundly1 and had not missed 
her4 ,catherine again  pretended to be  
fast asleep1 as though she had never    
left her bed4    ,a few moments later1 a
 noise of many people running arose     
within the  city1 while from every      
belfry the bells rang forth the terrible
 alarm of  fire4 ,a tremendous crash    

succeeded1 followed by a cry of anguish 
such as  had been uttered years before1 
when the besieging army wrecked the     
former bridge4    ,juan awoke in terror2
 ,catherine lay at his side1 apparently 
sleeping  calmly4 ,he dressed himself in
 haste1 and ran out to learn the reason 
of  the uproar4 ,to his secret joy he   
beheld the ruin of the burning bridge4  
,the ,cardinal ,archbishop and the      
,toledans attributed the disaster to a  
flash of lightning which had struck the 
central arch1 and had1 moreover1        
ignited the whole structure4 ,the       
general sorrow was intense4 ,great also 
was the public sympathy with the despair
 which the calamity must have  caused   
the architect1 who was on the eve of a  
great triumph4 ,the  inhabitants never  
knew whether it was fire from heaven1 or
 an accident  that had caused the       
conflagration2 but ,juan de ,arvalo1 who
 was good and  pious1 and firmly        
believed in the protection of heaven1   
never wavered  for an instant in the    

belief that the bridge had really been  
destroyed  by lightning4    ,the        
destruction of the bridge1 however1 only
 retarded ,juan's triumph for  a        
twelve-month4 ,on the following year1 on
 the same festival of ,san  ,ildefonso1 
his new bridge was solemnly thrown open 
by the ,cardinal2 and  the joyous       
,toledans once more crossed the ,tagus  
to visit the lovely  grounds of the     
,cigarrales1 which they had been        
deprived of for so many  years4 ,on that
 auspicious day the ,cardinal celebrated
 the event by  giving a magnificent     
banquet4 ,at his right hand sat the     
architect and  his noble wife2 and after
 a highly complimentary speech from the 
,cardinal1 the whole company1 amidst a  
tumult of applause1 conducted ,juan  and
 ,catherine to their home4              
,illustration3 ,,at ,,his ,,right ,,hand
 ,,sat ,,the ,,architect ,,and ,,his    
,,noble  ,,wife4    ,five hundred years 
have passed since then1 but ,juan's     
bridge still  stands secure above the   

rushing waters of the ,tagus4 ,his      
second  calculation had no error4 ,the  
following illustration shows its        
appearance at the present day4          
,illustration3 ,,st4 ,,martin',s        
,,bridge ,,toledo4                      
,on the ,decay of ,humour in the ,house 
of ,commons4                        ,,by
 ,,henry ,w4 ,,lucy 7,,toby1 ,m4,p474   
,,there is no doubt--it is not feigned  
by tired fancy--that the present  ,house
 of ,commons is a less entertaining     
assembly than it was wont to be4  ,this 
is partly due to the lack of heaven-born
 comedians and largely to  the          
curtailment of opportunity4 ,the        
alteration of the rules of time  under  
which the ,house sits for work was fatal
 to redundancy of humour4  ,the ,house  
of ,commons is1 after all1 human1 and it
 is an indisputable  fact that mankind  
is more disposed to mirth after dinner  
than before4 ,if  the record be searched
 it will be found that ninety per cent4 
of the  famous scenes that have         

established its reputation as a place of
 public  entertainment have happened    
after dinner4    ,under the new rules1  
which practically close debate at       
midnight1 there  is no after dinner4    
,mechanically1 apparently involuntarily1
 the old  arrangement of debate has     
shifted4 ,time was1 within the memory of
 many  sitting in the present ,house1   
when the climax of debate was found in  
its  closing hours4 ,the ,leader of the 
,house rose at eleven or half-past1 and 
before a crowded and excited assembly   
cheered on his followers to an          
impending division4 ,when he sat down1  
amid thundering cheers from his         
supporters1 the ,leader of the          
,opposition sprang to his feet1 was     
hailed  with a wild cheer from his      
friends1 struck ringing blows across the
  table1 and then1 at one o'clock1 or   
two o'clock1 or whatever hour of the    
morning it might chance to be1 members  
poured forth in tumultuous tide1        
parting at the division lobby4    ,this 

was the period of the evening when      
chartered libertines of debate  appeared
 on the scene and the fun grew fast and 
furious4 ,it was ,mr4  ,o',donnell's    
pleasing habit to rise when the duel    
between the ,leaders was  concluded1 and
 the crowded ,house roared for the      
division like caged  lions whose        
feeding-time is overstepped4 ,pausing to
 recapture his errant  eyeglass1 ,mr4   
,o',donnell was accustomed to gaze round
 the seething mass  of senators with    
admirably-feigned surprise at their     
impatience4 ,when  the uproar lulled he 
began his speech2 when it rose again he 
stopped2  but the speech was inevitable1
 and members presently recognising the  
position1 sat in sullen silence till he 
had said his say4    ,illustration3     
,,admirably-,,feigned ,,surprise4       
,this was comedy1 not highly conceived  
it is true1 but worked out with  great  
skill1 the enraged ,house chiefly       
contributing to its success4 ,it  was   
varied by the tragedy of the desperate  

,english or ,scotch member who1         
striving vainly night after night to    
catch the ,speaker's eye1 made a mad    
plunge at his last chance1 and was      
literally howled down4 ,it was a        
favourite hour for the late ,mr4        
,biggar's manifestations1 and the       
lamented and immortal ,major ,o',gorman 
never failed to put in an  appearance at
 eleven o'clock1 ready for any fun that 
might be going or  might be made4       
,now1 when members slowly fill the      
,house after dinner1 dropping in        
between ten and eleven o'clock1 they    
know there is no time for anything  but 
business4 ,if a division is imminent the
 debate must necessarily stop  before   
midnight for the question to be put4 ,if
 it is to be continued1 it  must be     
adjourned sharp on the stroke of        
midnight4 ,as the ,house rarely  refills
 much before eleven o'clock1 there is   
not opportunity after  dinner for more  
than one set speech from a favourite    
orator4 ,the  consequence is that the   

plums of debate are in these days all   
pulled out  before dinner2 and though at
 this period1 the withers of the ,house 
being  unwrung it is ready for a brisk  
fight1 it is not in the mellow mood that
  invites and encourages the humorous4  
,whilst the opportunities of the        
,parliamentary ,yorick are thus         
peremptorily curtailed1 he is at a      
further disadvantage in view of the     
personality of the ,leadership4 ,it is  
impossible that a ,house led by ,mr4    
,w4 ,h4 ,smith can be as prone to       
merriment as was one which found its    
head  in ,mr4 ,disraeli4 ,when1 in the  
,parliament of #ahfh1 ,mr4 ,gladstone   
was  ,premier and ,mr4 ,disraeli ,leader
 of the ,opposition1 or in the          
succeeding  ,parliament1 when these     
positions were reversed1 the ,house of  
,commons  enjoyed a unique incentive to 
conditions of humour4 ,mr4 ,gladstone1  
with  his gravity of mien1 his sonorous 
sustained eloquence1 and his            
seriousness about trifles1 was a superb 

foil for the gay1 but always  mordant   
humour of ,mr4 ,disraeli4               
,illustration3 ,,eloquence4    ,from the
 outset of his career that great        
,parliamentarian enjoyed  extraordinary 
advantage by reason of the accident of  
the personality  against which1 first   
and last1 he was pitted4 ,having had    
,sir ,robert ,peel  to gird against     
through the space of a dozen years1 it  
was too much to  hope that for fully a  
quarter of a century he should have     
enjoyed the  crowning mercy of being    
opposed to and contrasted with ,mr4     
,gladstone4  ,yet such was his good     
fortune4 ,how little he did with ,lord  
,hartington in  the interregnum of      
#ahgd-g1 and how little mark he made    
against ,lord  ,granville when he met   
him in the ,lords1 brings into strong   
light the  advantage fortune had secured
 for him through the longer period of   
his  life4    ,whilst the tone and habit
 of the ,house of ,commons in matters of
 humour  are to a considerable extent   

conformable with the idiosyncrasy of its
  leaders1 it will sometimes1 in despair
 of prevailing dulness1 assume a  joke  
if it has it not4 ,there is nothing more
 delightful in the happiest  efforts of 
,mr4 ,disraeli than the peculiar        
relations which subsist  between the    
present ,house of ,commons and ,mr4 ,w4 
,h4 ,smith4 ,on one side we  have a     
good1 amiable1 somewhat pedagogic       
gentleman1 unexpectedly thrust  into the
 seat haunted by the shades of          
,palmerston and ,disraeli4 ,on the      
other side is the ,house of ,commons1 a 
little doubtful of the result1 but      
personally liking the new ,leader1 and  
constitutionally prone to  recognise    
authority4    ,illustration3 ,,haunted4 
,at first ,mr4 ,smith was voted         
unbearably dull4 ,his hesitating manner1
 his  painful self-consciousness1 his   
moral reflections1 and his all-pervading
  sense of duty to his ,queen and       
country bored the ,house4 ,in the first 
few months of his succession to ,lord   

,randolph ,churchill1 there was seen    
the unwonted spectacle of members       
getting up and leaving the ,house when  
the ,leader presented himself at the    
table4 ,but ,mr4 ,smith plodded on1     
patiently1 pathetically1 trolling out   
his moral reflections1 and  tremulously 
preserving what with full consciousness 
of the contradiction  of words may be   
described as an air of submissive       
authority4 ,members  began to perceive1 
or perhaps to invent1 the fun of the    
thing4 ,mr4 ,smith  realised their      
boyhood's idea of ,mr4 ,barlow          
conversing with his pupils2  only he was
 always benevolent1 and though he       
frequently shook his ferule  with       
threatening gesture1 ,sandford and      
,merton felt that the palms of  their   
hands were safe4    ,mr4 ,smith is1     
however1 peculiarly a ,house of         
,commons' possession4 ,no one  out of   
the ,house can quite understand how     
precious he is1 how  inimitable1 how    
indescribable4 ,to the outsider he makes

 poor amends for  the ,irish ,members of
 the ,parliament of #ahgd1 or the       
,fourth ,party that  played so prominent
 a rle in the ,house that met in #ahhj4 
,the ,fourth  ,party1 like the ,major1  
,mr4 ,biggar1 ,mr4 ,delahunty1 ,mr4     
,mc,carthy ,downing1  and the famous    
,lord ,mayor of ,dublin--who warned ,mr4
 ,forster what would  happen in the     
event of an 7absolutely uncontemplated7 
attempt on the  part of the ,chief      
,secretary to drag his lordship's spouse
 out of her bed  in the dead of the     
night--are with us no more4 ,gone too1  
faded into  dreamland1 are the          
characters who made up the ,fourth      
,party4 ,happily  three of them remain  
with us1 though in strangely altered    
circumstances4  ,two sit on the         
,treasury ,bench1 and one watches it    
from behind with  friendly concern that 
adds a new terror to ,ministerial       
office4    ,illustration3               
,,three-,,fourths ,,of ,a ,,party4      
,each in his way brilliantly sustains   

the reputation of the famous school  in 
which he was trained4 ,there is in the  
,house only one possibly  superior      
combination of debaters to ,lord        
,randolph ,churchill1 ,mr4 ,arthur      
,balfour1 and ,sir ,john ,gorst4 ,in the
 quality of humour especially under     
consideration1 this combination carries 
away the palm from the other4 ,i  think 
it is untrue to say1 as is commonly     
accepted1 that ,mr4 ,gladstone  is      
devoid of the sense of humour1 though it
 must be admitted that it  does not     
predominate in his ,house of ,commons   
speeches4 ,mr4 ,chamberlain  is even    
more conspicuously lacking in this      
commanding quality4 ,on the  other hand1
 ,mr4 ,balfour in his ,house of ,commons
 addresses does not shine  as a         
humorist4 ,he is in his public character
 7in strange contrast1 by  the way1 with
 his personal habitude7 not sufficiently
 genial4 ,but he has  a pretty wit of   
the sarcastic1 poisoned-dagger style1   
which1 differing  from the effects of   

humour1 makes everybody laugh1 save the 
object of  the attack4 ,he writhes4     
,illustration3 ,,he ,,writhes4    ,mr4  
,balfour's ,parliamentary style1        
doubtless unconsciously1 perhaps for    
reasons connected with heredity1 is     
shaped upon his distinguished  uncle's4 
,he lacks the grave ponderosity which   
gives the finishing touch  to ,lord     
,salisbury's occasional trifling with   
public questions4 ,but he is  still     
young1 and his style inchoate4    ,the  
,minister who answers for ,india in the 
,house of ,commons cannot fairly  be    
expected to contribute to the hilarity  
of its proceedings4 ,yet  occasionally  
,sir ,john ,gorst1 more particularly at 
question-time1  standing at the table   
with almost funereal aspect1 drops a    
parenthetical  remark that convulses the
 ,house with laughter4 ,lord ,randolph  
,churchill1  since he has taken to      
racing1 has assumed a gravity of manner 
which  militates against repetition of  
his old successes in setting the table  

in a roar4    ,but the gloom under which
 he has enveloped himself is1 like that 
which  just now obscures the sunlight of
 laughter over the ,house generally1    
only a temporary condition4 ,the present
 ,house has accidentally run into  a    
groove of gloom1 which will probably    
outlast its existence4 ,but there  is no
 reason to believe that the decay of    
humour noted will be  permanent4 ,there 
is no assembly in the world so          
pathetically eager to be  amused as is  
the ,house of ,commons4 ,it sits and    
listens entranced to  bursts of         
sustained argument4 ,it follows with    
keen intellectual delight  the course of
 subtle argument4 ,it burns with fierce 
indignation at a  story of wrong-doing4 
,it flashes with generous impulse at an 
invitation  to do right4 ,but it likes1 
above all things1 to be made to laugh4  
,in its  despair of worthier efforts1   
almost anything will do4 ,an agitated   
orator  rounding off his peroration by  
sitting down on his hat2 a glass of     

water  upset2 or1 primest joke of all1  
an impassioned oratorical fist brought  
down with resonant thud on the hat of a 
listener sitting attentive on  the bench
 below--these are trivial1 familiar     
accidents that never fail  to bring down
 the ,house4    ,illustration3 ,,an     
,,impassioned ,,oratorical ,,fist4      
,so persistently eager is the ,house to 
be amused that1 failing the gift  of    
beneficent nature1 it will1 as in the   
case of ,mr4 ,w4 ,h4 ,smith1 invent  a  
humorous aspect of a man1 and laugh at  
its own creation4 ,there are  many cases
 where a man has commenced his          
,parliamentary career amidst  evidences 
not only of personal disfavour1 but of  
almost malignant  animosity1 and has    
finished by finding his interposition in
 debate  hailed by hilarious cheering4  
,such a case was that of the late ,mr4  
,biggar1 who for fully ten years of his 
,parliamentary career was an  object of 
unbridled execration4 ,he lived to find 
himself almost a prime  favourite in the

 ,house1 a man who1 when he had not got 
further in his  speech than to ejaculate
 ,mr4 ,speaker1 sir1 found himself the  
focus of  a circle of beaming faces1    
keenly anticipatory of fun4 ,mr4 ,biggar
 in the  sessions of #ahhf-i was the    
same member for ,cavan who1 in the      
,parliament  of #ahgd1 was a constant   
mark of contumely1 and even of personal 
hatred4  ,the ,house had grown used to  
him1 and had gradually built up round   
his  name and personality an ideal of   
eccentric humour4 ,but the creative     
power was with the audience--a priceless
 quality that remains with it  even in  
these dull times1 and though temporarily
 subdued1 will presently  have its day  
again4    ,illustration3 ,a ,,prime     
,,favourite4                            
,the ,snowstorm4                        
,,from ,,the ,,russian ,,of ,,alexander 
,,pushkin4      ,,towards the end of    
#ahaa1 at a memorable period for        
,russians1 lived on  his own domain of  
,nenaradova the kind-hearted ,gavril ,r4

 ,he was  celebrated in the whole       
district for his hospitality and his    
genial  character4 ,neighbours          
constantly visited him to have something
 to eat  and drink1 and to play at      
five-copeck boston with his wife1       
,praskovia4  ,some1 too1 went to have a 
look at their daughter1 ,maria2 a tall  
pale  girl of seventeen4 ,she was an    
heiress1 and they desired her either for
  themselves or for their sons4         
,maria had been brought up on ,french   
novels1 and consequently was in  love4  
,the object of her affection was a poor 
ensign in the army1 who was  now at home
 in his small village on leave of       
absence4 ,as a matter of  course1 the   
young man reciprocated ,maria's passion4
 ,but the parents of  his beloved1      
noticing their mutual attachment1       
forbade their daughter  even to think of
 him1 while they received him worse than
 an ex-assize  judge4    ,illustration3 
,,the ,,lovers ,,met ,,in ,,the ,,pine  
,,wood4    ,our lovers corresponded1 and

 met alone daily in the pine wood or by 
the  old roadway chapel4 ,there they    
vowed everlasting love1 inveighed       
against  fate1 and exchanged various    
suggestions4 ,writing and talking in    
this  way1 they quite naturally reached 
the following conclusion3--    ,if we   
cannot exist apart from each other1 and 
if the tyranny of  hard-hearted parents 
throws obstacles in the way of our      
happiness1 then  can we not manage      
without them8    ,of course1 this happy 
idea originated in the mind of the young
 man2 but  it pleased immensely the     
romantic imagination of ,maria4         
,winter set in1 and put a stop to their 
meetings4 ,but their  correspondence    
became all the more active4 ,vladimir   
begged ,maria in  every letter to give  
herself up to him that they might get   
married  secretly1 hide for a while1 and
 then throw themselves at the feet of   
their parents1 who would of course in   
the end be touched by their heroic      
constancy and say to them1 ,children1   

come to our arms6    ,maria hesitated a 
long while1 and out of many different   
plans proposed1  that of flight was for 
a time rejected4 ,at last1 however1 she 
consented4  ,on the appointed day she   
was to decline supper1 and retire to her
 room  under the plea of a headache4    
,she and her maid1 who was in the       
secret1  were then to go out into the   
garden by the back stairs1 and beyond   
the  garden they would find a sledge    
ready for them1 would get into it and   
drive a distance of five miles from     
,nenaradova1 to the village of          
,jadrino1 straight to the church1 where 
,vladimir would be waiting for  them4   
,on the eve of the decisive day1 ,maria 
did not sleep all night2 she was        
packing and tying up linen and dresses4 
,she wrote1 moreover1 a long  letter to 
a friend of hers1 a sentimental young   
lady2 and another to her  parents4 ,of  
the latter1 she took leave in the most  
touching terms4 ,she  excused the step  
she was taking by reason of the         

unconquerable power of  love1 and wound 
up by declaring that she should consider
 it the happiest  moment of her life    
when she was allowed to throw herself at
 the feet of  her dearest parents4      
,sealing both letters with a ,toula     
seal1 on which  were engraven two       
flaming hearts with an appropriate      
inscription1 she at  last threw herself 
upon her bed before daybreak1 and dosed 
off1 though  even then she was awakened 
from one moment to another by terrible  
thoughts4 ,first it seemed to her that  
at the moment of entering the  sledge in
 order to go and get married1 her father
 stopped her1 and with  cruel rapidity  
dragged her over the snow1 and threw her
 into a dark  bottomless cellar--down   
which she fell headlong with an         
indescribable  sinking of the heart4    
,then she saw ,vladimir1 lying on the   
grass1 pale  and bleeding2 with his     
dying breath he implored her to make    
haste and  marry him4 ,other hideous and
 senseless visions floated before her   

one  after another4 ,finally1 she rose  
paler than usual1 and with a real       
headache4    ,both her father and her   
mother remarked her indisposition4      
,their tender  anxiety and constant     
inquiries1 ,what is the matter with you1
 ,masha--are  you ill8 cut her to the   
heart4 ,she tried to pacify them and to 
appear  cheerful2 but she could not4    
,evening set in4 ,the idea that she was 
passing the day for the last time in the
 midst of her family oppressed  her4 ,in
 her secret heart she took leave of     
everybody1 of everything  which         
surrounded her4    ,supper was served2  
her heart beat violently4 ,in a         
trembling voice she  declared that she  
did not want any supper1 and wished her 
father and  mother goodnight4 ,they     
kissed her1 and as usual blessed her2   
and she  nearly wept4    ,reaching her  
own room1 she threw herself into an easy
 chair and burst  into tears4 ,her maid 
begged her to be calm and take courage4 
,everything  was ready4 ,in half an hour

 ,masha would leave for ever her        
parents'  house1 her own room1 her      
peaceful life as a young girl4          
,illustration3 ,,she ,,burst ,,into     
,,tears4    ,out of doors the snow was  
falling1 the wind howling4 ,the shutters
  rattled and shook4 ,in everything she 
seemed to recognise omens and  threats4 
,soon the whole home was quiet and      
asleep4 ,masha wrapped herself in a     
shawl1 put on a warm cloak1 and with a  
box in her hand1 passed out on to  the  
back staircase4 ,the maid carried two   
bundles after her4 ,they  descended into
 the garden4 ,the snowstorm raged2 a    
strong wind blew  against them1 as if   
trying to stop the young culprit4 ,with 
difficulty  they reached the end of the 
garden4 ,in the road a sledge awaited   
them4    ,the horses1 from cold1 would  
not stand still4 ,vladimir's coachman   
was  walking to and fro in front of     
them1 trying to quiet them4 ,he helped  
the  young lady and her maid to their   
seats1 and packing away the bundles and 

the dressing-case1 took up the reins1   
and the horses flew forward into  the   
darkness of the night4                  
99 99 99 99 99    ,having entrusted the 
young lady to the care of fate and of   
,tereshka the  coachman1 let us return  
to the young lover4    ,vladimir had    
spent the whole day in driving4 ,in the 
morning he had  called on the ,jadrino  
priest1 and1 with difficulty1 came to   
terms with  him4 ,then he went to seek  
for witnesses from amongst the          
neighbouring  gentry4 ,the first on whom
 he called was a former cornet of horse1
 ,dravin  by name1 a man in his forties1
 who consented at once4 ,the adventure1 
he  declared1 reminded him of old times 
and of his larks when he was in the     
,hussars4 ,he persuaded ,vladimir to    
stop to dinner with him1 assuring him   
that there would be no difficulty in    
getting the other two witnesses4        
,indeed1 immediately after dinner in    
came the surveyor ,schmidt1 with a      
moustache and spurs1 and the son of a   

captain-magistrate1 a boy of  sixteen1  
who had recently entered the ,uhlans4   
,they not only accepted  ,vladimir's    
proposal1 but even swore that they were 
ready to sacrifice  their lives for him4
 ,vladimir embraced them with delight1  
and drove off  to get everything ready4 
,it had long been dark4 ,vladimir       
despatched his trustworthy ,tereshka to 
,nenaradova with his two-horsed sledge1 
and with appropriate instructions  for  
the occasion4 ,for himself he ordered   
the small sledge with one  horse1 and   
started alone without a coachman for    
,jadrino1 where ,maria  ought to arrive 
in a couple of hours4 ,he knew the road1
 and the drive  would only occupy twenty
 minutes4    ,but ,vladimir had scarcely
 passed from the enclosure into the open
 field  when the wind rose1 and soon    
there was a driving snowstorm so heavy  
and  so severe that he could not see4   
,in a moment the road was covered with  
snow4 ,all landmarks disappeared in the 
murky yellow darkness1 through  which   

fell white flakes of snow4 ,sky and     
earth became merged into one4           
,vladimir1 in the midst of the field1   
tried in vain to get to the road4  ,the 
horse walked on at random1 and every    
moment stepped either into deep  snow or
 into a rut1 so that the sledge was     
constantly upsetting4  ,vladimir tried  
at least not to lose the right          
direction2 but it seemed  to him that   
more than half an hour had passed1 and  
he had not yet  reached the ,jadrino    
wood4 ,another ten minutes passed1 and  
still the wood  was invisible4 ,vladimir
 drove across fields intersected by deep
 ditches4  ,the snowstorm did not abate1
 and the sky did not clear4 ,the horse  
was  getting tired and the perspiration 
rolled from him like hail1 in spite  of 
the fact that every moment his legs were
 disappearing in the snow4              
,illustration3 ,,all ,,landmarks        
,,disappeared4    ,at last ,vladimir    
found that he was going in the wrong    
direction4 ,he  stopped2 began to       

reflect1 recollect1 and consider2 till  
at last he  became convinced that he    
ought to have turned to the right4 ,he  
did so  now4 ,his horse could scarcely  
drag along4 ,but he had been more than  
an  hour on the road1 and ,jadrino could
 not now be far4 ,he drove and drove1   
but there was no getting out of the     
field4 ,still snow-drifts and  ditches4 
,every moment the sledge was upset1 and 
every moment ,vladimir  had to raise it 
up4    ,time was slipping by2 and       
,vladimir grew seriously anxious4 ,at   
last in  the distance some dark object  
could be seen4    ,vladimir turned in   
its direction1 and as he drew near found
 it was a  wood4    ,thank ,heaven1 he  
thought1 ,i am now near the end4    ,he 
drove by the side of the wood1 hoping to
 come at once upon the  familiar road1  
or1 if not1 to pass round the wood4     
,jadrino was situated  immediately      
behind it4    ,he soon found the road1  
and passed into the darkness of the     
wood1 now  stripped by the winter4 ,the 

wind could not rage here2 the road was  
smooth1 the horse picked up courage1 and
 ,vladimir was comforted4    ,he drove  
and drove1 but still ,jadrino was not to
 be seen2 there was no  end to the wood4
 ,then1 to his horror1 he discovered    
that he had got into  a strange wood6   
,he was in despair4 ,he whipped his     
horse1 and the poor  animal started off 
at a trot4 ,but it soon got tired1 and  
in a quarter of  an hour1 in spite of   
all poor ,vladimir's efforts1 could only
 crawl4    ,gradually the trees became  
thinner1 and ,vladimir drove out of the 
wood2  but ,jadrino was not to be seen4 
,it must have been about midnight4      
,tears  gushed from the young man's     
eyes4 ,he drove on at random2 and now   
the  weather abated1 the clouds         
dispersed1 and before him was a wide    
stretch  of plain covered with a white  
billowy carpet4 ,the night was          
comparatively clear1 and he could see a 
small village a short distance  off1    
which consisted of four or five         

cottages4 ,vladimir drove towards  it4  
,at the first door he jumped out of the 
sledge1 ran up to the window1  and      
tapped4    ,after a few minutes a wooden
 shutter was raised1 and an old man     
stuck  out his grey beard4    ,what do  
you want8    ,illustration3 ,,what ,,do 
,,you ,,want8    ,how far is ,jadrino8  
,how far is ,jadrino8    ,yes1 yes6 ,is 
it far8    ,not far2 about ten miles4   
,at this answer ,vladimir clutched hold 
of his hair1 and stood motionless1  like
 a man condemned to death4    ,where do 
you come from8 added the man4 ,vladimir 
had not the courage to  reply4    ,my   
man1 he said1 can you procure me horses 
to ,jadrino8    ,we have no horses1     
answered the peasant4    ,could ,i find 
a guide8 ,i will pay him any sum he     
likes4    ,stop6 said the old man1      
dropping the shutter2 ,i will send my   
son out  to you2 he will conduct you4   
,vladimir waited4 ,scarcely a minute had
 passed when he again knocked4 ,the     
shutter was lifted1 and a beard was     

seen4    ,what do you want8    ,what    
about your son8    ,he'll come out      
directly3 he is putting on his boots4   
,are you cold8 ,come  in and warm       
yourself4    ,thanks2 send out your son 
quickly4    ,the gate creaked2 a youth  
came out with a cudgel1 and walked on in
  front1 at one time pointing out the   
road1 at another looking for it in a    
mass of drifted snow4    ,what o'clock  
is it8 ,vladimir asked him4    ,it will 
soon be daylight1 replied the young     
peasant4 ,vladimir spoke  not another   
word4    ,the cocks were crowing1 and it
 was light when they reached ,jadrino4  
,the  church was closed4 ,vladimir paid 
the guide1 and drove into the yard of   
the priest's house4 ,in the yard his    
two-horsed sledge was not to be  seen4  
,what news awaited him6                 
99 99 99 99 99    ,but let us return to 
the kind proprietors of ,nenaradova1 and
 see what is  going on there4           
,nothing4    ,the old people awoke1 and 
went into the sitting-room1 ,gavril in a

  night-cap and flannel jacket1         
,praskovia in a wadded dressing gown4   
,the  samovar was brought in1 and       
,gavril sent the little maid to ask     
,maria how  she was and how she had     
slept4 ,the little maid returned1 saying
 that her  young lady had slept badly1  
but that she was better now1 and that   
she  would come into the sitting-room in
 a moment4 ,and indeed the door opened  
and ,maria came in and wished her papa  
and mamma good morning4    ,how is your 
head-ache1 ,masha8 7familiar for ,mary7 
inquired ,gavril4    ,better1 papa1     
answered ,masha4    ,the fumes from the 
stoves must have given you your         
headache1 remarked  ,praskovia4         
,perhaps so1 mamma1 replied ,masha4     
,the day passed well enough1 but in the 
night ,masha was taken ill4 ,a  doctor  
was sent for from town4 ,he came towards
 evening and found the  patient         
delirious4 ,soon she was in a severe    
fever1 and in a fortnight  the poor     
patient was on the brink of the grave4  

,no member of the family knew anything  
of the flight from home4 ,the  letters  
written by ,masha the evening before had
 been burnt2 and the  maid1 fearing the 
wrath of the master and mistress1 had   
not breathed a  word4 ,the priest1 the  
ex-cornet1 the big moustached surveyor1 
and the  little lancer were equally     
discreet1 and with good reason4         
,tereshka1 the  coachman1 never said too
 much1 not even in his drink4 ,thus the 
secret  was kept better than it might   
have been by half a dozen conspirators4 
,but ,maria herself1 in the course of   
her long fever let out her secret4      
,nevertheless1 her words were so        
disconnected that her mother1 who never 
left her bedside1 could only make out   
from them that her daughter was         
desperately in love with ,vladimir1 and 
that probably love was the cause  of her
 illness4 ,she consulted her husband and
 some of her neighbours1  and at last it
 was decided unanimously that the fate  
of ,maria ought not  to be interfered   

with1 that a woman must not ride away   
from the man she  is destined to marry1 
that poverty is no crime1 that a woman  
has to live  not with money but with a  
man1 and so on4 ,moral proverbs are     
wonderfully  useful on such occasions1  
when we can invent little or nothing in 
our  own justification4    ,meanwhile   
the young lady began to recover4        
,vladimir had not been seen  for a long 
time in the house of ,gavril1 so        
frightened had he been by his  previous 
reception4 ,it was now resolved to send 
and announce to him the  good news which
 he could scarcely expect3 the consent  
of her parents to  his marriage with    
,maria4    ,but what was the            
astonishment of the proprietors of      
,nenaradova when1 in  answer to their   
invitation they received an insane      
reply4 ,vladimir  informed them he could
 never set foot in their house1 and     
begged them to  forget an unhappy man   
whose only hope now was in death4 ,a few
 days  afterwards they heard that       

,vladimir had left the place and joined 
the  army4    ,a long time passed before
 they ventured to tell ,masha1 who was  
now  recovering4 ,she never mentioned   
,vladimir4 ,some months later1 however1 
finding his name in the list of those   
who had distinguished themselves  and   
been severely wounded at ,borodino1 she 
fainted1 and it was feared  that the    
fever might return4 ,but1 ,heaven be    
thanked6 the fainting fit  had no bad   
results4                                
99 99 99 99 99    ,maria experienced yet
 another sorrow4 ,her father died1      
leaving her the  heiress of all his     
property4 ,but the inheritance could not
 console her4  ,she shared sincerely the
 affliction of her mother1 and vowed she
 would  never leave her4    ,suitors    
clustered round the charming heiress2   
but she gave no one the  slightest hope4
 ,her mother sometimes tried to persuade
 her to choose a  companion in life2 but
 ,maria shook her head1 and grew        
pensive4    ,vladimir no longer existed4

 ,he had died at ,moscow on the eve of  
the  arrival of the ,french4 ,his memory
 was held sacred by ,maria1 and she     
treasured up everything that would      
remind her of him3 books he had read1   
drawings which he had made2 songs he had
 sung1 and the pieces of poetry  which  
he had copied out for her4    ,the      
neighbours1 hearing all this1 wondered  
at her fidelity1 and awaited  with      
curiosity the arrival of the hero who   
must in the end triumph over  the       
melancholy constancy of this virgin     
,artemis4    ,meanwhile1 the war had    
been brought to a glorious conclusion1  
and our  armies were returning from     
abroad4 ,the people ran to meet them4   
,the  music played by the regimental    
bands consisted of war songs1 ,vive     
,henri-,quatre1 ,tirolese waltzes and   
airs from ,joconde4 ,nourished on the   
atmosphere of winter1 officers who had  
started on the campaign mere            
striplings1 returned grown men1 and     
covered with decorations4 ,the  soldiers

 conversed gaily among themselves1      
mingling ,german and ,french  words     
every moment in their speech4 ,a time   
never to be forgotten--a time  of glory 
and delight6 ,how quickly beat the      
,russian heart at the words1  ,native   
land6 ,how sweet the tears of meeting6  
,with what unanimity did  we combine    
feelings of national pride with love for
 the ,tsar6 ,and for  him1 what a       
moment6    ,illustration3 ,a ,,time ,,of
 ,,glory ,,and ,,delight4    ,the       
women--our ,russian women--were splendid
 then4 ,their usual coldness            
disappeared4 ,their delight was really  
intoxicating when1 meeting the          
conquerors1 they cried1 ,hurrah6 ,and   
they threw up their caps in the  air4   
,who of the officers of that period does
 not own that to the ,russian  women he 
was indebted for his best and most      
valued reward8 ,during this  brilliant  
period ,maria was living with her mother
 in retirement1 and  neither of them saw
 how1 in both the capitals1 the         

returning troops were  welcomed4 ,but in
 the districts and villages the general 
enthusiasm was1  perhaps1 even greater4 
,in these places the appearance of an   
officer became for him a veritable      
triumph4 ,the accepted lover in plain   
clothes fared badly by his side4    ,we 
have already said that1 in spite of her 
coldness1 ,maria was still1 as  before1 
surrounded by suitors4 ,but all had to  
fall in the rear when  there arrived at 
his castle the wounded young captain of 
,hussars--,bourmin by name--with the    
order of ,st4 ,george in his            
button-hole1 and an interesting pallor  
on his face4 ,he was about  twenty-six4 
,he had come home on leave to his       
estates1 which were close  to ,maria's  
villa4 ,maria paid him such attention as
 none of the others  received4 ,in his  
presence her habitual gloom disappeared4
 ,it could not  be said that she flirted
 with him4 ,but a poet1 observing her   
behaviour1  might have asked1 ,s'amor   
non 1 che dunque8    ,bourmin was really

 a very agreeable young man4 ,he        
possessed just the  kind of sense that  
pleased women3 a sense of what is       
suitable and  becoming4 ,he had no      
affectation1 and was carelessly         
satirical4 ,his  manner towards ,maria  
was simple and easy4 ,he seemed to be of
 a quiet and  modest disposition2 but   
rumour said that he had at one time been
  terribly wild4 ,this1 however1 did not
 harm him in the opinion of ,maria1  who
 7like all other young ladies7 excused1 
with pleasure1 vagaries which  were the 
result of impulsiveness and daring4     
,but above all--more than his           
love-making1 more than his pleasant     
talk1  more than his interesting pallor1
 more even than his bandaged arm--the   
silence of the young ,hussar excited her
 curiosity and her imagination4  ,she   
could not help confessing to herself    
that he pleased her very much4          
,probably he too1 with his acuteness and
 his experience1 had seen that he       
interested her4 ,how was it1 then1 that 

up to this moment she had not  seen him 
at her feet2 had not received from him  
any declaration  whatever8 ,and         
wherefore did she not encourage him with
 more attention1  and1 according to     
circumstances1 even with tenderness8    
,had she a secret  of her own which     
would account for her behaviour8    ,at 
last1 ,bourmin fell into such deep      
meditation1 and his black eyes  rested  
with such fire upon ,maria1 that the    
decisive moment seemed very  near4 ,the 
neighbours spoke of the marriage as an  
accomplished fact1 and  kind ,praskovia 
rejoiced that her daughter had at last  
found for herself  a worthy mate4       
,the lady was sitting alone once in the 
drawing-room1 laying out                
grande-patience1 when ,bourmin entered  
the room1 and at once inquired for      
,maria4    ,she is in the garden1       
replied the old lady3 go to her1 and ,i 
will  wait for you here4 ,bourmin went1 
and the old lady made the sign of the   
cross and thought1 ,perhaps the affair  

will be settled to-day6    ,bourmin     
found ,maria in the ivy-bower beside the
 pond1 with a book in her  hands1 and   
wearing a white dress--a veritable      
heroine of romance4 ,after  the first   
inquiries1 ,maria purposely let the     
conversation drop2  increasing by these 
means the mutual embarrassment1 from    
which it was  only possible to escape by
 means of a sudden and positive         
declaration4    ,illustration3 ,,in     
,,the ,,ivy-,,bower4    ,it happened    
thus4 ,bourmin1 feeling the awkwardness 
of his position1  informed ,maria that  
he had long sought an opportunity of    
opening his  heart to her1 and that he  
begged for a moment's attention4 ,maria 
closed  the book and lowered her eyes1  
as a sign that she was listening4    ,i 
love you1 said ,bourmin1 ,i love you    
passionately6 ,maria blushed1  and bent 
her head still lower4    ,i have behaved
 imprudently1 yielding as ,i have done  
to the seductive  pleasure of seeing and
 hearing you daily4 ,maria recollected  

the first  letter of ,st4 ,preux in ,la 
,nouvelle ,heloise4 ,it is too late now 
to  resist my fate4 ,the remembrance of 
you1 your dear incomparable image1  must
 from to-day be at once the torment and 
the consolation of my  existence4 ,i    
have now a grave duty to perform1 a     
terrible secret to  disclose1 which will
 place between us an insurmountable     
barrier4    ,it has always existed6     
interrupted ,maria2 ,i could never have 
been  your wife4    ,i know1 he replied 
quickly2 ,i know that you once loved4   
,but death and  three years of mourning 
may have worked some change4 ,dear1 kind
 ,maria1  do not try to deprive me of my
 last consolation2 the idea that you    
might  have consented to make me happy  
if----4 ,don't speak1 for ,god's sake   
don't speak--you torture me4 ,yes1 ,i   
know1 ,i feel that you could have  been 
mine1 but--,i am the most miserable of  
beings--,i am already  married6         
,maria looked at him in astonishment4   
,i am married1 continued ,bourmin2 ,i   

have been married more than three       
years1 and do not know who my wife is1  
or where she is1 or whether ,i  shall   
ever see her again4    ,what are you    
saying8 exclaimed ,maria2 how strange6  
,pray continue4    ,in the beginning of 
#ahab1 said ,bourmin1 ,i was hurrying on
 to ,wilna1  where my regiment was      
stationed4 ,arriving one evening late at
 a station1  ,i ordered the horses to be
 got ready quickly1 when suddenly a     
fearful  snowstorm broke out4 ,both     
station-master and drivers advised me to
 wait  till it was over4 ,i listened to 
their advice1 but an unaccountable      
restlessness took possession of me1 just
 as though someone was pushing  me on4  
,meanwhile1 the snowstorm did not abate4
 ,i could bear it no  longer1 and again 
ordered the horses1 and started in the  
midst of the  storm4 ,the driver took it
 into his head to drive along the river1
 which  would shorten the distance by   
three miles4 ,the banks were covered    
with  snowdrifts2 the driver missed the 

turning which would have brought us  out
 on to the road1 and we turned up in an 
unknown place4 ,the storm  never ceased4
 ,i could discern a light1 and told the 
driver to make for  it4 ,we entered a   
village1 and found that the light       
proceeded from a  wooden church4 ,the   
church was open4 ,outsides the railings 
stood several  sledges1 and people      
passing in and out through the porch4   
',here6 here6' cried several voices4 ,i 
told the coachman to drive up4          
',where have you dawdled8' said someone 
to me4 ',the bride has fainted2  the    
priest does not know what to do2 we were
 on the point of going back4  ,make     
haste and get out6'    ,i got out of the
 sledge in silence1 and stepped into the
 church1 which  was dimly lighted with  
two or three tapers4 ,a girl was sitting
 in a dark  corner on a bench2 another  
girl was rubbing her temples4 ',thank   
,god1'  said the latter1 'you have come 
at last6 ,you have nearly been the death
  of the young lady4'    ,the old priest

 approached me1 saying1    ',shall ,i   
begin8'    ',begin--begin1 reverend     
father1' ,i replied1 absently4    ,the  
young lady was raised up4 ,i thought her
 rather pretty4 ,oh1 wild1  unpardonable
 frivolity6 ,i placed myself by her side
 at the altar4 ,the  priest hurried on4 
,three men and the maid supported the   
bride1 and occupied themselves  with her
 alone4 ,we were married6    ',kiss your
 wife1' said the priest4    ,my wife    
turned her pale face towards me4 ,i was 
going to kiss her1 when  she exclaimed1 
',oh6 it is not he--not he6' and fell   
back insensible4    ,illustration3 ,,it 
,,is ,,not ,,he6--,,not ,,he6    ,the   
witnesses stared at me4 ,i turned round 
and left the church without  any attempt
 being made to stop me1 threw myself    
into the sledge1 and  cried1 ',away6'   
,what6 exclaimed ,maria4 ,and you don't 
know what became of your unhappy  wife8 
,i do not1 replied ,bourmin2 neither do 
,i know the name of the village  where  
,i was married1 nor that of the station 

from which ,i started4 ,at  that time ,i
 thought so little of my wicked joke    
that1 on driving away  from the church1 
,i fell asleep1 and never woke till     
early the next  morning1 after reaching 
the third station4 ,the servant who was 
with me  died during the campaign1 so   
that ,i have now no hope of ever        
discovering  the unhappy woman on whom  
,i played such a cruel trick1 and who is
 now so  cruelly avenged4    ,great     
heavens6 cried ,maria1 seizing his hand4
 ,then it was you1 and  you do not      
recognise me8    ,bourmin turned        
pale--and threw himself at her feet4    
,illustration                           
,a ,night at ,the ,grand ,chartreuse4   
,,by ,j4 ,e4 ,,muddock4      ,la vie    
d'un bon ,chartreux doit tre    ,une    
oraison presque continuelle4            
,illustration3 ,entrance ,court  to ,la 
,grande ,chartreuse    ,,the above is   
the legend that is painted on the door  
of every cell  occupied by a monk of the
 silent ,order of ,carthusians4 ,to pray

 always  for those who never pray2 to   
pray for those who have done you wrong2 
to  pray for those who sin every hour of
 their lives2 to pray for all sorts  and
 conditions of men1 no matter what their
 colour1 no matter what their  creed2 to
 pray that ,god will remove doubt and   
scepticism from the world1  and open all
 human eyes to the way of faith and     
salvation4 ,such is the  chief duty of  
the ,chartreux4 ,that the lives of these
 men is a continual  prayer would seem  
to be an undoubted fact2 but they are   
more than  that--they are lives of      
silence1 that must not be broken1 save  
under  exceptional circumstances4 ,time 
has been when they were surrounded by   
their families1 their friends1 when     
perhaps they had ambitions like  other  
men1 hopes like other men1 and1 it may  
be1 have given their love  to women4    
,but then something has happened to     
change the current of their  lives1 the 
course of their thought3 the mundane    
world has become  distasteful1 and with 

heavy hearts and weary feet they have   
sought the  lonely monastery1 and1      
having once entered1 the door has closed
 upon  them for ever4 ,henceforth the   
horizon of their world is the monastery 
wall2 and the only sounds they will hear
 save the wind when it howls1 or  the   
thunder when it rolls1 are the eternal  
tolling of the bell1 and the  wail and  
chant of the monotonous prayers4 ,it is 
difficult to understand  how men1 young1
 rich1 well-favoured1 can seclude       
themselves in this busy  and wonderful  
age2 and1 renouncing all the pleasures  
and gaiety of the  world1 take upon     
themselves solemn vows of chastity and  
silence1 which1  once taken1 are        
devoutly kept4 ,to ,god and ,god's      
service they dedicate  themselves2 and  
though on the earth1 they are scarcely  
of it4 ,they live1  but for them it is  
the beginning of eternity2 the passion  
and fret of  the world will never more  
disturb them1 and their one longing is  
to  change the finite for the infinite4 

,it is surely no ordinary faith that    
impels men to enter into a living death 
of this kind1 nor is it  fanaticism1 but
 a devotion too deep for words1 too     
mysterious for  ordinary comprehensions 
to grasp4 ,one must go back to the      
eleventh  century for the beginning of  
the history of this strange ,order4 ,it 
was  founded by ,st4 ,bruno1 of         
,cologne1 who imposed upon his votaries 
,solitude1 ,silence1 and ,fasting4 ,for 
above eight hundred years the           
,carthusians have been true to their    
saint1 and wherever they have           
established themselves they have lived  
their lives of silence1 knowing  nothing
 of the seductive and tender influence  
of women1 or the love and  sweetness of 
children2 dying1 when their time came1  
without a pang of  regret at leaving the
 world1 and with nothing to perpetuate  
their  memories1 save a tiny wooden     
cross1 on which a number is painted4    
,but in  half a dozen years or so the   
cross rots away1 and is never renewed1  

and  the dead brother is referred to no 
more4    ,the lonely convent of the     
,grande ,chartreuse is as old as the    
,order1  although it has undergone      
considerable change4 ,it is now a great 
building1 occupying a considerable      
extent of ground1 but originally it     
must have been a single small house4 ,it
 stands in a defile1 in a region  of    
utter loneliness4 ,gradually it has     
grown and expanded1 and in order  to    
protect it against the attacks of       
thieves and marauders1 it is  surrounded
 by a massive wall that is loopholed and
 embrasured4 ,for what  purpose it is   
difficult to say1 for these monks would 
never take human  life1 not even to save
 their own4 ,so far1 however1 as ,i have
 been able  to learn there is no record 
of the convent having been seriously    
attacked during any period of its       
history4 ,but in the ,revolution of     
#agib  the monks were cruelly expelled1 
and their most valuable library was     
destroyed4 ,they separated in little    

groups1 and found refuge in holy  houses
 of their order in different parts of   
,europe1 until the  restoration of      
#ahae--that memorable year--when they   
reunited and  returned to their beloved 
monastery amid the solitude of the      
eternal  mountains4    ,la ,grande      
,chartreuse is situated amidst scenes of
 savage grandeur1 #c1hjj  feet above the
 sea1 at the foot of the ,mont ,grand   
,som1 which reaches a  height of #f1ffh 
feet1 and commands a view of surpassing 
magnificence4 ,it  is in the ,department
 of ,isre1 ,france1 and eight hours'    
journey from  ,grenoble1 which is the   
capital of the ,department1 and famous  
for its  gloves4 ,the nearest railway   
station is a five hours' journey away1  
and  there is no other human habitation 
within many miles of the convent4 ,the  
approaches are by wild and rugged       
gorges1 through which excellent roads   
have of late years been made1 but       
formerly these gorges might have been   
held by a handful of men against a host4

 ,in the winter the roads are  blocked  
with snow1 and between the lonely       
convent and the outer world  there is   
little communication4 ,in summer the    
pine woods look solemn and  dark1 and   
the ravines are filled with the music of
 falling waters4 ,there  is a strange   
absence of bird melody1 and the wind    
sighs amongst the  pines1 and moans     
around the rocks4 ,and yet the region is
 one of  entrancing beauty1 and full of 
a dreamy repose that makes its influence
  felt4    ,to this lonely convent ,i   
travelled one day in the late autumn1   
when the  falling leaves spoke sadly of 
departed summer glories1 and the shrill 
blasts that came down the glens were    
messengers from the regions of ice  and 
snow4 ,i had gone by train to ,voiron1  
between ,rives and ,grenoble1 and       
thence had tramped through the beautiful
 gorges of ,crossey for five  hours4    
,the afternoon had been sullen1 and     
bitterly cold1 and the shades  of night 
were fast falling as1 weary and hungry1 

,i rang the great bell  at the convent  
gate1 and begged for hospitality4 ,a    
tall1 cowled monk  received me1 but     
uttered no word4 ,he merely made a sign 
for me to follow  him1 and1 closing the 
gate and shooting the massive bolts1 he 
led the  way across a court1 where ,i   
was met by another monk1 who was allowed
 to  break the rigid vow of silence so  
far that he could inquire of strangers  
what their business was4 ,he asked me if
 ,i desired food and rest1 and on  my   
answering in the affirmative he led me  
to a third and silent brother1  and by  
him ,i was conducted to a cell with     
whitewashed walls4 ,it  contained a     
small bed of unpainted pine wood1 and a 
tiny table1 on which  was an iron basin 
and a jug of water4 ,a crucifix hung on 
the wall1 and  beneath it was a         
prie-dieu4 ,the cell was somehow        
suggestive of a  prison1 and yet ,i am  
not sure that there was as much comfort 
to be found  in it as a prison cell     
affords in these humanitarian times4    

,everything  about the ,grande          
,chartreuse is of ,spartan-like         
simplicity4 ,there the  body is         
mortified for the soul's sake1 and      
nothing that could pander in  the least 
degree to luxurious tastes is allowed4  
,as ,i was to learn  afterwards1 even   
such barren comfort as is afforded by   
this ,visitor's  ,cell is unknown in the
 cells occupied by the monks4           
,illustration3 ,a ,,visitors ,,cell     
,when ,i had somewhat freshened myself  
up by a wash1 ,i went into the  corridor
 where my attendant was waiting1 and1   
following him in obedience  to a sign he
 made1 ,i traversed a long1 lofty1 cold 
passage1 with bare  walls and floor4 ,at
 the end of the passage there was carved
 in the stone  the ,latin inscription1  
,stat crux dum volvitur orbis4 ,passing 
through  an arched doorway we reached   
the refectory4 ,the great hall or supper
  room was cold1 barren1 and dismal4    
,everything looked ghostly and dim in   
the feeble light shed by two small      

swinging lamps1 that seemed rather to   
emphasise the gloom than dispel it4     
,comfort there was none in this  echoing
 chamber1 with its whitewashed walls and
 shadowy recesses1 from  which ,i half  
expected to see the spirit forms of dead
 monks glide4  ,taking my seat at a     
small1 bare table1 a silent brother     
placed before me  a bowl of thin        
vegetable soup1 in which some chopped   
eggs floated4 ,fish  followed1 then an  
omelette1 and the whole was washed down 
with a bottle  of excellent red wine4   
,it was a frugal repast1 but an         
,epicurean spread  as compared with the 
dietary scale of the monks themselves4  
,meat of  every kind is rigorously      
interdicted1 that is1 the flesh of      
animals in  any form4 ,each brother only
 gets two meals a day4 ,they consist of 
hot  water flavoured with egg2          
vegetables cooked in oil2 while the only
 drink  allowed is cold water4 ,the     
monks do not eat together except on     
,sundays  and religious fte days1 when  

they all sup in the refectory4    ,on   
other days every man has his meals      
alone1 in the solitude of his  cell1 and
 but a brief time is allowed him1 for it
 is considered sinful  to spend more    
time in eating and drinking than is     
absolutely necessary  to swallow down so
 much food as will hold body and soul   
together4 ,that  men may keep themselves
 healthy1 even on such meagre diet as   
that ,i have  mentioned1 is proved by   
the monks of the ,grande ,chartreuse1   
for they  enjoy excellent health1 and   
generally live to a green old age4 ,even
 the  weak and delicate grow strong and 
hardy under the severe discipline4 ,the 
rasping friction of the nervous system1 
which annually slays its tens of        
thousands in the outer world1 is unknown
 here4 ,all is calm and peaceful1  and  
the austerity of the life led is        
compensated for by the abiding and      
hopeful faith4 ,it is a brief           
preparation for an eternal life of      
unsullied joy in a world where man's sin

 is known no more4 ,surely  nothing else
 but such a faith could sustain mortal  
beings under an  ordeal so trying4      
,illustration3 ,,carthusian ,,father    
,,going ,,to ,,midnight ,,office        
,this strange community of ,carthusians 
is divided into categories of  ,fathers 
and ,brothers4 ,the former wear robes of
 white wool1 cinctured  with a girdle of
 white leather4 ,their heads and faces  
are closely  shaven1 and the head is    
generally enveloped in a cowl1 which is 
attached  to the robe4 ,they are all    
ordained priests1 and it is to them the 
rule  of silence1 solitude1 and fasting1
 more particularly applies4 ,the        
fasting is represented by the daily bill
 of fare ,i have given1 and it  never   
varies all the year round1 except on    
,fridays and certain days in  ,lent1    
when1 poor as it is1 it is still further
 reduced4 ,the solitude  consists of    
many hours spent in prayer in the       
loneliness of the cell1  and the silence
 imposed is only broken by monosyllabic 

answers to  questions addressed to them4
 ,sustained conversation is a fault1 and
  would be severely punished4 ,aspirants
 for the ,fatherhood have to submit  to 
a most trying novitiate1 which lasts for
 five full years4 ,after that  they are 
ordained1 and from that moment they     
renounce the world1 with  all its luring
 temptations and its sin4 ,their lives  
henceforth must be  strictly holy in    
accordance with the tenets of their     
religion4 ,the  ,brothers are the manual
 labourers1 the hewers of wood and      
drawers of  water4 ,they do everything  
that is required in the way of domestic 
service4 ,they wear sandals on their    
bare feet1 and their bodies are  clothed
 in a long1 loose1 brown robe1 fastened 
at the waist by a rope  girdle4 ,on both
 branches of the ,order the same severe 
rgime is  compulsory1 but on ,fridays   
the ,brothers only get a morsel of black
 bread  and a cup of cold water4 ,the   
attention to spiritual duties is        
all-absorbing1 and under no             

circumstances must it be relaxed4       
,matins  commence in the chapel at      
twelve o'clock at night1 and continue   
until  about two o'clock4 ,after a short
 rest1 the ,divine service is resumed at
  six o'clock4 ,but all the monks do not
 attend the matins at one time4  ,while 
some sleep others pray4 ,and it is      
doubtful if amongst the  religious      
orders of the world anything more solemn
 and impressive than  this midnight     
service could be found4 ,to witness it  
was my chief aim in  going to the       
convent1 and so ,i left my cell after a 
short sleep1 and  proceeded to the      
chapel as the deep-toned bell struck    
twelve with  sonorous sounds that rolled
 in ghostly echoes along the lofty      
corridors4  ,the passage through which  
,i made my way was a vast one1 and a    
solitary  lamp ineffectually struggled  
to illumine the darkness4 ,i groped     
along  until ,i reached a door that     
swung silently open to my touch4 ,then  
,i  stood within the chapel1 where all  

was silent1 and a ,cimmerian gloom      
reigned4 ,far in the depths of the      
darkness was a glimmering1 star-like    
lamp over the altar1 but its beams1     
feeble and straggling1 revealed         
nothing1 it only accentuated the pitchy 
blackness all around4 ,the feeble       
lanterns of the monks1 one to every     
third stall1 were invisible from my     
position4 ,everything was suggestive of 
a tomb far down in the bowels of  the   
earth--the silence1 the cold1 the damp  
earthy smell that filled  one's         
nostrils1 all seemed to indicate        
decaying mortality4 ,suddenly1  with    
startling abruptness1 a single voice    
broke into a plaintive1  monotonous     
chant4 ,then others took up the cadence 
with a moaning wail  that gradually died
 away until there was unbroken silence  
again4 ,there  was something strange and
 weird in this performance1 for the     
impenetrable darkness1 the star-like    
lamp1 the wailing voices of unseen      
figures1 seemed altogether unnatural4   

,it begot in me a shudder that ,i  could
 not repress1 for the moaning and       
wailing appeared to be associated  with 
death rather than life4 ,there was      
nothing in the whole ceremony           
indicative of joy or hope1 but rather   
their converse--sadness and  despair4   
,throughout those weary hours the       
wailing chant and the silence           
alternated4 ,i wanted to go away1 but   
could not4 ,some strange fascination    
kept me there1 and ,i recalled some of  
the wonderful descriptive scenes  in    
,dant which were irresistibly suggested4
 ,my imagination was wrought  on to such
 an extent that ,i pictured that vast   
gloomy space as filled  with unquiet    
spirits condemned to torture2 and the   
lamp as typical of  the one ray of hope 
that told them that after a long period 
of penance  they should pass from the   
gloom of woe to the lightness and joy of
  eternal day1 when their anguish should
 cease for ever and rest be found4  ,at 
last1 to my great relief1 ,i saw the    

beams of a new morn steal in at  the    
chapel windows4 ,the bowed forms of the 
cowled monks were faintly  discernible1 
kneeling before the altar1 where still  
burned the  watch-lamp4 ,one by one they
 rose and flitted away like shadows2 no 
sound  came from their footfalls1 no    
rustle from their garments4 ,warmly clad
  though ,i was1 ,i shivered with the   
cold1 and was cramped with the  position
 ,i had maintained for hours2 for ,i had
 been fearful of moving  lest any harsh1
 grating noise should break in upon that
 solemn and  impressive silence4 ,when  
all had gone ,i too went1 and made my   
way back  to the cell1 where ,i tried to
 snatch a few hours' sleep1 but it was  
all  in vain1 for my mind seemed as if  
it had been upset by a strange and      
terrible dream4 ,although ,i have had a 
wide and varied experience of men  and  
manners in all parts of the world1 ,i   
never witnessed such a strange  scene   
before as ,i witnessed that night4 ,it  
was like a nightmare picture1  a poem   

evolved from a distorted imagination4 ,i
 say a poem because it had  the elements
 of poetry in it1 but it was the poetry 
of ineffable human  sadness4            
,illustration3 ,,in ,,the ,,chapel3     
,,daybreak4    ,truly it is singular    
that men can so strengthen their faith1 
so enwrap  themselves1 as it were1 in a 
gloomy creed1 that they are willing to  
deny  themselves every pleasure in life1
 to shut themselves off from all that   
is joyous and beautiful in the world1 in
 order to submit to an endless          
sorrowing for human sins2 a sorrowing   
that finds expression every hour  of    
their lonely1 saddened lives4 ,for from 
sunset to sunrise1 and sunrise  to      
sunset again1 they are warned by the    
mournful tolling of the iron  bell1     
every quivering stroke of which seems to
 say death1 to pray  without ceasing4   
,illustration3 ,a ,,monks ,,cell        
,many of the monks at the ,grande       
,chartreuse are still in the very prime 
of their manhood1 and not a few of them 

are members of distinguished and        
wealthy families4 ,yet they have        
renounced everything2 all the advantages
  that influence and wealth could give  
them2 all the comforts of home2 the     
love of wife and children2 the          
fascination of travel and of strange    
sights--every temptation that this most 
beautiful world could hold out  has been
 resisted1 and they have dedicated      
themselves to gloom1 fasting1  and      
silence4 ,verily1 human nature is an    
unfathomable mystery4 ,one may  well ask
 if these monks are truly happy8 ,if    
they have no longings for  the          
flesh-pots of ,egypt8 ,if they do not   
sometimes pine and sigh for the  busy   
haunts and the excitement of the great  
towns8 ,such questions are  not easily  
answered1 unless we get the answer in   
the fact that the  monastic vows are    
faithfully and religiously kept2 and    
there is no  record of a ,carthusian    
monk ever having broken his vow4 ,surely
 then  there must be something          

strangely1 even terribly attractive in  
that  stern life which is so full of    
hardship and trial1 and from year's end 
to year's end knows no change1 until the
 great change which comes to us  all1   
sooner or later1 whether we be monks or 
revellers4    ,i have already mentioned 
that notwithstanding their sparse and   
meagre  diet1 which seems to us ordinary
 mortals to lack nutriment and          
sustaining power1 the monks of the      
,grande ,chartreuse are healthy and     
vigorous4 ,the ,brothers labour in their
 fields and gardens1 and they  cultivate
 all the vegetables that they use1 as   
well as grow most of  their own corn for
 the bread4 ,they do any bricklaying1   
carpentering1 or  painting that may be  
required1 as well as all the washing and
 mending of  the establishment1 for a   
woman is never allowed to enter the     
sacred  precincts4 ,the furniture of    
each cell consists of a very narrow bed 
as  hard as a board1 and with little    
covering2 a small stove1 for the        

rigours of the climate render a fire    
indispensable at times1 and yet the     
fires are used but sparingly2 a little  
basin1 with a jug of water for          
ablutions2 and of course there is the   
prie-dieu1 and the image of a  saint4   
,attached to the convent is a cemetery1 
which cannot fail to have  a very       
melancholy interest for the visitor4 ,it
 is divided into two  parts1 one being  
for the ,fathers1 the other for the     
,brothers1 for as the  two branches of  
the ,order are kept distinct in life1 so
 they are  separated in death4 ,no      
mounds mark the last resting-places of  
the quiet  sleepers2 but at the head of 
each is a wooden cross1 though it bears 
no  indication of the name1 age1 or date
 of death of the deceased--only a       
number4 ,having played his little part  
and returned to the dust from  whence he
 sprang1 it is considered meet that the 
,carthusian should be  forgotten4 ,and  
the cross is merely an indication that  
beneath moulder  the remains of what was

 once a man4    ,as is well known1 the  
monks distil the famous liqueur which   
finds its  way to all parts of the      
world1 and yields a very handsome       
revenue4 ,the  process of its concoction
 is an inviolable secret1 but it is     
largely  composed of herbs and cognac4  
,it is said that the recipe was brought 
to  the convent by one of the fathers1  
who had been expelled in #agib1 and     
that at first the liqueur was used as a 
medicine and distributed amongst  the   
poor4 ,in the course of time1 however1  
it was improved upon1 for its  fame     
having spread a demand for it sprang up1
 and it was resolved to  make it an     
article of commerce4 ,for this purpose a
 separate building was  erected apart   
from the monastery1 and placed in charge
 of one of the  ,fathers1 who has a     
staff of brothers under him4 ,the basis 
of the liqueur  is supposed to be an    
indigenous mountain herb combined with  
the petals  of certain wild flowers4    
,these are macerated with honey until   

fermentation takes place4 ,the liquid is
 then refined and brandy is  added4     
,formerly it was made without brandy4   
,the green is most favoured  by         
connaisseurs1 and its exquisite1        
delicate fragrance and flavour have     
never been imitated4 ,more care is      
bestowed upon the green than the        
yellow1 which is somewhat inferior in   
quality and of a coarser  flavour4 ,on  
several occasions very large sums have  
been offered for the  right to          
manufacture the chartreuse by financial 
speculators1 but all  such offers have  
been resolutely refused4 ,although ,i   
believe that the  greater part of the   
income of the convent is spent in deeds 
of charity1  it may be doubted by some  
people whether it is not a somewhat     
questionable way for a religious ,order 
to augment its funds by the  preparation
 of an intoxicating liquor for which1   
according to their own  doctrine1 there 
is absolutely no need4 ,the chartreuse  
has a strong rival  in the well-known   

benedictine1 made by the ,benedictine   
,monks2 and which1  while being similar 
in character1 is said by some to be     
superior4 ,there  is little doubt1      
however1 that the chartreuse has much   
the larger sale  of the two4 ,many      
attempts have been made from time to    
time by outsiders  to manufacture both  
these liqueurs1 but without success1 and
 the exact  secret of their decoction is
 as religiously preserved as are the    
secrets  of ,freemasonry4    ,like the  
,great ,st4 ,bernard1 the ,grande       
,chartreuse1 though not to the  same    
extent1 is a show place in summer4      
,perhaps this is hardly a fair  way of  
putting it1 for it would be a cruel     
injustice to let it be  supposed that   
the ,chartreux had the slightest desire 
to make an  exhibition of their lonely  
convent4 ,but the travelling facilities 
afforded the tourist nowadays enable him
 to penetrate to the remotest  recesses 
of the earth4 ,no place is sacred to    
him2 and as he thinks  nothing of going 

into a ,continental theatre dressed in a
 tweed suit1 so  he does not hesitate1  
garbed in hob-nailed boots and          
knickerbockers1 to  demand entrance into
 the ,grande ,chartreuse1 whose mystery 
he does not  understand and cares nought
 for1 and whose solemnity does not awe  
him4  ,to refuse hospitality even to the
 irreverent curiosity-monger would be   
contrary to the ,carthusian's creed1    
which teaches charity to all men1  and  
to turn no deaf ear to him who asks for 
bread and succour4 ,and so  anything of 
the masculine gender is admitted and fed
 with the frugal  fare that is now      
specially provided for visitors2 and    
very properly he  who partakes of this  
hospitality1 not being in actual want of
 it1 is  required to pay for his        
entertainment4 ,the ordinary visitor is 
not  allowed to pass the night under the
 roof of the convent1 and therefore     
that strange and ghostly service in the 
chapel during the hours of  darkness is 
rarely witnessed4 ,the ,grande          

,chartreuse boasts of a  magnificent    
library1 which numbers upwards of       
#bj1jjj volumes1 for the  most part of a
 theological nature4 ,many of these     
books are unique and of  great age1 and 
to the theological student would        
probably prove a mine of  wealth4       
,amongst the volumes are some very rare 
,bibles and ,prayer-books  of nearly    
every civilised country in the world4   
,this library replaces  the one that was
 destroyed1 and has been collected      
during the present  century4            
,illustration3 ,,carthusian ,,brothers  
,,in ,,the ,,kitchen    ,what is known  
as the ,chapter-room is an exception to 
the rest of the  place1 inasmuch as it  
is hung with portraits of the ,father   
,superiors  from the very foundation of 
the ,order4 ,there are about fifty of   
these  portraits altogether1 and some of
 the earlier ones are more curious than 
artistic4 ,the ,superiors are the only  
men of the ,order whose memory is  thus 
kept alive4    ,the ,grand ,cloister is 

the largest apartment in the building4  
,it is a not  quite perfect square1 and 
is lighted by a hundred and thirty      
windows4 ,a  portion of this cloister   
dates back to the early part of the     
thirteenth  century4 ,there are two main
 corridors1 seven hundred and twenty-two
 feet  long1 and abutting on these      
corridors are the cells1 thirty-six in  
number4 ,there is also a ,chapelle des  
,morts1 built about the end of the      
thirteenth century4 ,here the bodies of 
the dead monks rest during the          
religious services that are held over   
them before they are finally  consigned 
to the little cemetery to which ,i have 
already made reference4  ,nor must ,i   
forget to mention what is known as the  
,map-room1 where there  is a very       
valuable collection of maps of different
 parts of the world1  but particularly  
of ,france4 ,there is also a small      
museum of insects and  butterflies      
indigenous to the mountains of the      
region in which the  convent is         

situated4 ,that region is the southern  
group of the singularly  interesting    
limestone ,alps of ,savoy1 and the      
convent stands in about the  middle     
section of the group which culminates in
 the ,pointe de  ,chamchaude1 #f1hde    
feet high4    ,in choosing the site for 
the convent1 there is little doubt that 
isolation as well as a position of      
natural defence were aimed at4          
,isolated it truly is1 and up to a      
couple of hundred years ago it must     
have been absolutely impregnable4 ,but  
it is well known that the monks of  old 
had an eye also to beauty of            
surroundings1 and it is doubtful if the 
faithful followers of ,st4 ,bruno could 
have found a site commanding a  view of 
more magnificent beauty in all ,france  
than that which the ,grande  ,chartreuse
 occupies1 and by ascending to the      
summit of the ,grand ,som1  which throws
 its shadow over the convent1 a panorama
 of unsurpassed  grandeur is unfolded to
 the wondering gaze4 ,to the west it    

embraces the  valley of the ,rhne1 the  
town of ,lyons1 and the mountains of    
,ardche and  ,forez2 to the east the    
chain of glittering ,alps that stretches
 from ,mont  ,visio to ,mont ,blanc2 to 
the north is the ,mont du ,chat of      
,chambry1 the  ,lake of ,bourget1 and   
that part of the ,rhne ,valley which is 
bounded by  the rugged peaks of the     
purple ,jura1 while to the south are    
smiling  valleys and rolling uplands4   
,this view of the outer world is all the
 monks ever obtain1 for1 having  once   
taken the vows1 they leave the convent  
no more2 and they know  little of what  
goes on in the busy haunts of men1 where
 the passion of  life reaches fever     
heat1 save what they gather from the    
chattering of  the throngs of summer    
idlers4 ,in winter they live in a       
silent1 white  world1 and the face of a 
stranger is very rarely seen4    ,before
 leaving the neighbourhood ,i paid a    
visit to the ,chapelle de ,st4  ,bruno1 
which is within half an hour's walk of  

the monastery4 ,it is  erected in a very
 wild spot1 said to be the site of the  
saint's original  hermitage4 ,there is  
nothing particularly interesting in the 
chapel1  which is in a state of         
dilapidation4 ,but it is curious to     
speculate that  here dwelt1 in what was 
little more than a cavern1 the man who1 
by the  austerity of his life and his   
gloomy views1 was able to found a       
religious ,order which has endured for  
many ages1 and is one of the few  that  
escaped destruction during the          
revolutions and upheavals of the  last  
century4 ,the situation of the ,chapelle
 is one of singular  loneliness and     
desolation1 and for eight months of the 
year at least it  is buried in snow4    
,as ,i turned my back upon the ,grande  
,chartreuse1 after that memorable  night
 spent under its roof1 and feeling      
grateful for the shelter and            
refreshment it had afforded me1 the     
morning sun was gilding the glorious    
landscape1 and ,i breathed a sigh of    

relief and gladness1 for ,i seemed to   
have come from a region of sorrow and   
gloom1 where the coldness of death  was 
ever present1 into the healthy1 joyous  
life of the throbbing1  breathing world4
    ,illustration3 ,,chapel ,,of ,,st4  
,,bruno                 ,portraits of   
,celebrities at different times of their
 ,lives4                           ,,her
 ,,majesty ,,queen ,,victoria4          
,illustration3 ,from a ,drawing by ,sir 
,thomas ,lawrence1 ,p4,r4,a4    ,,age #f
 ,,months4    ,illustration3 ,from a    
,,age #h4 ,miniature4    ,illustration3 
,from a ,drawing by ,,age #ah4 ,r4      
,lane1 ,a4,r4,a4    ,illustration3 ,from
 a ,painting by ,,age #de4 ,a4 ,gracfle4
    ,illustration3 ,from a ,photo4 by   
,,present ,,day4 ,wallery4    ,,we here 
present a series of portraits of the    
,queen1  which1 together with the       
portrait given on our first page1       
completely  represent the features of   
,her ,majesty from baby-hood until the  
present  day4                           

,,princess ,,beatrice4                  
,,born #aheg4    ,,it is fitting that   
next the portraits of ,her ,majesty the 
,queen should be placed those of the    
daughter who has been her most  constant
 companion of late years4               
,illustration3 ,from a ,,age #d4        
,photograph4    ,illustration3 ,from a  
,painting by ,,age #g4 ,lauchert4       
,illustration3 ,from a ,lithograph by   
,maclure  ,macdonald4    ,,age #ag4     
,illustration3 ,from a ,photo4 by       
,,present ,,day4 ,messrs4 ,elliott      
,fry4                         ,,the     
,,empress ,,frederick ,,of ,,germany4   
,,baby1 child1 bride1 and widow--such   
are the four portraits of the  ,queen's 
eldest daughter which we give above4 ,an
 earlier portrait even  than the first  
of these1 and one of the most           
interesting in existence1  is that which
 the ,queen with her own hand depicted  
of her baby while it  was still in      
swaddling-clothes1 and which we have the
 pleasure of  presenting to our readers 

as the frontispiece of the present      
number4    ,illustration3 ,from a       
,miniature by ,w4 ,c4 ,ross1 ,a4,r4,a41 
,miniature  ,painter to the ,queen4     
,,age #ab ,,months4    ,illustration3   
,from a ,,age #f4 ,painting4            
,illustration3 ,from a ,picture by ,,age
 #ah4 ,f4 ,winterhalter4                
,illustration3 ,from a ,photo by        
,,present ,,day4 ,byrne  ,co41          
,richmond4                              
,,the ,,duke ,,of                       
,,argyll4                               
,born #ahbc4    ,,at the age of         
eight-and-twenty the ,duke of ,argyll1  
who had succeeded to  the dukedom four  
years earlier1 was already well known as
 a writer1 a  politician1 and a public  
speaker1 and as one who took keen       
interest in  all ,scottish questions    
which came before the public4 ,at this  
age1 also1  he was elected ,chancellor  
of the ,university of ,st4 ,andrews1 and
 was  already1 what he has since        
remained1 one of the most prominent     

figures  in the ,house of ,lords4 ,the  
,duke1 who has held many of the highest 
offices1 in various ,governments1 was1  
at the age at which he is  represented  
in our second picture1 ,secretary of    
,state for ,india under  ,mr4           
,gladstone4 ,but as a politician the    
,duke's position is not easy to  define2
 he has been described as ,whig by      
family1 ,liberal by intellect1          
,independent by nature1 and             
,conservative by inclination4 ,but it is
 in  questions of science and theology  
rather than in politics that the        
,duke's name is known1 and his most     
celebrated book1 ,the ,reign of ,law1   
was considered by ,darwin himself so    
powerful an attack upon the ,theory  of 
,descent as to call for special         
refutation4    ,illustration3 ,from a   
,drawing by   ,,age #bh4   ,j4 ,e4      
,swinton4    ,illustration3 ,from a     
,photo4 by   ,,age #de4  ,messrs4       
,elliott  ,fry4    ,illustration3 ,from 
a ,photo4 by   ,,age #fg4  ,messrs4     

,elliott  ,fry4                         
,h4 ,,beerbohm ,,tree4    ,,the first   
photograph we give of ,mr4 ,herbert     
,beerbohm ,tree1 shows him at  the age  
of five1 then a cherubic and rosy boy of
 seemingly serious  disposition4 ,the   
second likeness represents him at       
seventeen1 soon after  he had left the  
college of ,schnepfenthal in ,thuringia1
 where he received  his education1 but  
where1 according to his own modest      
statement1 he  acquired no distinction  
in the walks of learning4 ,but so great 
was his  evident talent for acting that 
he was persuaded to adopt the stage as a
  profession1 with what instant success 
we all know4 ,he became manager of  the 
,haymarket in #ahhg4 ,as a manager he   
has shown not only enterprise1  but an  
almost quixotic liberality4 ,his latest 
,monday night venture has  proved one of
 the happiest of his many happy         
thoughts4    ,for leave to reproduce    
these portraits we have to thank the    
kindness of  ,mr4 ,beerbohm ,tree4      

,illustration3 ,from a   ,,age #e4      
,photograph4    ,illustration3 ,from a  
,photo4 by   ,,age #ag4  ,the           
,stereoscopic ,co4    ,illustration3    
,from a ,photo4 by   ,,age #bi4   ,a4   
,bassano4    ,illustration3 ,from a     
,photo4 by   ,,age #cf4   ,the          
,stereoscopic ,co4                      
,,william ,,black4                      
,,born #ahda4    ,,mr4 ,,black',s       
ambition as a boy was to become an      
artist1 and he studied  for a short time
 in the ,school of ,art at ,glasgow1 in 
which city he was  born4 ,as an artist1 
he tells us1 ,i was a complete failure1 
and so  qualified myself for a time in  
after life as an art critic4 ,yet in    
feeling for the beauty of sea1 forest1  
moor1 and hill1 and in graphic  power of
 painting them in words1 ,mr4 ,black has
 rarely had a rival4 ,at  twenty1 the   
age at which our first portrait shows   
him1 he had already  turned to          
journalism1 and was writing in the      
,glasgow ,weekly ,citizen4  ,three years

 afterwards he came to ,london1 where he
 wrote for newspapers  and magazines4   
,during the ,prusso-,austrian ,war of   
#ahff he acted as the  ,special         
,correspondent of the ,morning ,star4   
,scenes taken from his  adventures      
appeared in his first novel1 ,love or   
,marriage1 which he  wrote on his       
return4 ,several other novels followed  
during the next four  or five years1    
none of which had any great success2 but
 in #ahga1 just at  the age depicted in 
our second portrait1 ,mr4 ,black        
produced the striking  story--,a        
,daughter of ,heth4 ,since then1 his    
books have become household  words1 and 
probably no living author has given     
pleasure to so many  readers by means at
 once so simple and so fine4 ,with less 
of plot and  startling incident than    
almost any novelist1 ,mr4 ,black has two
 points of  excellence in which he      
stands alone--in power of painting      
scenery and of  depicting charming      
girls4    ,we are indebted for these    

portraits to the courtesy of ,mr4       
,black4    ,illustration3 ,from a       
,photo4 by   ,,age #bj4   ,cramb ,bros41
 ,glasgow4    ,illustration3 ,from a    
,photo4 by   ,,age #cj4   ,sarony1      
,birmingham4    ,illustration3 ,from a  
,photo4 by   ,,age #de4   ,messrs4      
,elliott   ,fry4                        
,,charles ,,wyndham4    ,,mr4 ,,charles 
,,wyndham was1 at eighteen1 the age at  
which our first  portrait represents    
him1 a medical student at ,liverpool1 at
 which city  he was born2 but having    
taken his degrees of ,l4,r4,c4,s4 and   
,l4,s4,a41 he  went1 at twenty-one1 to  
,america1 and made his first appearance 
as an  actor at ,washington1 with ,john 
,wilkes ,booth1 to whose ,hamlet he     
played  ,osric4 ,booth1 who perhaps was 
never wholly sane1 and who three years  
later made himself a name of world-wide 
infamy by shooting ,president  ,lincoln 
in a theatre-box1 saw so little sign of 
genius in the new actor  that he        
discharged him for incompetency4 ,mr4   

,wyndham then served as  surgeon to the 
#aith ,army ,corps1 and was present at  
some of the most  deadly battles of the 
,civil ,war4 ,his appearance at that    
time was that of  our second portrait1  
which represents him in his uniform4    
,two years  later1 on his return to     
,england1 he again went on the boards1  
and  entered at once upon the career    
which has long been recognised as that  
of the finest light comedian at present 
on the stage4    ,illustration3 ,from a 
,,age #ah4      ,miniature4             
,illustration3 ,from a ,photo1 by       
,,age #bb4      ,purviance1 ,new  ,york4
    ,illustration3 ,from a ,photo1 by   
,,present ,,day4      ,vernon  ,heath4  
,,henry ,m4 ,,stanley4    ,,at #ai1     
,john ,rowlands1 a poor ,welsh boy1 had 
emigrated to ,america1 had  been adopted
 by a merchant of the name of ,stanley1 
and had assumed the  latter name4 ,at   
#bb1 his adopting father having died    
without a will1  young ,stanley was     
serving as a petty officer on board the 

war-ship  ,minnesota4 ,at #bf he had    
become a journalist1 and was about to   
represent the ,new ,york ,herald with   
the ,british army in ,abyssinia4 ,on    
returning from this expedition he       
delivered lectures on his adventures1  a
 handbill of which we reproduce on the  
page opposite1 as a veritable           
curiosity4 ,at #ca he had discovered    
,dr4 ,livingstone1 and had returned     
with glory4 ,what ,mr4 ,stanley has done
 recently is known to all the  world4   
,illustration3 ,from a      ,,age #ai4  
,photograph4    ,illustration3 ,from a  
,,age #bb4      ,photograph4            
,illustration3 ,from a ,photo4 by       
,,age #bf4      ,rockwell  ,co41  ,new  
,york4    ,illustration3 ,from a ,photo4
 by      ,,age #ca      ,the            
,stereoscopic  ,co4    ,illustration3   
,from a ,photo4 by      ,,present ,,day4
      ,john ,fergus1  ,cannes4          
,illustration3 ,fac-simile of ,handbill 
of ,mr4 ,h4 ,m4 ,,stanley's first       
,lecture in ,america4    7,half original

 size47              ,stories of the    
,victoria ,cross3 ,told by ,those who   
have ,won it4      ,,no tales of heroism
 are more thrilling and exciting than   
the narratives  of the exploits which   
have gained the coveted reward of the   
,victoria  ,cross2 and a story never has
 so much reality and vividness as when  
it  comes first-hand from the performer 
of the deed4 ,accordingly1 we have      
asked a number of the heroes of the     
,victoria ,cross--a truly noble         
army--to relate in their own language   
how they came to win the most  glorious 
decoration open to a soldier1 the plain 
bronze cross ,for  ,valour4 ,the        
narratives which follow require no      
further introduction1  and will1 we     
think1 be found to possess an interest  
which is all their  own--the interest   
and impression of reality4              
,,sergeant ,,ablett4    ,one of the most
 gallant acts which can be conceived is 
the seizing a  live shell and casting it
 away1 so as to prevent mischief from   

its  explosion4 ,a second's delay may be
 fatal1 and the man who picks up the    
shell cannot tell whether the second in 
question will be allowed him4 ,if  it   
bursts in his hands it means certain    
death4 ,not only the greatest1  but also
 the promptest1 courage is needed for   
such an act of courage4  ,among the few 
who have performed such a feat is       
,sergeant ,ablett1 late  ,grenadier     
,guards1 whose own modest account is as 
follows3--        ,on the #bnd          
,september1 #ahed1 when in the trenches 
before      ,sebastopol1 the sentries   
shouted ,look out there6 a shell        
coming right in the trenches at the same
 moment and dropping      amongst some  
barrels of ammunition4 ,i at once pulled
 it from      them4 ,it ran between my  
legs1 and ,i then picked it up and threw
      it out of the trench2 it burst as 
it touched the ground4 ,from      the   
force of it ,i fell1 and was covered by 
its explosion with      gravel and dirt4
        ,sergeant ,baker and others     

picked me up1 and asked if ,i was hurt4 
,i said1 ,no2 but ,i have had a good    
shaking4 ,there was a great      number 
in the trenches at the time1 but ,i am  
glad to say no one      was hurt4 ,the  
,sergeant reported the circumstances to 
the officer      in charge4        ,on  
coming off duty ,i was taken before the 
commanding officer1      and promoted to
 the rank of ,corporal1 and then        
,sergeant4 ,he also      presented me   
with a silk necktie made by her most    
gracious      ,majesty4 ,i was at the   
battles of ,alma1 ,balaclava1 ,inkerman1
 and      the capture of ,sebastopol    
after eleven months' siege4 ,this is    
all ,i think ,i need say as to myself   
and the ,victoria ,cross4 ,my           
likeness is to be found in ,victoria    
,cross ,picture ,gallery1      ,crystal 
,palace1 and ,alexandra ,palace4        
,illustration3 ,i ,,threw ,,it ,,out    
,,of ,,the ,,trench4                    
,,major ,,john ,,berryman4    ,among    
those who won the ,victoria ,cross at   

,balaclava none gained it more  worthily
 than ,major ,john ,berryman1 who served
 in the ,crimea as  ,troop-,sergeant    
,major in the #agth ,lancers4 ,this is  
how ,major ,berryman  describes the     
charge of the ,light ,brigade3--        
,gallop6 was the order as the firing    
became general4 ,and here a             
discharge from the battery in our front1
 whose guns were doubly      shotted1   
first with shot or shell1 and then with 
case1 swept      away ,captain ,winter  
and the whole division on my right4 ,the
 gap      was noticed by ,captain       
,morris1 who gave the order1 ,right     
incline1 but a warning voice came from  
my coverer in the rear      rank        
7,corporal ,john ,penn71 ,keep straight 
on1 ,jack2 keep      straight on4 ,he   
saw what ,i did not1 that we were       
opposite the      intervals of the guns1
 and thus we escaped1 for the next round
      must have swept us into eternity4 
,my attention here was      attracted to
 ,james ,melrose1 a ,shakespearian      

reciter1 calling      out1 ,what man    
here would ask another man from         
,england8 ,poor      fellow1 they were  
the last words he spoke1 for the next   
round      from the guns killed him and 
many others4 ,we were then so close     
to the guns that the report rang through
 my head1 and ,i felt      that ,i was  
quite deaf for a time4 ,it was this     
round that broke      my mare's off hind
 leg1 and caused her to stop instantly4 
,i felt      that ,i was hit1 but not   
till ,i dismounted4 ,seeing that the    
mare's leg was broken1 ,i debated in my 
own mind whether to shoot      her or   
not1 when ,captain ,webb came up to me1 
and asked me1 was ,i      wounded8 ,i   
replied1 ,only slightly1 ,i thought1 in 
the leg1 but      that my horse was     
shot4 ,i then asked1 ,are you hurt1 sir8
 ,he      said that he was1 and in the  
leg1 too2 what had he better do8        
,keep to your horse1 sir1 and get back  
as far as you can4 ,he      turned1 and 
rode back4 ,i now caught a loose horse1 

and got on to      his back1 but he fell
 directly1 the brass of the breast-plate
      having been driven into his chest4
 ,seeing that there was no hope      of 
my joining the regiment in the mle1 and 
the #aath ,hussars      being close upon
 me1 ,i moved a little to the right1 so 
as to      pass through the interval    
between the squadrons4 ,both squadrons  
closed in a little1 and let me pass     
through4 ,i well remember      that     
,sergeant ,gutteridge was the right     
guide of the #bnd      squadron4        
,finding that ,captain ,webb had halted1
 ,i ran to him1      and on inquiries   
found that his wound was so painful that
 he      could not ride any further4    
,lieutenant ,george ,smith1 of my own   
regiment1 coming by1 ,i got him to stand
 at the horse's head      whilst ,i     
lifted the captain off4 ,having         
accomplished this1 ,i      assisted     
,smith to mount ,webb's horse1 and ride 
for a stretcher1      taking notice     
where we were4 ,by this time the        

,russians had got      back to their    
guns1 and re-opened fire4 ,i saw six men
 of my own      regiment get together to
 recount to each other their escapes4   
,seeing their danger1 ,i called to them 
to separate1 but too late1      for a   
shell dropped amongst them1 and ,i don't
 think one escaped      alive4 ,hearing 
me call to these men1 ,captain ,webb    
asked what ,i      thought the ,russians
 would do8        ,they are sure to     
pursue1 sir1 unless the ,heavy ,brigade 
comes      down4        ,then you had   
better consult your own safety1 and     
leave me4        ,oh no1 sir1 ,i shall  
not leave you now4        ,perhaps they 
will only take me prisoner4        ,if  
they do1 sir1 we will go together4      
,don't mind me1 look to yourself4       
,all right1 sir2 only we will go        
together1 whatever happens4        ,just
 at this time ,i saw ,sergeant ,farrell 
coming by4 ,i called to      him4 ,he   
asked1 ,who is it8 ,when told1 he came  
over4 ,i said1 ,we      must get        

,captain ,webb out of this1 for we shall
 be pursued4        ,he agreeing1 we    
made a chair of our hands1 lifted the   
,captain      up1 and found that we     
could carry him with comparative ease4  
,we      had got about #bjj yards in    
this manner1 when the ,captain          
complained that his leg was very        
painful4 ,a private of the #acth        
being near1 ,malone1 ,i asked him would 
he be good enough to      support       
,captain ,webb's legs1 until we could   
procure a stretcher8      ,he did so1   
and several of the officers passed us4  
,sir ,g4      ,wombwell said1 ,what is  
the matter1 ,peck8 7,captain ,webb's    
nickname47        ,hit in the leg1 old  
fellow4 ,how did you escape8            
,well1 ,i was unhorsed and taken        
prisoner1 but when the second      line 
came down1 in the confusion ,i got away1
 and1 seizing the      first horse ,i   
could1 ,i got away1 and ,i find that it 
is      ,morris's4        ,sir ,w4      
,gordon made the same inquiry1 and got  

the same answer4 ,he      had a very    
nasty cut on the head1 and blood was    
then running      down his face4 ,he was
 carrying his dress cap in his hand4 ,we
 had      now reached the rear of the   
,greys1 and ,i procured a stretcher     
from two ,infantry band boys1 and a     
young officer of the ,greys      gave me
 a tourniquet1 saying that he did not   
know how to apply      it1 but perhaps  
,i might4 ,i put it on the right thigh1 
and      screwed it up4 ,doctor ,kendal 
came here1 and ,i pointed out what ,i   
had done1 and asked was it right8       
,i could not have done it better myself2
 bring him along4        ,illustration3 
,i ,,lifted ,,the ,,captain ,,off4      
,i and ,farrell now raised the stretcher
 and carried it for about      fifty    
yards1 and again set it down4 ,i was    
made aware of an      officer of the    
,chasseurs d',afrique being on my left  
by his      placing his hand upon my    
shoulder4 ,i turned and saluted4        
,pointing to ,captain ,webb1 but looking

 at me1 he said3--        ,your officer8
        ,yes4        ,ah6 and you       
sergeant8 looking at the stripes on my  
arm4        ,yes4        ,ah6 ,if you   
were in ,french service1 ,i would make  
you an officer      on the spot4 ,then1 
standing in his stirrups and extending  
his      right hand1 said3--        ,oh6
 it was grand1 it was magnifique1 but it
 is not war1 it is      not war4        
,this officer was ,general ,morris4 ,we 
resumed our patient1 and got      to the
 doctors 7,massy and ,kendal74 ,i saw   
the boot cut off and      the nature of 
the wound1 the right shin bone being    
shattered4      ,farrell made an        
exclamation1 and ,i was motioned to take
 him      away4 ,i told him that ,i     
should go and see the end of it4 ,he    
said      that he was too exhausted to  
do any more4 ,finding a horse in the    
lines1 ,i mounted him1 although the     
animal belonged to the #dth      ,light 
,dragoons1 and thus dropped in behind   
the ,duke of      ,cambridge1 and heard 

what passed4 ,the ,duke1 speaking to    
,lord      ,cardigan1 said3--           
,cardigan1 where's the ,brigade1 then8  
,there1 said ,cardigan4        ,is that 
all of them8 ,you have lost the finest  
,brigade that ever      left the shores 
of ,england4        ,a little further on
 he spoke to ,captain ,godfrey ,morgan  
7,lord      ,tredegar73--               
,morgan1 where's the regiment1 then8    
,your ,royal ,highness1 that is all of  
them6        ,my poor regiment1 my poor 
regiment6        ,i now took my place in
 the ranks1 and1 in numbering off1 being
      on the extreme left1 ,i counted   
#bb4 ,we fell back during the           
night1 and1 being dismounted1 ,i1 with  
my servant1 was left      behind4 ,i    
suffered intensely with my head1 and got
 a napkin and      tied it as tightly as
 possible round my brows4 ,i also had   
time      to examine my wound1 which was
 inside the calf of my leg4 ,a          
small piece about the size of a shilling
 had been cut clean out      of my leg2 

but except that the blood had run into  
my boots1 ,i      felt but very little  
inconvenience from it4 ,cold water      
bandage      was all ,i used2 but1      
unfortunately1 scurvy got to it1 and it 
was      a long time healing4           
,,private ,,william ,,norman4           
,private ,william ,norman1 of the #gth  
,regiment1 in a true modest and         
soldier-like style thus describes the   
exploit which won for him the  ,victoria
 ,cross3--        ,on the night of      
,december #ai1 #ahed1 ,i was placed on  
single sentry      at some distance in  
front of the advanced sentries of an    
out-lying picquet in the ,white ,horse  
,ravine--a post of much      danger1 and
 requiring great vigilance4 ,the        
,russian picquet was      posted #cjj   
yards in our front4 ,three ,russian     
soldiers advanced      under cover of   
the brushwood for the purpose of        
reconnoitring4 ,i      immediately fired
 my rifle1 which was the signal of      
alarm1 and      then jumped into the    

trench almost on the top of the three   
,russians1 two of whom ,i succeeded     
single-handed in taking      prisoners1 
and marched them into our lines1 the    
other one having      fled back to the  
,russian lines4        ,illustration3 ,i
 ,,jumped ,,almost ,,on ,,the ,,top ,,of
 ,,three ,,russians4        ,my feelings
 ,i can hardly describe1 as what ,i did 
was on the spur      of the moment4 ,but
 it was no doubt the means of saving our
      position4                         
,,private ,,james ,,davis4    ,the      
attack on ,fort ,ruhiya on ,april #ae1  
#aheh1 gave an opportunity for  much    
display of courage and devotion4 ,among 
those who conspicuously  distinguished  
themselves was ,private ,james ,davis1  
of the #dbnd  ,highlanders4 ,this       
gallant soldier1 who had previously     
served throughout  the ,crimean ,war1   
also saw much fighting during the       
,indian ,mutiny1 and  for his conduct at
 ,fort ,ruhiya was awarded the ,victoria
 ,cross4    ,the following is his       

account of the feat which won for him   
the  much-prized honour3--        ,i    
belonged to the ,light ,company1 under  
the command of ,captain      7now ,sir  
,john7 ,macleod4  ,we got orders to lie 
down under some      trees for a short  
time4 ,two ,engineer officers came up   
and asked      for some men to come with
 them to see where they could make a    
breach with the artillery4 ,i was one   
who went4 ,there was a small      garden
 ditch under the walls of the fort1 not 
high enough to      cover our heads4    
,after a short time the officers left4  
,i was on      the right of the ditch   
with ,lieut4 ,alfred ,jennings ,bramley1
 of      ,tunbridge ,wells1 as brave a  
young officer as ever drew sword1       
and saw a large force coming out to cut 
us off4 ,he said1 ,try      and shoot   
the leader4 ,i will run down and tell   
,macleod4 ,the      leader was shot1 by 
whom ,i don't know4 ,i never took credit
 for      shooting anyone4 ,before poor 
,bramley got down he was shot in the    

temple1 but not dead4 ,he died during   
the night4        ,illustration3 ,i     
,,ran ,,across ,,the ,,open ,,space4    
,the captain said1 ,we can't leave him4 
,who will take him out8 ,i      said1 ,i
 will4 ,the fort was firing hard all the
 time4 ,i said1      ,eadie1 give me a  
hand4 ,put him on my back4 ,as he was   
doing so      he was shot in the back of
 the head1 knocking me down1 his blood  
running down my back4 ,a man crawled    
over and pulled ,eadie off4      ,at    
this time ,i thought ,i was shot1 the   
warm blood running down      my back4   
,the captain said1 ,we can't lose any   
more lives4 ,are      you wounded8 ,i   
said1 ,i don't think ,i am4 ,he said1   
,will you      still take him out8 ,i   
said1 ,yes4 ,he was such a brave young  
fellow that the company all loved him4  
,i got him on my back      again1 and   
told him to take me tight round the     
neck4 ,i ran      across the open space4
 ,during the time his watch fell out2 ,i
 did      not like to leave it1 so ,i   

sat down and picked it up1 all the      
time under a heavy fire4 ,there was a   
man of the name of ,dods1      who came 
and took him off my back4 ,i went back  
again through the      same fire1 and   
helped to take up the man ,eadie4 ,then 
,i returned      for my rifle1 and      
firing a volley we all left4 ,it was a  
badly      managed affair altogether4   
,,private ,,robert ,,jones4             
,illustration3 ,,fighting ,,at ,,the    
,,door4    ,at the gallant defence of   
the fort at ,rorke's ,drift1 every man  
fought  like a hero1 but some were      
fortunate enough to attract the         
particular  attention of their          
superiors4 ,among these was a private of
 the #bdth  ,regiment1 named ,robert    
,jones1 who obtained the ,victoria      
,cross for his  conduct on the occasion4
 ,his story is as follows3--        ,on 
the #bbnd ,january1 #ahgi1 the ,zulus   
attacked us1 we being only      a small 
band of ,english soldiers and they in   
very strong and      overwhelming       

numbers4 ,on commencing fighting1 ,i was
 one of the      soldiers who were in   
the hospital to protect it4 ,i and      
another      soldier of the name of     
,william ,jones were on duty at the back
 of      the hospital1 trying to defeat 
and drive back the rebels1 and          
doing our endeavours to convey the      
wounded and sick soldiers out           
through a hole in the wall1 so that they
 might reach in safety      the small   
band of men in the square4 ,on retiring 
from one room      into another1 after  
taking a wounded man by the name of     
,mayer1      belonging to the           
volunteers1 to join ,william ,jones1 ,i 
found a      crowd in front of the      
hospital and coming into the doorway4 ,i
      said to my companion1 ',they are  
on top of us1' and sprang to one        
side of the doorway4 ,there we crossed  
our bayonets1 and as fast      as they  
came up to the doorway we bayoneted     
them1 until the      doorway was nearly 
filled with dead and wounded ,zulus4 ,in

 the      meanwhile1 ,i had three       
assegai wounds1 two in the right side   
and      one in the left of my body4 ,we
 did not know of anyone being in        
the hospital1 only the ,zulus1 and then 
after a long time of      fighting at   
the door1 we made the enemy retire1 and 
then we made      our escape out of the 
building4 ,just as ,i got outside1 the  
roof      fell in--a complete mass of   
flames and fire4 ,i had to cross a      
space of about twenty or thirty yards   
from the ruins of the      hospital to  
the leagued company where they were     
keeping the      enemy at bay4 ,while ,i
 was crossing the front of the square1  
the      bullets were whishing past me  
from every direction4 ,when ,i got      
in1 the enemy came on closer and closer1
 until they were close      to the outer
 side of our laager1 which was made up  
of boxes of      biscuits on sacks of   
,indian corn4 ,the fighting lasted about
      thirteen hours1 or better4 ,as to 
my feelings at the time1 they      were 

that ,i was certain that if we did not  
kill them they would      kill us1 and  
after a few minutes' fighting ,i did not
 mind it      more than at the present  
time2 my thought was only to fight as   
an ,english soldier ought to for his    
most gracious ,sovereign1      ,queen   
,victoria1 and for the benefit of old   
,england4                               
,,gunner ,,james ,,collis4    ,gunner   
,james ,collis tells his story in these 
words3--        ,on the twenty-seventh  
of ,july1 #ahhj1 we were encamped at    
,khushk-i-,nakhud1 in ,afghanistan4 ,at 
#d a4m4 that day we--,battery      ,e1  
,battery ,b ,brigade--marched with the  
rest of the force on      ,maiwand to   
meet ,ayub ,khan4 ,about #i a4m4 we came
 in sight of him      in position under 
the hills4 ,we were on the open plain4  
,major      ,henry ,blackwood1          
commanding my battery1 gave the order   
,action      front4 ,i was a limber     
gunner that day4 ,we began firing with  
common shell from the right of the      

battery4 ,after we had fired a      few 
rounds1 their artillery replied4 ,the   
first shot struck the      near wheel of
 my gun1 killing a gunner1 wounding     
another1 and      ,lieutenant ,fowler4  
,the limber box upon my gun was smashed 
by a shell which also      killed the   
wheel horses1 but did not touch the     
driver4 ,several      riding horses of  
my battery were killed1 and a good deal 
of      damage done to guns and         
carriage4 ,four gunners and ,sergeant   
,wood1 the ,no4 #a of my gun1 were      
killed1 and two men wounded1            
leaving only three men to work the gun4 
,i took ,sergeant ,wood's      place4   
,at about #a4cj p4m41 some of ,jacob's  
,rifles1 who were lying down      about 
ten yards in rear of the trail1 began to
 be      panic-stricken1 and crowded    
round our guns and carriages1 some      
getting under the carriages4 ,three got 
under my gun4 ,we tried to      drive   
them away1 but it was no use4 ,about    
that time we ceased      firing a       

little1 the enemy having set the        
example4 ,during that      pause the    
enemy on the left got pretty close4 ,to 
check them1      ,general ,nuttall      
formed up the #crd ,bombay ,cavalry and 
the #crd      ,scinde ,horse to charge4 
,gunner ,smith of my gun1 seeing what   
was      going to be done1 mounted his  
horse and joined the cavalry4           
,general ,nuttall led the charge1       
,gunner ,smith being at his side4       
,after going about #cjj yards1 the enemy
 being about #bjj yards      off1 the   
whole line1 with the exception of the   
,general1 the      ,european officers1  
and ,gunner ,smith1 turned tail1 forming
 up      when in line with the guns4    
,general ,nuttall with the officers1    
finding themselves deserted1 returned1  
,general ,nuttall actually      crying  
from mortification4 ,gunner ,smith      
dashed on alone1 and was      cut down4 
,about #d p4m4 a large body of the      
enemy's infantry charged the      left  
of the battery1 the men of the left     

division #e and #f being      compelled 
to use their handspikes and charge      
staves to keep them      off4 ,major    
,blackwood on this ordered the battery  
to limber up      and retire4 ,when     
,lieutenant ,maclaine heard this order  
he said1      as ,i was afterwards      
informed1 ,limber up be damned6 ,give   
them      another round4 ,we limbered up
 and retired at a gallop about          
#b1jjj yards4 ,in the meantime ,major   
,blackwood remained behind      with    
,lieutenant ,maclaine's guns and was    
killed1 ,lieutenant      ,osborne by his
 side1 ,lieutenant ,maclaine fighting to
 the last4      ,at length1 seeing no   
use in stopping1 he galloped after      
us--we      had got separated from the  
right division--and called out to us1   
only two guns1 ,action1 rear4 ,we fired 
two rounds with      shrapnel4 ,captain 
,slade1 who had been in temporary       
command of      the smoothbores1 finding
 ,major ,blackwood dead1 came up with   
his      smoothbores and took command of

 all the guns4 ,colonel ,malcolmson     
a moment later ordered ,captain ,slade  
to retire1 saying1 ,captain      ,slade1
 if you and the ,lieutenant keep those  
two guns1 he will      lose them the    
same as he has lost his own4 ,we then   
limbered up      and went off4 ,just    
then a shell burst open our treasure    
chest4      ,many of the troops and camp
 followers stopped to pick up the       
money and were overtaken and killed4    
,just after that some of the            
enemy's cavalry caught up the guns4 ,one
 of them wounded me on      the left    
eyebrow as he passed4 ,he wheeled round 
and came at me      again2 ,i took my   
carbine1 waited till he was within four 
or five      yards1 and let drive1      
hitting him on the chest and knocking   
him      off his horse4 ,as he fell his 
money fell out of his turban1 and       
,trumpeter ,jones jumped off his horse  
and picked it up4 ,he      escaped1 and 
is now corporal ,r4,h4,a41 and wears the
 ,distinguished      ,service medal for 

his conduct at ,maiwand4        ,it was 
now beginning to get dusk1 and ,i got   
off to walk by the      side of my gun4 
,seeing a village close by1 and some men
 at a      well1 ,i followed them and   
got some water4 ,just as we got to the  
well the enemy charged and drove us off1
 killing a good many4        ,on my     
return ,i missed my gun1 and picked up  
with ,no4 #b1 which ,i      stuck to    
till ,i reached ,candahar4 ,it was now  
dark1 and we were      with a stream of 
men of all regiments1 camp followers1   
camels1      and waggons4 ,going along  
,i saw a lot of sick and wounded lying  
by the side of the road1 and ,i picked  
them up and put them on      the gun and
 limber4 ,i had about ten altogether2   
they were all      #ffth men1 and a     
colonel whose name ,i do not know and   
never heard      of4        ,we had been
 fighting all day1 marching all night   
and next day      without a bit of food 
or a drink of water4 ,i did not feel it 
so      much1 as ,i was so occupied1 but

 ,i saw several dying by the            
roadside from thirst and fatigue4 ,about
 four in the afternoon of      the      
#bhth1 we came to a place called        
,kokeran1 #g-a_/b miles from            
,candahar2 ,i saw a village where ,i    
could get water for the men      who    
were with me4 ,i went off and brought   
the water back and the      men with me4
 ,on going to the village ,i saw        
,lieutenant ,maclaine      mounted2 when
 ,i came back ,i saw two horses without 
a rider4 ,i      then went again for    
more water4 ,i was about #aej yards from
 the      gun when ,i saw ten or twelve 
of the enemy's cavalry coming on at     
a slow pace towards the gun4 ,the gun   
went off and ,i lay down and            
allowed the gun to pass me1 and began   
firing with a rifle which      ,i had   
got from a wounded #ffth man1 in order  
to draw their fire      upon myself1 and
 stop them from going forward with the  
gun4 ,i      was concealed in a little  
nullah1 and ,i fancy they thought there 

was more than one man1 for they stopped 
and fired at me from the      saddle4 ,i
 shot one horse and two men4 ,after     
firing about      thirty-five rounds    
,general ,nuttall came up with some     
native      cavalry1 and drove them off4
 ,when ,i first saw the enemy they      
were about #cjj yards off1 when they    
left they had got #aej yards4           
,general ,nuttall asked me my name1     
saying1 ,you're a gallant      young    
man1 what is your name8 ,i said1 ,gunner
 ,collis1 of ,e4 of      ,b1 ,r4,h4,a4  
,he entered it into a pocket-book and   
rode off4 ,i then      followed up my   
gun1 which ,i found some #ejj yards     
distant by the      side of a river4    
,the enemy's fire1 which had been going 
on all      the way from ,maiwand1 now  
became hotter1 the surrounding hills    
being full of them4 ,some of the        
garrison of ,candahar met us      about 
four miles from the ,fort and escorted  
us in4 ,i arrived      about seven p4m4 
,illustration3 ,i ,,was ,,let ,,down4   

,illustration3 ,i ,,took ,,my ,,carbine 
,,and ,,let ,,drive4        ,on the     
occasion of the sortie from ,candahar in
 the middle of      ,august1 #ahhj1 the 
fighting was going on in the village    
situated      about #bjj yards from the 
edge of the ditch of the fort4 ,i was   
standing by my gun on the rampart1 when 
,general ,primrose1      ,general       
,nuttall1 and ,colonel ,burnet came up4 
,i heard them      talking about sending
 a message to ,general ,dewberry1 who   
had      succeeded ,general ,brooke1 who
 had been killed4 ,i spoke to           
,colonel ,burnet and said that ,i would 
take the message over the      wall4    
,after a little hesitation ,general     
,primrose gave me a note4      ,i was   
let down a distance of about thirty or  
forty feet to the      bottom of the    
ditch by a rope4 ,when half down ,i was 
fired at but      not hit by matchlock  
men about #bej yards distant1 and ,i    
scrambled up the open side of the ditch 
and ran across to the      village4 ,i  

found the officer commanding in the     
middle of it1 and      fighting going on
 all round4 ,i delivered the note and   
returned4      ,when half way up the    
rope ,i was fired at again1 one bullet  
cutting off the heel of my left boot4   
,general ,primrose      congratulated me
 and ,colonel ,burnet gave me a drop out
 of his      flask1 for what with not   
having recovered from the fatigues of   
,maiwand and the exertion and excitement
 of this trip1 ,i was a      bit faint4 
,i was recommended for the ,victoria    
,cross without my knowledge      about  
,september #aj1 by ,sir ,f4 ,roberts1 on
 the report of ,general      ,nuttall   
and ,colonel ,burnet4 ,it was given to  
me ,july #bh1 #ahha4                    
7,to be continued47                     
,illustration                           
,how ,novelists ,write for the ,press4  
,,how authors work--what methods are    
peculiar to each individual in          
preparing ,,ms4 for the printer--is a   
question on which1 we think1 the        

following fac-similes1 of the same size 
as the originals1 of the work of  four  
representative novelists of the present 
day1 will throw an  interesting light4  
,william ,black1 ,walter ,besant1 ,bret 
,harte1 and ,grant  ,allen--here is a   
page from the manuscript of each4 ,mr4  
,black's1 with  which we commence1 fine 
and careful as it is1 is however only a 
rough  draft1 which is afterwards       
re-copied1 with slight alterations1 for 
the  press4    ,illustration3           
,fac-simile of a page of ,,ms4 from ,mr4
 ,,william ,,black',s  ,prince          
,fortunatus4    ,illustration3          
,fac-simile of the last page but one of 
the ,,ms4 of ,mr4  ,,walter ,,besant',s 
novel1 ,children of ,gibeon4            
,illustration3 ,fac-simile of a page of 
the ,,ms4 of ,mr4 ,,bret ,,harte',s     
story1 ,the ,twins of ,table ,mountain4 
,illustration3 ,fac-simile of a page of 
the ,,ms4 of ,mr4 ,,grant  ,,allen',s   
story1 ,jerry ,stokes 7see next page74  
,jerry ,stokes4                         

,,by ,,grant ,,allen4      ,,jerry      
,,stokes was a member of ,her ,majesty's
 civil service4 ,to put it more         
plainly1 he was the provincial hangman4 
,not a man in all ,canada1 he used  to  
boast with pardonable professional      
pride1 had turned off as many  famous   
murderers as he had4 ,he was a pillar of
 the constitution1 was  ,jerry ,stokes4 
,he represented the ,executive4 ,and he 
wasn't ashamed of his  office1 either4  
,quite on the contrary1 zeal for his    
vocation shone  visible in his face4 ,he
 called it a useful1 a respectable1 and 
a  necessary calling4 ,if it were not   
for him and his utensils1 he loved to   
say to the gaping crowd that stood him  
treat in the saloons1 no man's  life    
would be safe for a day in the province4
 ,he was a practical  philanthropist in 
his way1 a public benefactor4 ,it is not
 good that foul  crime should stalk     
unpunished through the land2 and he1    
,jerry ,stokes1  was there to prevent   
it4 ,he was the chosen instrument for   

its salutary  repression4 ,executions   
performed with punctuality and despatch2
 for  terms1 apply to ,jeremiah ,stokes1
 ,port ,hope1 ,ontario4                 
,illustration3 ,,he ,,was ,a ,,public   
,,benefactor4    ,not that philanthropy 
was the most salient characteristic in  
,jerry's  outer man4 ,he was a short and
 thick-set person1 very burly and       
dogged-looking2 he had a massive1 square
 head1 and a powerful lower jaw1  and a 
coarse1 bull neck1 and a pair of stout  
arms1 acquired in the  lumber trade1 but
 forcibly suggestive of a               
prize-fighter's occupation4  ,except on 
the subject of the ,executive1 he was a 
taciturn soul2 he had  nothing to say1  
and he said it briefly4 ,silence1       
stolidity1 and a marked  capacity for   
the absorption of liquids without       
detriment to his centre  of gravity1    
physical or mental1 were the leading    
traits in ,mr4 ,stokes'  character4     
,those who knew him well1 however1      
affirmed that ,jerry was a  straight    

man2 and though the security was perhaps
 a trifle doubtful1 a  straight man     
nevertheless he was generally considered
 by all who had  the misfortune to      
require his services4    ,it was a      
principle with ,jerry never to attend a 
trial for murder4 ,this  showed his     
natural delicacy of feeling4 ,etiquette1
 ,i believe1 forbids an  undertaker to  
make kind inquiries at the door of a    
dying person4 ,it is  feared the object 
of his visits might be misunderstood2 he
 might be  considered to act from       
interested motives4 ,a similar and      
equally  creditable scruple restrained  
,jerry ,stokes from putting in an       
appearance  at a court of justice when a
 capital charge was under investigation4
  ,people might think1 he said1 he was  
on the look-out for a job4 ,nay1  more2 
his presence might even interfere with  
the administration of  justice2 for if  
the jury had happened to spot him in the
 body of the  hall1 it would naturally  
prejudice them in the prisoner's favour4

 ,to  prevent such a misfortune--which  
would of course1 incidentally1 be bad   
for trade--,mr4 ,stokes denied himself  
the congenial pleasure of following  out
 in detail the cases on which he might  
in the end be called upon to            
operate--except through the medium of   
the public press4 ,he was a             
kind-hearted man1 his friends averred2  
and he knew that his presence in  court 
might be distasteful to the prisoner and
 the prisoner's relations4  ,though1 to 
say the truth1 in thus absenting        
himself1 ,mr4 ,stokes was  exercising   
considerable self-denial2 for to a      
hangman1 even more than to  all the rest
 of the world1 a good first-class murder
 case is replete  with plot-interest4   
,illustration3 ,,the ,,prisoner4        
,every man1 however1 is guilty at some  
time or other in his life of a  breach  
of principle2 and once1 though once     
only1 in his professional  experience1  
,jerry ,stokes1 like the rest of us1    
gave way to temptation4  ,to err is     

human2 ,jerry erred by attending a      
capital trial in ,kingston  court-house4
 ,the case was one that aroused immense 
attention at the time  in the ,dominion4
 ,a young lawyer at ,napanee1 it was    
said1 had poisoned  his wife to inherit 
her money1 and public feeling ran fierce
 and strong  against him4 ,from the very
 first1 this dead set of public opinion 
brought out ,jerry ,stokes' sympathy in 
the prisoner's favour4 ,the crowd  had  
tried to mob ,ogilvy--that was the man's
 name--on his way from his  house to    
jail1 and again on his journey from     
,napanee to ,kingston  assizes4 ,men    
shook their fists angrily in the face of
 the accused2 women  surged around with 
deep cries1 and strove to tear him to   
pieces4 ,the  police with difficulty    
prevented the swaying mass from lynching
 him on  the spot4 ,jerry ,stokes1 who  
was present1 looked on at these         
irregular  proceedings with a           
disapproving eye4 ,most                 
unconstitutional1 to dismember  a       

culprit by main force1 without form of  
trial1 instead of handing him  over in  
due course of law to be properly turned 
off by the appointed  officer6    ,so   
when the trial came on1 ,jerry ,stokes1 
in defiance of established  etiquette1  
took his stand in court1 and watched the
 progress of the case  with profound    
interest4    ,the public recognised him1
 and nudged one another1 well pleased4  
,farmers  had driven in with their      
waggons from the townships4 ,all        
,ontario was  agog4 ,people stared at   
,jerry1 and then at the prisoner4       
,stokes is  looking out for him6 they   
chuckled in their satisfaction4 ,he's   
got no  chance4 ,he'll never get off4   
,the hangman's in waiting6    ,the      
suspected man took his place in the     
dock4 ,jerry ,stokes glanced  across at 
him--rubbed his eyes--thought it        
curious4 ,well1 ,i never saw a  murderer
 like him in my born days afore1 ,jerry 
philosophised to  himself4 ,i've turned 
off square dozens of 'em in my time1 in 

the  province2 and ,i know their looks4 
,but hanged if ,i've come across a      
murderer yet like this one1 any way6    
,richard ,ogilvy1 stand up3 are you     
guilty or not guilty8 asked the  clerk  
of assigns4    ,and the prisoner1       
leaning forward1 in a very low voice1   
but clear and  distinct1 answered out1  
,not ,guilty6    ,he was a tall and     
delicate pale-faced man1 with thoughtful
 grey eyes and  a high white forehead4  
,but to ,jerry ,stokes' experienced gaze
 all that  counted for nothing4 ,he knew
 his patients well enough to know there 
are  murderers and murderers--the       
refined and educated as well as the     
coarse  and brutal4 ,why1 he'd turned   
off square dozens of them1 and both     
sorts1  too1 equally4 ,no2 it wasn't    
that--and he couldn't say what it       
was--but  as ,richard ,ogilvy answered  
,not ,guilty that morning a thrill ran  
cold  down the hangman's back4 ,he was  
sure it was true3 he felt intuitively   
certain of it4    ,from that moment     

forth1 ,jerry followed the evidence with
 the closest  interest4 ,he leaned      
forward in his place1 and drank it all  
in anxiously4  ,people who sat near him 
remarked that his conduct was           
disgusting4 ,he was  thirsting for a    
conviction4 ,it was ghastly to see the  
hangman so intent  upon his prey4 ,he   
seemed to hang on the lips of the       
witnesses for the  prosecution4    ,but 
,jerry himself sat on1 all unconscious  
of their criticism4 ,for the  very first
 time in his life1 he forgot his trade4 
,he remembered only  that a human soul  
was at stake that day1 and that in one  
glimpse of  intuition he had seen its   
innocence4    ,counsel for the ,crown   
piled up a cumulative case1 very strong 
and  conclusive against the man ,ogilvy4
 ,they showed that the prisoner had     
lived on bad terms with his wife--though
 through whose fault they had  lived so1
 whether his or hers1 wasn't very       
apparent4 ,they showed that  scenes had 
lately occurred between them4 ,they     

showed that ,ogilvy had  bought poison  
at a chemist's in ,kingston on the usual
 plea1 to get rid  of the rats4 ,they   
showed that ,mrs4 ,ogilvy had died of   
such poison4  ,their principal witness  
was the ,napanee doctor1 a man named    
,wade1 who  attended the deceased in her
 fatal illness4 ,this doctor was        
intelligent1  and frank1 and            
straightforward2 he gave his evidence in
 the most  admirable style--evidence    
that told dead against the prisoner in  
every  way4 ,at the close of the case   
for the ,crown1 the game was up3        
everybody  in court said all was        
finished3 impossible for ,ogilvy to     
rebut such a  mass of damning evidence4 
,everybody in court--except ,jerry      
,stokes4 ,and ,jerry ,stokes went       
home--for  it was a two days'           
trial--much concerned in soul about     
,richard ,ogilvy4    ,it was something  
new for ,jerry ,stokes1 this            
disinterested interest in an  accused   
criminal2 and it took hold of him with  

all the binding and  compelling force of
 a novel emotion4 ,he wrestled and      
strained with it4  ,all night long he   
lay awake1 and tossed and turned on his 
bed1 and  thought of ,richard ,ogilvy's 
pale white face1 as he stood there1 a   
picture of mute agony1 in the           
court-house4 ,strange thoughts surged up
  thick in ,jerry ,stokes' soul1 that   
had surged up in no other soul among    
all those actively hostile spectators4  
,the silent suffering in the man's  grey
 eyes had stirred him deeply4 ,a        
thousand times over1 ,jerry said to     
himself1 as he tossed and turned1 ,that 
man never done it4 ,now and  again he   
dozed off1 and awoke with a start1 and  
each time he woke he  found himself     
muttering in his sleep1 with all the    
profound force of  unreasoned           
conviction1 ,he never done it6 he never 
done it6    ,next morning1 as soon as   
the court was open1 ,jerry ,stokes was  
in his  place again1 craning his        
bull-neck eagerly4 ,all day long he     

craned that  bull-neck and listened4    
,the public was scandalised now4 ,jerry 
,stokes in  court6 ,jerry ,stokes       
scenting blood6 ,he ought to have kept  
away6 ,this was  really atrocious6      
,evidence for the defence hung fire     
sadly4 ,to say the truth1 ,ogilvy's     
counsel had no defence at all to offer1 
except an assurance that he  didn't do  
it4 ,they confined themselves to        
suggesting a possible  alternative here1
 and a possible alternative there4 ,mrs4
 ,ogilvy might  have taken the          
rat-poison by mistake2 or this person   
might have given it  her somehow        
unawares1 or that person might have had 
some unknown grudge  against her4 ,jerry
 ,stokes sat and listened with a        
sickening heart4 ,the  man in the dock  
was innocent1 he felt sure2 but the     
case--why1 the case  was going dead     
against him6    ,illustration3 ,,jerry  
,,watched ,,him ,,closely4    ,slowly1  
as he listened1 an idea began to break  
in upon ,jerry ,stokes'  mind4 ,ideas   

didn't often come his way4 ,he was a    
thick-headed man1 little  given to      
theories1 and he didn't know even now it
 was a theory he was  forming4 ,he only 
knew this was the way the case impressed
 him4 ,the  prisoner at the bar had     
never done it4 ,but there had been      
scenes in his  house--scenes brought    
about by ,mrs4 ,ogilvy's conduct4 ,mrs4 
,ogilvy1 he  felt confident from the    
evidence he heard1 had been given to    
drink--perhaps to other things2 and the 
prisoner1 for his child's sake  7he had 
one little girl of three years old71 was
 anxious to screen his  wife's shame    
from the public4 ,so he had suggested   
but little in this  direction to his    
counsel4 ,the scenes1 however1 were not 
of his making1  and he certainly never  
meant to poison the woman4 ,jerry       
,stokes watched  him closely as each    
witness stood up and told his tale1 and 
he was  confident of so much4 ,that     
twitching of the lips was no murderer's 
trick4 ,it was the plain emotion of an  

honest man who sees the  circumstances  
unaccountably turning against him4      
,there was another person in court who  
watched the case almost as closely  as  
,jerry himself1 and that person was the 
doctor who attended ,mrs4  ,ogilvy and  
made the post-mortem4 ,his steely grey  
eyes were fixed with  a frank stare on  
each witness as he detailed his story2  
and from time to  time he gave a little 
satisfied gasp1 when anything went      
obviously  against the prisoner's       
chances4 ,jerry was too much occupied1  
however1  for the most part1 in watching
 the man in the dock to have any time   
left  for watching the doctor4 ,once    
only he raised his eyes and caught the  
other's4 ,it was at a critical moment4  
,a witness for the defence1 under       
severe cross-examination1 had just      
admitted a most damaging fact that  told
 hard against ,ogilvy4 ,then the doctor 
smiled4 ,it was a sinister  smile1 a    
smile of malice1 a smile of mute        
triumph4 ,no one else noticed  it4 ,but 

,jerry ,stokes1 looking up1 observed it 
with a start4 ,a shade  passed over his 
square face like a sudden cloud4 ,he    
knew that smile  well4 ,it was a typical
 murderer's4    ,mind you1 ,jerry said  
to himself1 as he watched the smile die 
away1 ,i  don't pretend to be as smart a
 chap as all these crack lawyer fellows1
  but ,i'm a straight man in my way1 and
 ,i know my business4 ,if that doctor   
ain't got a murderer's face on his      
front1 my name isn't ,jeremiah ,stokes2 
that's the long and the short of it4    
,he looked hard at the prisoner1 he     
looked hard at the doctor4 ,the longer  
and harder he looked1 the more was he   
sure of it4 ,he was an expert in        
murderers1 and he knew his men4 ,ogilvy 
hadn't done it2 ,ogilvy couldn't  do it2
 the doctor might2 the doctor was1 at   
any rate1 a potential  murderer4 ,not   
that ,jerry put it to himself quite so  
fine as that2 he  contented himself with
 saying in his own dialect1 ,the doctor 
was one of  'em4    ,evidence1 however1 

went all against the prisoner1 and the  
judge1 to  ,jerry's immense surprise1   
summed up upon nothing except the       
evidence4  ,nobody in court1 indeed1    
seemed to think of anything else4 ,jerry
 rubbed  his eyes once more4 ,he        
couldn't understand it4 ,why1 they were 
going to  hang the man on nothing at all
 but the paltry evidence6 ,professional 
as  he was1 it surprised him to find a  
man could swing on so little6 ,to  think
 that our lives should depend on such a 
thread6 ,just the gossip of  nurses and 
the tittle-tattle of a doctor with a    
smile like a murderer's6                
,illustration3 ,,it ,,was ,a ,,sinister 
,,smile4    ,at last the jury retired to
 consider their verdict4 ,but they were 
not  long gone4 ,the case1 said         
everybody1 was as clear as daylight4 ,in
 the  public opinion it was a foregone  
conclusion4 ,jerry stood aghast at that4
  ,what6 hang a man merely because they 
thought he'd done it6 ,and with a  face 
like his6 ,why1 it was sheer injustice6 

,the jury returned4 ,the prisoner stood 
in the dock1 now pale and  hopeless4    
,only one man in court seemed to feel   
the slightest interest in  the delivery 
of the verdict4 ,and that one man was   
the public hangman4  ,everybody else    
knew precisely how the case would go4   
,but ,jerry ,stokes  still refused to   
believe any jury in ,canada could       
perpetrate such an act  of flagrant     
injustice4    ,gentlemen of the jury1 do
 you find the prisoner1 ,richard        
,ogilvy1 ,guilty  or ,not ,guilty of    
wilful murder8    ,there was a slight   
rhetorical pause4 ,then the answer rang 
out1 in  quietly solemn tones3 ,we find 
him ,guilty4 ,that is the verdict of all
 of  us4    ,jerry ,stokes held his     
breath4 ,this was appalling1 awful6 ,the
 man was  innocent4 ,but by virtue of   
his office he would have to hang him6   
,,ii4    ,if anybody had told ,jerry    
,stokes the week before that he         
possessed an  ample1 unexhausted fund of
 natural enthusiasm1 ,jerry ,stokes     

would have  looked upon him as only fit 
for ,hatwood ,asylum4 ,he was a solid1  
stolid1  thick-headed man1 was ,jerry1  
who honestly believed in the importance 
of  his office1 and hanged men as       
respectably as he would have slaughtered
  oxen4 ,but that incredible verdict1 as
 it seemed to him1 begot in him         
suddenly a fierce outburst of zeal which
 was all the more violent  because of   
its utter novelty4 ,for the first time  
in his life he woke up  to the          
enthusiasm of humanity4 ,you'll often   
find it so in very  phlegmatic men2 it  
takes a great deal to stir their        
stagnant depths2 but  let them once be  
aroused1 and the storm is terrible1 the 
fire within  them burns bright with a   
warmth and light which astonishes       
everybody4  ,for days the look on       
,richard ,ogilvy's face1 when he heard  
that false  verdict returned against    
him1 haunted the hangman's brain every  
hour of  the twenty-four4 ,he lay awake 
on his bed and shuddered to think of it4

  ,come what might1 that man must never 
be hanged4 ,and1 please heaven1  ,jerry 
added1 they should never hang him4      
,the sentence1 ,canadian fashion1 was   
for six clear weeks4 ,and at the end  of
 that time1 unless anything should turn 
up meanwhile to prevent it1 it  would be
 ,jerry's duty to hang the man he       
believed to be innocent4    ,for all    
those years1 ,jerry had stolidly and    
soberly hanged whomever he  was bid1    
taking it for granted the law was always
 in the right1 and that  the men on whom
 he operated were invariably            
malefactors4 ,but now1 a  great horror  
possessed his soul4 ,the revulsion was  
terrible4 ,this one  gross miscarriage  
of justice1 as it seemed to him1 raised 
doubts at the  same time in his startled
 soul as to the rightfulness of all his 
previous hangings4 ,had he been in the  
habit of doing innocent men to  death   
for years8 ,was the law1 then1 always so
 painfully fallible8 ,could  it go wrong
 in all the dignity of its unsullied    

ermine8 ,jerry could hang  the guilty   
without one pang of remorse4 ,but to    
hang the innocent6--he  drew himself up2
 that was altogether a different matter4
    ,yet what could he do8 ,a petition8 
,impossible6 ,never within his memory   
could ,jerry recollect so perfect a     
unanimity of public opinion in favour   
of a sentence4 ,a petition was useless4 
,not a soul would sign it4  ,everybody  
was satisfied4 ,let ,ogilvy swing6 ,the 
very women would have  lynched the man  
if they could have caught him at the    
first4 ,and now that  he was to be      
hanged1 they were heartily glad of it4  
,still1 there is nothing to spur a man  
on in a hopeless cause like the  feeling
 that you stand alone and unaided4      
,jerry ,stokes saw all the world  was   
for hanging ,ogilvy--with the strange   
and solitary exception of the  public   
hangman4 ,and what did the public       
hangman's opinion count in such  a case8
 ,as ,jerry ,stokes well knew1 rather   
less than nothing4    ,day after day    

wore away1 and the papers were full of  
the convict  ,ogilvy4 ,would he confess1
 or would he not8 that was now the      
question4  ,every second night the      
,toronto papers had a special edition   
with a  ,rumoured ,confession of the    
,napanee ,murderer1 and every second    
morning  they had a telegram direct from
 ,kingston jail to contradict it4 ,not a
  doubt seemed to remain with anybody as
 to the convict's guilt4 ,but the       
papers reiterated daily the same        
familiar phrase1 ,ogilvy persists to    
the end in maintaining his innocence4   
,illustration3 ,,it ,,cost ,,him ,,dear1
 ,,that ,,epistle4    ,jerry had read   
these words a hundred times before1     
about other  prisoners1 with a gentle   
smile of cynical incredulity2 he read   
them now  with blank amazement and      
horror at the callousness of a world    
which  could hang an innocent man       
without appeal or inquiry4    ,time ran 
on1 and the eve of the execution arrived
 at last4 ,something  must be done3 and 

,jerry did it4 ,that night he sat long  
in his room by  himself1 in the unwonted
 throes of literary composition4 ,he was
 writing  a letter--a letter of unusual 
length and surprising earnestness4 ,it  
cost  him dear1 that epistle2 with his  
dictionary by his side1 he stopped many 
times to think1 and bit his penholder to
 fibre4 ,but he wrote none the  less    
with fiery indignation1 and in a fever  
of moral zeal that  positively          
astonished himself4 ,then he copied it  
out clean on a separate  sheet1 and     
folded the letter when done1 with a     
prayer in his heart4 ,it  was a prayer  
for mercy on a condemned criminal--by   
the public hangman4    ,after that he   
stuck a stamp on with trembling fingers1
 and posted it  himself at the main     
office4    ,all that night long ,jerry  
lay awake and thought about the         
execution4 ,as  a rule1 executions      
troubled his rest very little4 ,but     
then1 he had never  before had to hang  
an innocent man--at least he hoped      

not--though his  faith in the law had   
received a severe shock1 and he trembled
 to think  now what judicial murders he 
might have helped in his time           
unconsciously  to consummate4    ,next  
morning early1 at the appointed hour1   
,jerry ,stokes presented  himself at    
,kingston jail4 ,the sheriff was there1 
and the chaplain1 and  the prisoner4    
,ogilvy looked at him hard with a       
shrinking look of horror4  ,jerry had   
seen that look1 too1 a hundred times    
before1 and disregarded  it utterly3 it 
was only the natural objection of a     
condemned criminal to  the              
constitutional officer appointed to     
operate on him4 ,but this time it  cut  
the man to the very quick4 ,that an     
innocent fellow-creature should  regard 
him like that was indeed unendurable1   
especially when he1 the  public hangman1
 was the only soul on earth who believed
 in his  innocence6    ,illustration3 ,i
 ,,ain',t ,a-,,going ,,to ,,hang ,,this 
,,man4    ,the chaplain stood forward   

and read the usual prayers4 ,the        
condemned man  repeated them after him  
in a faltering voice4 ,as he finished1  
the  sheriff turned with a grave face to
 ,jerry4 ,do your duty1 he said4 ,and   
,jerry stared at him stolidly4          
,sheriff1 he began at last1 after a very
 long pause1 bracing himself up  for an 
effort1 ,i've done my duty all my life  
till this1 and ,i'll do it  now4 ,there 
ain't going to be no execution at all   
here this morning6    ,the sheriff gazed
 at him astonished4    ,what do you     
mean1 ,stokes8 he asked1 taken aback at 
this sudden turn4  ,no reprieve has     
come4 ,the prisoner is to be hanged     
without fail to-day  in accordance with 
his sentence4 ,it says so in the        
warrant3 'wherein  fail not at your     
peril4'    ,jerry looked round him with 
an air of expectation4 ,no reprieve     
hasn't  come yet1 he answered1 in a     
stolid way2 but ,i'm expecting one      
presently4 ,i've done my duty all my    
life1 sheriff1 ,i tell you1 and ,i'll   

do it now4 ,i ain't a-going to hang this
 man at all--because ,i know he's       
innocent4    ,the prisoner gasped1 and  
turned round to him in amaze4 ,yes1 ,i'm
  innocent6 he said slowly1 looking him 
over from head to foot2 but  you--how do
 you know it8    ,i know it by your     
face1 ,jerry answered sturdily2 and ,i  
know by the  other one's face it was him
 that did it4    ,the sheriff looked on 
in puzzled wonderment4 ,this was a hitch
 in the  proceedings he had never       
expected4 ,your conduct is most         
irregular1  ,stokes1 he said at last1   
stroking his chin in his embarrassment2 
most  irregular and disconcerting4 ,if  
you had a conscientious scruple against 
hanging the prisoner1 you should have   
told us before4 ,then we might have     
arranged for some other executioner to  
serve in your place4 ,as it is1  the    
delay is most unseemly and painful3     
especially for the prisoner4  ,your     
action can only cause him unnecessary   
suspense4 ,sooner or later  this        

morning1 somebody must hang him4    ,but
 ,jerry only looked back at him with an 
approving nod4 ,the sheriff had         
supplied him1 all inarticulate that he  
was1 with suitable speech4 ,ah1  that's 
just it1 don't you see1 he made answer  
promptly1 it's a  conscientious scruple4
 ,that's why ,i won't hang him4 ,no man 
can't be  expected to go agin his       
conscience4 ,i never hanged an innocent 
man  yet--least-ways not to my          
knowledge2 and s'help me heaven1 ,i     
won't hang  one now1 not for the ,queen 
nor for nobody6    ,the sheriff paused4 
,the sheriff deliberated4 ,what on earth
 am ,i to do8  he exclaimed1 in despair4
 ,if you won't hang him1 how on earth at
 this  hour can ,i secure a substitute8 
,jerry stared at him stolidly once more1
 after his wont4 ,if ,i don't  hang him1
 he answered1 with the air of one who   
knows his ground well1  it's your       
business to do it with your own hands4  
',wherein fail not at  your peril4' ,and
 ,i give you warning beforehand1        

sheriff1 if you do  hang him--why1      
you'll have to remember all your life   
long that you  helped to get rid of an  
innocent man1 when the common hangman   
refused to  execute him6    ,to such a  
pitch of indignation was he roused by   
events that he said it  plump out1 just 
so1 the common hangman4 ,rather than let
 his last  appeal lack aught of         
effectiveness in the cause of justice1  
he consented  so to endorse the public  
condemnation of his own respectable1    
useful1  and necessary calling6         
,there was a pause of a few minutes1    
during which the sheriff once more      
halted and hesitated2 the prisoner      
looked around with a pale and  terrified
 air2 and ,jerry kept his eye fixed hard
 on the gate1 like one  who really      
expects a reprieve or a pardon4    ,then
 you absolutely refuse8 the sheriff     
asked at last1 in a despairing  sort of 
way4    ,i absolutely refuse1 ,jerry    
answered1 in a very decided tone4 ,but  
it  was clear he was beginning to grow  

anxious and nervous4    ,in that case1  
the sheriff replied1 turning round to   
the jailor1 ,i  must put off this       
execution for half an hour1 till ,i can 
get someone  else to come in and assist 
me4    ,hardly had he spoken the words1 
however1 when a policeman appeared at   
the door of the courtyard1 and in a very
 hurried voice asked eagerly to  be     
admitted4 ,his manner was that of a man 
who brings important news4  ,the        
execution's not over1 sir8 he said1     
turning to the sheriff with a  very     
scared face4 ,well1 thank heaven for    
that6 ,dr4 ,wade's outside1 and  he     
says1 for ,god's sake1 he must speak at 
once with you4    ,the sheriff          
hesitated4 ,he hardly knew what to do4  
,bring him in1 he  said at last1 after a
 solemn pause4 ,he may have something to
 tell us  that will help us out of this 
difficulty4    ,illustration3 ,,he ,,was
 ,,pale ,,and ,,haggard4    ,the        
condemned man1 thus momentarily respited
 on the very brink of the  grave1 stood 

by with a terrible look of awed suspense
 upon his bloodless  face4 ,but ,jerry  
,stokes' lips bore an expression of     
quiet triumph4 ,he had  succeeded in his
 attempt1 then4 ,he had brought his man 
to book4 ,that was  something to be     
proud of4 ,alone he had done it6 ,he had
 saved the  innocent and exposed the    
guilty6    ,as they stood there and     
pondered1 each man in silence1 on his   
own  private thoughts1 the policeman    
returned1 bringing with him the doctor  
whose evidence had weighed most against 
,ogilvy at the trial4 ,jerry  ,stokes   
started to see the marvellous alteration
 in the fellow's face4 ,he  was pale and
 haggard2 his lips were parched2 and his
 eyes had a sunken  and hollow look with
 remorse and horror4 ,cold sweat stood  
on his brow4  ,his mouth twitched       
horribly4 ,it was clear he had just     
passed through a  terrible crisis4      
,he turned first to ,jerry4 ,his lips   
were bloodless1 and trembled as he      
spoke2 his throat was dry2 but in a     

husky voice he still managed to  deliver
 himself of the speech that haunted him4
 ,your letter did it1 he  said slowly1  
fixing his eyes on the hangman2 ,i      
couldn't stand that4  ,it broke me down 
utterly4 ,all night long ,i lay awake   
and knew ,i had sent  him to the gallows
 in my place4 ,it was                   
terrible--terrible6 ,but ,i  wouldn't   
give way3 ,i'd made up my mind1 and ,i  
meant to pull through with  it4 ,then   
the morning came--the morning of the    
execution1 and with it  your letter4    
,till that moment ,i thought nobody knew
 but myself4 ,i wasn't  even suspected4 
,when ,i saw you knew1 ,i could stand it
 no longer4 ,you  said3 ',if you let    
this innocent man swing in your place1  
,i1 the common  hangman1 will refuse to 
execute him4 ,if he dies1 ,i'll avenge  
him4 ,i'll  hound you to your grave4    
,i'll follow up clues till ,i've brought
 your  crime home to you4 ,don't commit 
two murders instead of one4 ,it'll do   
you  no good1 and be worse in the end   

for you4' ,when ,i read those           
words--those terrible words6--from the  
common hangman1 ',ah1 heaven6' ,i       
thought1 ',i need try to conceal it no  
longer4' ,all's up now4 ,i've come  to  
confess4 ,thank heaven ,i'm in time6    
,sheriff1 let this man go4 ,it was ,i   
who poisoned her6    ,there was a dead  
silence again for several seconds4      
,jerry ,stokes was the  first of them   
all to break it4 ,i knew it1 he said    
solemnly4 ,i was  sure of it4 ,i could  
have sworn to it4    ,and ,i am sure of 
it1 too1 the condemned man put in1 with 
tremulous  lips4 ,i was sure it was he2 
but how on earth was ,i to prove it8    
,the sheriff looked about him at all    
three in turn4 ,well1 he said           
deliberately1 with a sigh of relief1 ,i 
must telegraph for instructions  to     
,ottawa immediately4 ,prisoner1 you are 
not reprieved2 but under  these peculiar
 circumstances1 as ,dr4 ,wade makes a   
voluntary confession  of having         
committed the crime himself1 ,i defer   

the execution for the  present on my own
 responsibility4 ,jailer1 ,i remit ,mr4 
,ogilvy to the  cells till further      
instructions arrive from the ,viceroy4  
,policeman1 take  charge of ,dr4 ,wade1 
who gives himself into custody for the  
murder of  ,mrs4 ,ogilvy4 ,stokes1      
perhaps you did right after all4 ,ten   
minutes' delay  made all the difference4
 ,if you'd consented to hang the        
prisoner at  first1 this confession     
might only have come after all was over4
    ,the doctor turned to ,jerry1 with  
the wan ghost of a grim smile upon his  
worn and pallid face4 ,the marks of a   
great struggle were still visible  in   
every line4 ,and you won't be baulked of
 your fee1 after all1 he  added1 with a 
ghastly effort at cynical calmness2 for 
you'll have me  to hang before you have 
seen the end of this business4    ,but  
,jerry shook his head4 ,i ain't so sure 
about that1 he said1  scratching his    
thick1 bullet poll1 and holding his     
great square neck a  little on one side4

 ,i ain't so sure of my trade as ,i used
 to be once1  sheriff and gentlemen4 ,i 
always used to hold it was a useful1 a  
respectable1 and a necessary trade1 and 
of benefit to the community4 ,but  ,i've
 began to doubt it4 ,if the law can     
string up an innocent man like  this1   
and no appeal1 except for the exertions 
of the public executioner1  why1 ,i've  
began to doubt the expediency1 so to    
speak1 of capital  punishment4 ,i ain't 
so certain as ,i was about the          
usefulness of hanging4  ,dr4 ,wade1 ,i  
think somebody else may have the turning
 of you off4 ,mr4  ,ogilvy1 ,i'm glad1  
sir1 it was me that had the hanging of  
you4 ,an  unscrupulous man might ha'    
gone for his fee4 ,i couldn't do that3  
,i gone  for justice4 ,give me your     
hand1 sir4 ,thank you4 ,you needn't be  
ashamed  of shaking hands once in a way 
with a public functionary--especially   
when it's for the last time in his      
official career4 ,sheriff1 ,i've had    
enough of this 'ere work for life4 ,i go

 back to the lumbering trade4 ,i  resign
 my appointment4    ,it was a great     
speech for ,jerry--an oratorical effort4
 ,but a prouder or  happier man there   
wasn't in ,kingston that day than       
,jeremiah ,stokes1 late  public         
executioner4                            
,the ,piece of ,gold4                   
,,from ,,the ,,french ,,of ,,fran,,ois  
,,copp,e4        ,franois ,coppe1 who   
was born in ,january1 #ahdb1 is known   
chiefly as a poet1 and is1 indeed1      
considered by some critics as      the  
greatest poet now alive in ,france4 ,for
 many years he acted      as librarian  
to the ,senate1 but since #ahgh he has  
held the post      of ,keeper of the    
,records at the ,comdie-,franaise1 at   
which      theatre several of his plays 
have been produced4 ,his poems have     
gained for him the glory of the ,legion 
of ,honour2 but his short      prose    
tales are full of the same fine         
qualities which are      conspicuous in 
his verse4                              

,i4    ,,when ,lucien ,hem saw his last 
hundred-franc note gripped by the       
bank-keeper's rake1 and rose from the   
roulette-table1 where he had lost  the  
last fragments of his little fortune1   
collected for this supreme  struggle1 he
 felt giddy1 and thought he was going to
 fall4    ,with dizzy head and tottering
 legs1 he went and threw himself down   
upon  the broad leathern settee         
surrounding the play-table4             
,illustration3 ,,he ,,felt ,,giddy4     
,for some minutes he gazed vacantly on  
the clandestine gambling-house in  which
 he had squandered the best years of his
 youth2 recognised the  ravaged faces of
 the gamblers1 crudely lit by the three 
large shaded  lamps2 listened to the    
light jingle of gold on the             
cloth-covered table2  felt that he was  
ruined1 lost2 recollected that he had at
 home the pair  of regulation pistols   
which his father1 ,general ,hem1 then a 
simple  captain1 had used so well in the
 attack of ,zaatcha2 then1 overcome by  

fatigue1 he sank into a profound sleep4 
,when he arose1 with a clammy mouth1 he 
saw by the clock that he had  slept for 
barely half an hour1 and felt an        
imperious need for breathing  the night 
air4 ,the clock-hands marked a quarter  
before midnight4 ,while  rising and     
stretching his arms1 ,lucien remembered 
that it was ,christmas  ,eve1 and1 by an
 ironic trick of memory1 he saw himself 
a little child1  putting its shoes into 
the chimney before going to bed4    ,at 
that moment old ,dronski--a pillar of   
the gaming house1 the classic  ,pole1   
wearing the threadbare hooded woollen   
cloak1 ornamented all over  with grease 
stains--approached ,lucien1 and muttered
 a few words in his  grizzled beard3    
,lend me a five-franc piece1 monsieur4  
,it's now two days  since ,i have       
stirred out of the club1 and for two    
days the 'seventeen'  has never turned  
up4 ,laugh at me1 if you like1 but ,i'll
 suffer my hand  to be cut off if that  
number does not turn up on the stroke of

  midnight4    ,lucien ,hem shrugged his
 shoulders4 ,he had not even enough in  
his pocket  to meet this tax1 which the 
frequenters of the place called ,the    
,pole's  hundred sous4 ,he passed into  
the antechamber1 took his hat and fur   
coat1 and descended the stairs with     
feverish rapidity4    ,since four       
o'clock1 when ,lucien had shut himself  
up in the gaming-house1  snow had fallen
 heavily1 and the street--a street in   
the centre of  ,paris1 very narrow1 and 
built with high houses on either        
side--was  completely white4    ,in the 
calm sky1 blue-black1 the cold stars    
glittered4    ,the ruined gambler       
shuddered under his furs1 and walked    
away1 his mind  still teeming with      
thoughts of despair1 and more than ever 
turning to  the remembrance of the box  
of pistols which awaited him in one of  
his  drawers2 but after moving forward a
 few steps1 he stopped suddenly  before 
a heart-wringing sight4    ,on a stone  
bench1 placed according to old custom   

near the monumental  door of a mansion1 
a little girl of six or seven years of  
age1 dressed  in a ragged black frock1  
was sitting in the snow4 ,she was       
sleeping1 in  spite of the cruel cold1  
in an attitude of frightful fatigue and 
exhaustion3 her poor little head and    
tiny shoulder pressed as if they  had   
sunk into an angle of the wall1 and     
reposing on the icy stone4 ,one  of her 
wooden shoes had fallen from her foot1  
which hung helplessly and  lugubriously 
before her4    ,with a mechanical       
gesture1 ,lucien put his hand to his    
waistcoat pocket1  but a moment         
afterwards he recollected that he had   
not been able to find  even a forgotten 
piece of twenty-sous1 and had been      
obliged to leave the  club without      
giving the customary tip to the club    
attendant2 yet1  moved by an instinctive
 feeling of pity1 he approached the     
little girl1  and might1 perhaps1 have  
taken her in his arms and given her a   
night's  lodging1 when in the wooden    

shoe which had slipped from her foot he 
saw  something glitter4    ,he stooped3 
it was a gold coin4                     
,,ii4    ,some charitable person1       
doubtless some lady1 had passed by1 had 
seen on  this ,christmas night the      
little wooden shoe lying in front of the
  sleeping child1 and1 recalling the    
touching legend1 had placed there1  with
 a secret hand1 a magnificent offering1 
so that this poor abandoned  one might  
believe in presents made for the infant 
,saviour1 and preserve1  in spite of her
 misfortune1 some confidence and some   
hope in the  goodness of ,providence4   
,a gold piece6 ,it was several days of  
rest and riches for the beggar1 and     
,lucien was on the point of waking her  
to tell her this1 when he heard  near   
his ear1 as in an hallucination1 a      
voice--the voice of the ,pole1  with its
 coarse drawling accent1 almost         
whispering3 ,it's now two days  since ,i
 stirred out of the club1 and for two   
days the 'seventeen' has  never turned  

up2 ,i'll suffer my hand to be cut off1 
if that number does  not turn up on the 
stroke of midnight4    ,illustration3   
,,he ,,stole ,,the ,,gold ,,piece ,,from
 ,,the ,,fallen ,,shoe6    ,then this   
young man of three-and-twenty1 descended
 from a race of honest  men1 who bore a 
proud military name1 and who had never  
swerved from the  path of honour1       
conceived a frightful idea2 he was      
seized with a mad1  hysterical1         
monstrous desire4 ,after glancing on all
 sides1 to make sure  that he was alone 
in the deserted street1 he bent his     
knee1 and  carefully out-stretching his 
trembling hand1 he stole the gold piece 
from the fallen shoe6    ,hurrying then1
 with all his speed1 he returned to the 
gambling-house1  scaled the stairs two  
and three at a stride1 and entering the 
accursed  play-room as the first stroke 
of midnight was sounding1 placed the    
piece  of gold on the green cloth1 and  
cried3--    ,i stake on the seventeen6  
,the seventeen won4    ,with a turn of  

the hand ,lucien pushed the thirty-six  
louis on to the  red4    ,the red won4  
,he left the seventy-two louis on the   
same colour2 the red again won4         
,illustration3 ,,and ,,still ,,he ,,won4
    ,twice he doubled--three            
times--always with the same success4 ,he
 had  now before him a pile of gold and 
notes1 and began to scatter stakes all  
over the board2 the dozen1 the column1  
the number1 all the  combinations       
succeeded with him4 ,his luck was       
unheard of1 supernatural4  ,it might    
have been imagined that the little ivory
 ball dancing in the  roulette was      
magnetised1 fascinated by the eyes of   
this player and  obedient to him4 ,in a 
dozen stakes he had recovered the few   
wretched  thousand-franc notes1 his last
 resources1 which he had lost at the    
beginning of the evening4    ,now1      
punting with two or three hundred louis 
at a time1 and aided by his  fantastic  
vein of luck1 he was on the way to      
regaining1 and more  besides1 the       

hereditary capital he had squandered in 
so few years1 and  reconstituting his   
fortune4    ,in his eagerness to return 
to the gaming-table1 he had not taken   
off his  fur coat4 ,already he had      
crammed the large pockets with bundles  
of notes  and rouleaux of gold pieces2  
and1 not knowing where to heap his      
winnings1 he now loaded the inner and   
exterior pockets of his  frock-coat1 the
 pockets of his waistcoat and trousers1 
his cigar-case1  his                    
handkerchief--everything that could be  
made to hold his money4    ,and still he
 played1 and still he won1 like a       
madman1 like a drunken  man6 ,and he    
threw handfuls of louis on to the       
picture1 at hazard1 with  a gesture of  
certainty and disdain6    ,only         
something like a red-hot iron was in his
 heart1 and he thought of  nothing but  
of the little mendicant sleeping in the 
snow whom he had  robbed4    ,is she    
still at the same spot6 ,surely she must
 be still there6  ,presently--yes1 when 

one o'clock strikes--,i swear it6 ,i    
will quit this  place4 ,i will take her 
sleeping in my arms and carry her to my 
home2 ,i  will put her into my warm bed2
 ,i will bring her up1 give her a dowry1
  love her as if she were my own        
daughter1 care for her always1 always6  
,,iii4    ,but the clock struck one1 and
 then a quarter1 and then a half1 and   
then  three-quarters4    ,and ,lucien   
was still seated at the infernal table4 
,at length1 one minute before two       
o'clock1 the keeper of the bank rose    
abruptly1 and said in a loud voice3     
,the bank is broken1 gentlemen--enough  
for to-day4    ,with a bound ,lucien was
 on his feet4 ,roughly pushing aside the
 gamblers  who surrounded him and       
regarded him with envious admiration1 he
 hurried  away quickly1 sprang down the 
stairs and ran all the way to the stone 
bench4 ,in the distance1 by the light of
 a lamp1 he saw the little girl4    ,god
 be praised6 he said2 she is still      
there4    ,he approached her1 he took   

her hands4    ,oh6 how cold she is1 poor
 little one6    ,he took her under the  
arms and raised her1 so that he might   
carry her2  her head fell back without  
her awaking4    ,how soundly children of
 her age sleep6    ,he pressed her      
against his bosom to warm her1 and1     
seized by a vague  inquietude1 and1 with
 a view to rousing her out of this heavy
 slumber1  he kissed her eyelids4       
,then it was that he perceived with     
terror that these eyelids were half     
open1 showing half the eyeballs--glassy1
 lightless1 motionless4 ,upon his  brain
 flashed a horrible suspicion4 ,he      
placed his mouth close to that of  the  
little girl2 no breath came from it4    
,while with the gold piece which he had 
stolen from this mendicant1  ,lucien had
 won a fortune at the gaming table1 the 
homeless child had  died--died of cold6 
,,iv4    ,seized by the throat by the   
most frightful of agonies1 ,lucien tried
 to  utter a cry1 and1 in the effort    
which he made1 awoke from his nightmare 

on the club settee1 on which he had gone
 to sleep a little before  midnight1 and
 where the attendant who had quitted the
 house last had  left him out of        
charity4    ,the misty dawn of a        
,december morning was greying the       
window-panes4    ,lucien went out into  
the street1 pledged his watch1 took a   
bath1  breakfasted1 and then went to the
 recruiting-office1 and signed an       
engagement as volunteer in the #ast     
,regiment of ,chasseurs d',afrique4     
,at the present time ,lucien ,hem is a  
lieutenant2 he has only his pay to  live
 upon1 but he contrives to make it      
suffice1 being a very steady  officer   
and never touching a card4 ,it appears  
even that he has found the  means of    
saving1 for the other day1 at ,algiers1 
one of his comrades who  was following  
him1 at a few paces distant1 in one of  
the hilly streets  of the ,kasba1 saw   
him give something in charity to a      
little ,spanish girl  sleeping in a     
doorway1 and had the indiscretion to see

 what it was that  ,lucien had given to 
the child4    ,great was his surprise at
 the poor lieutenant's generosity4      
,lucien ,hem had put into the hand of   
the poor child a piece of gold6         
,illustration                           
,the ,voice of ,science4      ,,mrs4    
,,esdaile1 of the ,lindens1             
,birchespool1 was a lady of quite       
remarkable scientific attainments4 ,as  
honorary secretary of the ladies'       
branch of the local ,eclectic ,society1 
she shone with a never-failing          
brilliance4 ,it was even whispered that 
on the occasion of the delivery  of     
,professor ,tomlinson's suggestive      
lecture ,on the ,perigenesis of the     
,plastidule she was the only woman in   
the room who could follow the  lecturer 
even as far as the end of his title4 ,in
 the seclusion of the  ,lindens she     
supported ,darwin1 laughed at ,mivart1  
doubted ,haeckel1 and  shook her head at
 ,weissman1 with a familiarity which    
made her the  admiration of the         

,university professors and the terror of
 the few  students who ventured to cross
 her learned but hospitable threshold4  
,mrs4 ,esdaile had1 of course1          
detractors4 ,it is the privilege of     
exceptional merit4 ,there were bitter   
feminine whispers as to the  cramming   
from encyclopdias and text-books which  
preceded each learned  meeting1 and as  
to the care with which in her own house 
the conversation  was artfully confined 
to those particular channels with which 
the  hostess was familiar4 ,tales there 
were1 too1 of brilliant speeches        
written out in some masculine hand1     
which had been committed to memory  by  
the ambitious lady1 and had afterwards  
flashed out as extempore  elucidations  
of some dark1 half-explored corner of   
modern science4 ,it  was even said that 
these little blocks of information got  
jumbled up  occasionally in their       
bearer's mind1 so that after an         
entomological  lecture she would burst  
into a geological harangue1 or vice     

vers1 to  the great confusion of her    
audience4 ,so ran the gossip of the     
malicious1  but those who knew her best 
were agreed that she was a very charming
 and  clever little person4             
,illustration3 ,,scientific ,,proof4    
,it would have been a strange thing had 
,mrs4 ,esdaile not been popular  among  
local scientists1 for her pretty house1 
her charming grounds1 and  all the      
hospitality which an income of two      
thousand a year will admit  of1 were    
always at their command4 ,on her        
pleasant lawns in the summer1  and round
 her drawing-room fire in the winter1   
there was much high talk  of microbes1  
and leucocytes1 and sterilised bacteria1
 where thin1  ascetic materialists from 
the ,university upheld the importance of
 this  life against round1 comfortable  
champions of orthodoxy from the         
,cathedral ,close4 ,and in the heat of  
thrust and parry1 when scientific  proof
 ran full tilt against inflexible faith1
 a word from the clever  widow1 or an   

opportune rattle over the keys by her   
pretty daughter ,rose1  would bring all 
back to harmony once more4    ,rose     
,esdaile had just passed her twentieth  
year1 and was looked upon as  one of the
 beauties of ,birchespool4 ,her face    
was1 perhaps1 a trifle long  for perfect
 symmetry1 but her eyes were fine1 her  
expression kindly1 and  her complexion  
beautiful4 ,it was an open secret1 too1 
that she had under  her father's will   
five hundred a year in her own right4   
,with such  advantages a far plainer    
girl than ,rose ,esdaile might create a 
stir in  the society of a provincial    
town4    ,a scientific conversazione in 
a private house is an onerous thing to  
organise1 yet mother and daughter had   
not shrunk from the task4 ,on the       
morning of which ,i write1 they sat     
together surveying their accomplished   
labours1 with the pleasant feeling that 
nothing remained to be done save  to    
receive the congratulations of their    
friends4 ,with the assistance of        

,rupert1 the son of the house1 they had 
assembled from all parts of             
,birchespool objects of scientific      
interest1 which now adorned the long    
tables in the drawing-room4 ,indeed1 the
 full tide of curiosities of  every sort
 which had swelled into the house had   
overflowed the rooms  devoted to the    
meeting1 and had surged down the broad  
stairs to invade  the dining-room and   
the passage4 ,the whole villa had become
 a museum4  ,specimens of the flora and 
fauna of the ,philippine ,islands1 a    
ten-foot  turtle carapace from the      
,gallapagos1 the os frontis of the ,bos 
montis as  shot by ,captain ,charles    
,beesly in the ,thibetan ,himalayas1 the
 bacillus  of ,koch cultivated on       
gelatine--these and a thousand other    
such trophies  adorned the tables upon  
which the two ladies gazed that morning4
    ,you've really managed it           
splendidly1 ma1 said the young lady1    
craning  her neck up to give her mother 
a congratulatory kiss4 ,it was so brave 

of you to undertake it4    ,i think that
 it will do1 purred ,mrs4 ,esdaile      
complacently4 ,but ,i do  hope that the 
phonograph will work without a hitch4   
,you know at the last  meeting of the   
,british ,association ,i got ,professor 
,standerton to repeat  into it his      
remarks on the life history of the      
,medusiform ,gonophore4    ,how funny it
 seems1 exclaimed ,rose1 glancing at the
 square box-like  apparatus1 which stood
 in the post of honour on the central   
table1 to  think that this wood and     
metal will begin to speak just like a   
human  being4    ,hardly that1 dear4 ,of
 course the poor thing can say nothing  
except what  is said to it4 ,you always 
know exactly what is coming4 ,but ,i do 
hope  that it will work all right4      
,rupert will see to it when he comes up 
from the garden4 ,he understands  all   
about them4 ,oh1 ma1 ,i feel so nervous4
    ,mrs4 ,esdaile looked anxiously down
 at her daughter1 and passed her hand   
caressingly over her rich brown hair4 ,i

 understand1 she said1 in her  soothing1
 cooing voice1 ,i understand4    ,he    
will expect an answer to-night1 ma4     
,follow your heart1 child4 ,i am sure   
that ,i have every confidence in  your  
good sense and discretion4 ,i would not 
dictate to you upon such a  matter4     
,you are so good1 ma4 ,of course1 as    
,rupert says1 we really know very       
little of ,charles--of ,captain ,beesly4
 ,but then1 ma1 all that we do know  is 
in his favour4    ,quite so1 dear4 ,he  
is musical1 and well-informed1 and      
good-humoured1  and certainly extremely 
handsome4 ,it is clear1 too1 from what  
he says1  that he has moved in the very 
highest circles4    ,the best in ,india1
 ma4 ,he was an intimate friend of the  
,governor-,general's4 ,you heard        
yourself what he said yesterday about   
the  ,d',arcies1 and ,lady ,gwendoline  
,fairfax1 and ,lord ,montague           
,grosvenor4    ,well1 dear1 said ,mrs4  
,esdaile resignedly1 you are old enough 
to know  your own mind4 ,i shall not    

attempt to dictate to you4 ,i own that  
my own  hopes were set upon ,professor  
,stares4    ,oh1 ma1 think how          
dreadfully ugly he is4    ,but think of 
his reputation1 dear4 ,little more than 
thirty1 and a  member of the ,royal     
,society4    ,i couldn't1 ma4 ,i don't  
think ,i could1 if there was not another
 man in  the world4 ,but1 oh1 ,i do feel
 so nervous2 for you can't think how    
earnest he is4 ,i must give him an      
answer to-night4 ,but they will be here 
in an hour4 ,don't you think that we had
 better go to our rooms8    ,the two    
ladies had risen1 when there came a     
quick masculine step upon  the stairs1  
and a brisk young fellow1 with curly    
black hair1 dashed into  the room4      
,all ready8 he asked1 running his eyes  
over the lines of relic-strewn  tables4 
,all ready1 dear1 answered his mother4  
,oh1 ,i am glad to catch you together1  
said he1 with his hands buried  deeply  
in his trouser pockets1 and an uneasy   
expression on his face4  ,there's one   

thing that ,i wanted to speak to you    
about4 ,look here1  ,rosie2 a bit of fun
 is all very well2 but you wouldn't be  
such a little  donkey to think seriously
 of this fellow ,beesly8    ,my dear    
,rupert1 do try to be a little less     
abrupt1 said ,mrs4 ,esdaile1  with a    
deprecating hand outstretched4    ,i    
can't help seeing how they have been    
thrown together4 ,i don't want to  be   
unkind1 ,rosie2 but ,i can't stand by   
and see you wreck your life for a  man  
who has nothing to recommend him but his
 eyes and his moustache4 ,do  be a      
sensible girl1 ,rosie1 and have nothing 
to say to him4    ,it is surely a point1
 ,rupert1 upon which ,i am more fitted  
to decide  than you can be1 remarked    
,mrs4 ,esdaile1 with dignity4    ,no1   
mater1 for ,i have been able to make    
some inquiries4 ,young  ,cheffington1 of
 the ,gunners1 knew him in ,india4 ,he  
says--    ,but his sister broke in upon 
his revelations4 ,i won't stay here1 ma1
 to  hear him slandered behind his back1

 she cried1 with spirit4 ,he has  never 
said anything that was not kind of you1 
,rupert1 and ,i don't know  why you     
should attack him so4 ,it is cruel1     
unbrotherly4 ,with a sweep  and a whisk 
she was at the door1 her cheek flushed1 
her eyes sparkling1  her bosom heaving  
with this little spurt of indignation1  
while close at  her heels walked her    
mother with soothing words1 and an angry
 glance  thrown back over her shoulder4 
,rupert ,esdaile stood with his hands   
burrowing deeper and deeper into his    
pockets1 and his shoulders rising       
higher and higher to his ears1 feeling  
intensely guilty1 and yet not  certain  
whether he should blame himself for     
having said too much or for  not having 
said enough4    ,illustration3 ,i       
,,won',t ,,stay ,,here ,,to ,,hear ,,him
 ,,slandered4    ,just in front of him  
stood the table on which the phonograph1
 with  wires1 batteries1 and all        
complete1 stood ready for the guests    
whom it  was to amuse4 ,slowly his hands

 emerged from his pockets as his eye    
fell  upon the apparatus1 and with      
languid curiosity he completed the      
connection1 and started the machine4 ,a 
pompous1 husky sound1 as of a man       
clearing his throat proceeded from the  
instrument1 and then in high1  piping   
tones1 thin but distinct1 the           
commencement of the celebrated          
scientist's lecture4 ,of all the        
interesting problems1 remarked the  box1
 which are offered to us by recent      
researches into the lower orders  of    
marine life1 there is none to exceed the
 retrograde metamorphosis  which        
characterises the common barnacle4 ,the 
differentiation of an  amorphous        
protoplasmic mass-- ,here ,rupert       
,esdaile broke the connection  again1   
and the funny little tinkling voice     
ceased as suddenly as it  began4    ,the
 young man stood smiling1 looking down  
at this garrulous piece of  wood and    
metal1 when suddenly the smile          
broadened1 and a light of  mischief     

danced up into his eyes4 ,he slapped his
 thigh1 and danced round  in the ecstasy
 of one who has stumbled on a brand-new 
brilliant idea4  ,very carefully he drew
 forth the slips of metal which recorded
 the  learned ,professor's remarks1 and 
laid them aside for future use4 ,into   
the slots he thrust virgin plates1 all  
ready to receive an impression1  and    
then1 bearing the phonograph under his  
arm1 he vanished into his own  sanctum4 
,five minutes before the first guests   
had arrived the machine  was back upon  
the table1 and all ready for use4       
,there could be no question of the      
success of ,mrs4 ,esdaile's             
conversazione4 ,from first to last      
everything went admirably4 ,people      
stared through microscopes1 and linked  
hands for electric shocks1 and          
marvelled at the ,gallapagos turtle1 the
 os frontis of the ,bos montis1  and all
 the other curiosities which ,mrs4      
,esdaile had taken such pains to        
collect4 ,groups formed and chatted     

round the various cases4 ,the ,dean of  
,birchespool listened with a protesting 
lip1 while ,professor ,maunders  held   
forth upon a square of triassic rock1   
with side-thrusts  occasionally at the  
six days of orthodox creation2 a knot of
 specialists  disputed over a stuffed   
ornithorhynchus in a corner2 while ,mrs4
 ,esdaile  swept from group to group1   
introducing1 congratulating1 laughing1  
with  the ready1 graceful tact of a     
clever woman of the world4 ,by the      
window  sat the heavily-moustached      
,captain ,beesly1 with the daughter of  
the  house1 and they discussed a problem
 of their own1 as old as the triassic   
rock1 and perhaps as little understood4 
,but ,i must really go and help my      
mother to entertain1 ,captain ,beesly1  
said ,rose at last1 with a little       
movement as if to rise4    ,don't go1   
,rose4 ,and don't call me ,captain      
,beesly2 call me ,charles4 ,do1  now6   
,well1 then1 ,charles4    ,illustration3
 ,call me ,charles4 ,do now4    ,how    

prettily it sounds from your lips6 ,no1 
now1 don't go4 ,i can't bear  to be away
 from you4 ,i had heard of love1 ,rose2 
but how strange it seems  that ,i1 after
 spending my life amid all that is      
sparkling and gay1  should only find out
 now1 in this little provincial town1   
what love  really is6    ,you say so2   
but it is only a passing fancy4    ,no1 
indeed4 ,i shall never leave you1       
,rose--never1 unless you drive me  away 
from your side4 ,and you would not be so
 cruel--you would not break  my heart8  
,he had very plaintive1 blue eyes1 and  
there was such a depth of sorrow  in    
them as he spoke that ,rose could have  
wept for sympathy4    ,i should be very 
sorry to cause you grief in any way1 she
 said1 in a  faltering tone4    ,then   
promise----    ,no1 no2 we cannot speak 
of it just now1 and they are collecting 
round  the phonograph4 ,do come and     
listen to it4 ,it is so funny4 ,have you
 ever  heard one8    ,never4    ,it will
 amuse you immensely4 ,and ,i am sure   

that you would never guess  what it is  
going to talk about4    ,what then8     
,oh1 ,i won't tell you4 ,you shall hear4
 ,let us have these chairs by the  open 
door2 it is so nice and cool4    ,the   
company had formed an expectant circle  
round the instrument4 ,there  was a     
subdued hush as ,rupert ,esdaile made   
the connection1 while his  mother waved 
her white hand slowly from left to right
 to mark the  cadence of the sonorous   
address which was to break upon their   
ears4    ,how about ,lucy ,araminta     
,pennyfeather8 cried a squeaky little   
voice4  ,there was a rustle and a titter
 among the audience4 ,rupert glanced    
across at ,captain ,beesly4 ,he saw a   
drooping jaw1 two protruding eyes1  and 
a face the colour of cheese4            
,illustration3 ,,who ,,was ,,it ,,who   
,,hid ,,the ,,ace8    ,how about little 
,martha ,hovedean of the ,kensal ,choir 
,union8 cried the  piping voice4        
,louder still rose the titters4 ,mrs4   
,esdaile stared about her in            

bewilderment4 ,rose burst out laughing1 
and the ,captain's jaw drooped  lower   
still1 with a tinge of green upon the   
cheese-like face4    ,who was it who hid
 the ace in the artillery card-room at  
,peshawur8 ,who  was it who was broke in
 consequence8 ,who was it----8    ,good 
gracious6 cried ,mrs4 ,esdaile1 what    
nonsense is this8 ,the machine  is out  
of order4 ,stop it1 ,rupert4 ,these are 
not the ,professor's remarks4  ,but1    
dear me1 where is our friend ,captain   
,beesly gone8    ,i am afraid that he is
 not very well1 ma1 said ,rose4 ,he     
rushed out of  the room4    ,there can't
 be much the matter1 quoth ,rupert4     
,there he goes1 cutting  down the avenue
 as fast as his legs will carry him4 ,i 
do not think1  somehow1 that we shall   
see the ,captain again4 ,but ,i must    
really  apologise4 ,i have put in the   
wrong slips4 ,these1 ,i fancy1 are those
  which belong to ,professor            
,standerton's lecture4                  
99 99 99 99 99    ,rose ,esdaile has    

become ,rose ,stares now1 and her       
husband is one of the  most rising      
scientists in the provinces4 ,no doubt  
she is proud of his  intellect and of   
his growing fame1 but there are times   
when she still  gives a thought to the  
blue-eyed ,captain1 and marvels at the  
strange and  sudden manner in which he  
deserted her4                           
,illustration                           
,camille4                        ,,from 
,,the ,,french ,,of ,,alfred ,,de       
,,musset4        ,alfred de ,musset was 
born in the middle of old ,paris1 in the
      year #ahaj4 ,musset is the ,byron 
of the ,french2 but at the age      when
 ,byron was playing cricket in the      
grounds of ,harrow1 ,alfred      and his
 brother ,paul were poring day and night
 over old      romances1 and dressing   
themselves up as knights and robbers1 to
      represent the characters of whom  
they read4 ,at nineteen he began      to
 write1 and1 unlike ,byron1 his first   
book of poems was a      complete       

success4 ,at twenty-three he went to    
,italy1 in the      capacity of ,george 
,sand's private secretary1 fell         
passionately      in love with her1 was 
jilted1 and returned home               
broken-hearted4      ,this1 however1 did
 not prevent him from falling in love1  
and out      again1 like ,byron1 at     
constant intervals throughout his life1 
and celebrating the event in verses     
infinitely sweet and bitter4      ,from 
,louis ,philippe1 who had been his      
school-fellow1 he received      the post
 of ,librarian to the ,minister of the  
,interior1 which1      however1 he lost 
at the ,revolution of #ahdh4 ,in #aheb  
he was      elected to the ,french      
,academy2 but1 though only forty-two1   
his      health was already breaking4   
,like ,byron1 who loved to write at     
midnight with a glass of gin-and-water  
at his elbow1 ,musset used      to prime
 himself with draughts of the still     
deadlier absinthe4      ,he sank1 and   
died in ,may1 #aheg1 leaving the        

greatest name of all      ,french poets 
except ,victor ,hugo1 and a reputation  
as a writer of      prose stories which 
may be very fairly estimated by the     
specimen      which follows--the        
charming little story of ,camille4      
,i4    ,,the ,chevalier des ,arcis was a
 cavalry officer who1 having quitted the
  service in #agfj1 while still young1  
retired to a country house near  ,mans4 
,shortly after1 he married the daughter 
of a retired merchant who  lived in the 
neighbourhood1 and this marriage        
appeared for a time to be  an           
exceedingly happy one4 ,ccile's         
relatives were worthy folk who1         
enriched by means of hard work1 were    
now1 in their latter years1  enjoying a 
continual ,sunday4 ,the ,chevalier1     
weary of the artificial  manners of     
,versailles1 entered gladly into their  
simple pleasures4  ,ccile had an        
excellent uncle1 named ,giraud1 who had 
been a  master-bricklayer1 but had risen
 by degrees to the position of          

architect1 and now owned considerable   
property4 ,the ,chevalier's house       
7which was named ,chardonneux7 was much 
to ,giraud's taste1 and he was  there a 
frequent and ever welcome visitor4      
,by and by a lovely little girl was born
 to the ,chevalier and ,ccile1 and      
great at first was the jubilation of the
 parents4 ,but a painful shock  was in  
store for them4 ,they soon made the     
terrible discovery that their  little   
,camille was deaf1 and1 consequently1   
also dumb6                              
,,ii4    ,the mother's first thought was
 of cure1 but this hope was reluctantly 
abandoned2 no cure could be found4 ,at  
the time of which we are writing1  there
 existed a pitiless prejudice against   
those poor creatures whom we  style deaf
 mutes4 ,a few noble spirits1 it is     
true1 had protested  against this       
barbarity4 ,a ,spanish monk of the      
sixteenth century was the  first to     
devise means of teaching the dumb to    
speak without words--a  thing until then

 deemed impossible4 ,his example had    
been followed at  different times in    
,italy1 ,england1 and ,france1 by       
,bonnet1 ,wallis1  ,bulwer1 and ,van    
,helmont1 and a little good had been    
done here and there4  ,still1 however1  
even at ,paris1 deaf mutes were         
generally regarded as  beings set apart1
 marked with the brand of ,divine       
displeasure4 ,deprived  of speech1 the  
power of thought was denied them1 and   
they inspired more  horror than pity4   
,a dark shadow crept over the happiness 
of ,camille's parents4 ,a sudden1       
silent estrangement--worse than divorce1
 crueller than death--grew up  between  
them4 ,for the mother passionately loved
 her afflicted child1  while the        
,chevalier1 despite all the efforts     
prompted by his kind heart1  could not  
overcome the repugnance with which her  
affliction affected  him4    ,the mother
 spoke to her child by signs1 and she   
alone could make herself  understood4   
,every other inmate of the house1 even  

her father1 was a  stranger to ,camille4
 ,the mother of ,madame des ,arcis--a   
woman of no  tact--never ceased to      
deplore loudly the misfortune that had  
befallen  her daughter and son-in-law4  
,better that she had never been born6   
she  exclaimed one day4    ,what would  
you have done1 then1 had ,i been thus8  
asked ,ccile  indignantly4    ,to ,uncle
 ,giraud his great-niece's dumbness     
seemed no such tremendous  misfortune4  
,i have had1 said he1 such a talkative  
wife that ,i regard  everything else as 
a less evil4 ,this little woman will    
never speak or  hear bad words1 never   
aggravate the whole household by humming
 opera  airs1 will never quarrel1 never 
awake when her husband coughs1 or rises 
early to look after his workmen4 ,she   
will see clearly1 for the deaf have     
good eyes4 ,she will be pretty and      
intelligent1 and make no noise4 ,were ,i
  young1 ,i would like to marry her2    
being old1 ,i will adopt her as my      
daughter whenever you are tired of her4 

,for a moment the sad parents were      
cheered by ,uncle ,giraud's bright talk4
  ,but the cloud soon re-descended upon 
them4                                   
,,iii4    ,in course of time the little 
girl grew into a big one4 ,nature       
completed  successfully1 but faithfully1
 her task4 ,the ,chevalier's feelings   
towards  ,camille had1 unfortunately1   
undergone no change4 ,her mother still  
watched over her tenderly1 and never    
left her1 observing anxiously her       
slightest actions1 her every sign of    
interest in life4    ,illustration3     
,,she ,,sank ,,upon ,a ,,seat4    ,when 
,camille's young friends were of an age 
to receive the first  instructions of a 
governess1 the poor child began to      
realise the  difference between herself 
and others4 ,the child of a neighbour   
had a  severe governess4 ,camille1 who  
was present one day at a                
spelling-lesson1  regarded her little   
comrade with surprise1 following her    
efforts with  her eyes1 seeking1 as it  

were1 to aid her1 and crying when she   
was  scolded4 ,especially were the      
music-lessons puzzling to ,camille4     
,the evening prayers1 which the         
neighbour used regularly with her       
children1 were another enigma for the   
girl4 ,she knelt with her friends1  and 
joined her hands without knowing        
wherefore4 ,the ,chevalier considered   
this a profanation2 not so his wife4 ,as
 ,camille advanced in age1 she  became  
possessed of a passion--as it were by a 
holy instinct--for the  churches which  
she beheld4 ,when ,i was a child ,i saw 
not ,god1 ,i saw only  the sky1 is the  
saying of a deaf mute4 ,a religious     
procession1 a  coarse1 gaudily bedizened
 image of the ,virgin1 a choir boy in a 
shabby  surplice1 whose voice was all   
unheard by ,camille--who knows what     
simple  means will serve to raise the   
eyes of a child8 ,and what matters it1  
so  long as the eyes are raised8        
,,iv4    ,camille was petite1 with a    
white skin1 and long black hair1 and    

graceful movements4 ,she was swift to   
understand her mother's wishes1  prompt 
to obey them4 ,so much grace and beauty1
 joined to so much  misfortune1 were    
most disturbing to the ,chevalier4 ,he  
would frequently  embrace the girl in an
 excited manner1 exclaiming aloud3 ,i am
 not yet a  wicked man6    ,at the end  
of the garden there was a wooded walk1  
to which the ,chevalier  was in the     
habit of betaking himself after         
breakfast4 ,from her chamber  window    
,madame des ,arcis often watched him    
wistfully as he walked to and  fro      
beneath the trees4 ,one morning1 with   
palpitating heart1 she ventured  to join
 him4 ,she wished to take ,camille to a 
juvenile ball which was to  be held that
 evening at a neighbouring mansion4 ,she
 longed to observe  the effect which her
 daughter's beauty would produce upon   
the outside  world and upon her husband4
 ,she had passed a sleepless night in   
devising  ,camille's toilette1 and she  
cherished the sweetest hopes4 ,it must  

be1  she told herself1 that he will be  
proud1 and the rest jealous of the  poor
 little one6 ,she will say nothing1 but 
she will be the most  beautiful6    ,the
 ,chevalier welcomed his wife           
graciously--quite in the manner of      
,versailles6 ,their conversation        
commenced with the exchange of a few    
insignificant sentences as they walked  
side by side4 ,then a silence fell      
between them1 while ,madame des ,arcis  
sought fitting words in which to        
approach her husband on the subject of  
,camille1 and induce him to break  his  
resolution that the child should never  
see the world4 ,meanwhile1 the          
,chevalier was also in cogitation4 ,he  
was the first to speak4 ,he informed    
his wife that urgent family affairs     
called him to ,holland1 and that he     
ought to start not later than the       
following morning4    ,madame understood
 his true motive only too easily4 ,the  
,chevalier was far  from contemplating  
the desertion of his wife1 yet felt an  

irresistible  desire1 a compelling need 
of temporary isolation4 ,in almost all  
true  sorrow1 man has this craving for  
solitude--suffering animals have it     
also4    ,his wife raised no objection  
to his project1 but fresh grief wrung   
her  heart4 ,complaining of weariness1  
she sank upon a seat4 ,there she        
remained for a long time1 lost in sad   
reverie4 ,she rose at length1 put  her  
arm into that of her husband1 and they  
returned together to the  house4    ,the
 poor lady spent the afternoon quietly  
and prayerfully in her own  room4 ,in   
the evening1 towards eight o'clock1 she 
rang her bell1 and  ordered the horse to
 be put into the carriage4 ,at the same 
time she sent  word to the ,chevalier   
that she intended going to the ball1 and
 hoped  that he would accompany her4    
,an embroidered robe of white muslin1   
small shoes of white satin1 a  necklace 
of ,american beads1 a coronet of        
violets--such was the simple  costume of
 ,camille1 who1 when her mother had     

dressed her1 jumped for  joy4 ,as       
,madame was embracing her child with the
 words1 ,you are  beautiful6 you are    
beautiful6 the ,chevalier joined them4  
,he gave his  hand to his wife1 and the 
three went to the ball4    ,as it was   
,camille's first appearance in public1  
she naturally excited a  great deal of  
curiosity4 ,the ,chevalier suffered     
visibly4 ,when his  friends praised to  
him the beauty of his daughter1 he felt 
that they  intended to console him1 and 
such consolation was not to his taste4  
,yet  he could not wholly suppress some 
emotion of pride and joy4 ,his feelings 
were strangely mixed4 ,after having     
saluted by gestures almost everybody  in
 the room1 ,camille was now resting by  
her mother's side4 ,the general         
admiration grew more enthusiastic4      
,nothing1 in fact1 could have been  more
 lovely than the envelope which held    
this poor dumb soul4 ,her  figure1 her  
face1 her long1 curling hair1 above all1
 her eyes of  incomparable lustre1      

surprised everyone4 ,her wistful looks  
and graceful  gestures1 too1 were so    
pathetic4 ,people crowded around ,madame
 des ,arcis1  asking a thousand         
questions about ,camille2 to surprise   
and a slight  coldness succeeded sincere
 kindliness and sympathy4 ,they had     
never seen  such a charming child2      
nothing resembled her1 for there existed
 nothing  else so charming as she6      
,camille was a complete success4        
,illustration3 ,,it ,,was ,,camille',s  
,,first ,,appearance4    ,always        
outwardly calm1 ,madame des ,arcis      
tasted to-night the most pure  and      
intense pleasure of her life4 ,a smile  
that was exchanged between her  and her 
husband was well worth many tears4      
,presently1 as the ,chevalier was still 
gazing at his daughter1 a  country-dance
 began1 which ,camille watched with an  
earnest attention  that had in it       
something sad4 ,a boy invited her to    
join4 ,for answer1 she  shook her head1 
causing some of the violets to fall out 

of her coronet4  ,her mother picked them
 up1 and soon put to rights the         
coiffure1 which  was her own handiwork4 
,then she looked round for her husband1 
but he was  no longer in the room4 ,she 
inquired if he had left1 and whether he 
had  taken the carriage4 ,she was told  
that he had gone home on foot4          
,v4    ,the ,chevalier had resolved to  
leave home without taking leave of his  
wife4 ,he shrank from all discussion and
 explanation1 and1 as he intended  to   
return in a short time1 he believed that
 he should act more wisely in  leaving a
 letter than by making a verbal         
farewell4 ,there was some  truth in his 
statement of that business affair       
calling him away1  although business was
 not his first consideration4 ,and now  
one of his  friends had written to      
hasten his departure4 ,here was a good  
excuse4 ,on  returning alone to his     
house 7by a much shorter route than that
 taken by  the carriage71 he announced  
his intention to the servants1 packed in

  great haste1 sent his light luggage on
 to the town1 mounted his horse1  and   
was gone4    ,yet a certain misgiving   
troubled him1 for he knew that his      
,ccile would  be pained by his abrupt   
departure1 although he endeavoured to   
persuade  himself that he did this for  
her sake no less than for his own4      
,however1  he continued on his way4     
,meanwhile1 ,madame des ,arcis was      
returning in the carriage1 with her     
daughter asleep upon her knee4 ,she felt
 hurt at the ,chevalier's rudeness  in  
leaving them to return alone4 ,it seemed
 such a public slight upon his  wife and
 child6 ,sad forebodings filled the     
mother's heart as the  carriage jolted  
slowly over the stones of a newly-made  
road4 ,god  watches over all1 she       
reflected2 over us as over others4 ,but 
what  shall we do8 ,what will become of 
my poor child8    ,at some distance from
 ,chardonneux there was a ford to be    
crossed4 ,there  had been much rain for 
nearly a month past1 causing the river  

to  overflow its banks4 ,the ferryman   
refused at first to take the carriage   
into his boat2 he would undertake1 he   
said1 to convey the passengers and  the 
horse safely across1 but not the        
vehicle4 ,the lady1 anxious to  rejoin  
her husband1 would not descend4 ,she    
ordered the coachman to enter  the boat2
 it was only a transit of a few minutes1
 which she had made a  hundred times4   
,in mid-stream the boat was forced by   
the current from its straight  course4  
,the boatman asked the coachman's aid in
 keeping it away from the  weir4 ,for   
there was not far off a mill with a     
weir1 where the violence  of the water  
had formed a sort of cascade4 ,it was   
clear that if the boat  drifted to this 
spot there would be a terrible accident4
    ,illustration3 ,,in ,,mid-,,stream4 
,the coachman descended from his seat1  
and worked with a will4 ,but he had     
only a pole to work with1 the night was 
dark1 a fine rain blinded the  men1 and 
soon the noise of the weir announced the

 most imminent danger4  ,madame des     
,arcis1 who had remained in the         
carriage1 opened the window in  alarm4  
,are we then lost8 cried she4 ,at that  
moment the pole broke4 ,the  two men    
fell into the boat exhausted1 and with  
bruised hands4    ,the ferryman could   
swim1 but not the coachman4 ,there was  
no time to  lose4 ,pre ,georgeot1 said  
,madame to the ferryman1 calling him by 
his  name1 can you save my daughter and 
myself8    ,certainly6 he replied1 as if
 almost insulted by the question4       
,what must we do8 inquired ,madame des  
,arcis4    ,place yourself upon my      
shoulders1 replied the ferryman1 and put
 your  arms about my neck4 ,as for the  
little one1 ,i will hold her in one     
hand1  and swim with the other1 and she 
shall not get drowned4 ,it is but a     
short distance from here to the potatoes
 which grow in yonder field4    ,and    
,jean8 asked ,madame1 meaning the       
coachman4    ,jean will be all right1 ,i
 hope4 ,if he holds on at the weir1 ,i  

will  return for him4    ,pre ,georgeot 
struck out with his double burden1 but  
he had  over-estimated his powers4 ,he  
was no longer young4 ,the shore was     
farther  off1 the current stronger than 
he had thought4 ,he struggled manfully1 
but was nearly swept away4 ,then the    
trunk of a willow1 hidden by the  water 
and the darkness1 stopped him suddenly  
with a violent blow upon  the forehead4 
,blood flowed from the wound and        
obscured his vision4    ,could you save 
my child if you had only her to convey8 
asked the  mother4    ,i cannot tell1   
but ,i think so1 said the ferryman4     
,the mother removed her arms from the   
man's neck1 and let herself slip  gently
 into the water4    ,when the ferryman  
had deposited ,camille safely on terra  
firma1 the  coachman1 who had been      
rescued by a peasant1 helped him to     
search for  the body of ,madame des     
,arcis4 ,it was found on the following  
morning1  near the bank4                
,,vi4    ,camille's grief at her        

mother's loss was terrible to witness4  
,she ran  hither and thither1 uttering  
wild1 inarticulate cries1 tearing her   
hair1  and beating the walls4 ,an       
unnatural calm succeeded these violent  
emotions2 reason itself seemed well-nigh
 gone4    ,it was then that ,uncle      
,giraud came to his niece's rescue4     
,poor child6  said he1 she has at       
present neither father nor mother4 ,with
 me she has  always been a favourite1   
and ,i intend now to take charge of her 
for a  time4 ,change of scene1 said     
,uncle ,giraud1 would do her a world of 
good4 ,with the ,chevalier's permission 
7obtained by letter71 he carried  off   
,camille to ,paris4 ,the ,chevalier     
returned to ,chardonneux1 where he      
lived in deepest retirement1 shunning   
every living being1 a prey to  grief and
 keen remorse4    ,illustration3 ,,the  
,,discovery ,,of ,,the ,,body ,,of      
,,madame ,,des ,,arcis4    ,a year      
passed heavily away4 ,uncle ,giraud had 
as yet failed utterly to  rouse         

,camille4 ,she steadily refused to be   
interested in anything4 ,at  last1 one  
day he determined to take her1 nolens   
volens1 to the opera4  ,a new and       
beautiful dress was purchased for the   
occasion4 ,when1 attired  in this1      
,camille saw herself in the glass1 so   
pleased was she with the  pretty picture
 that1 to her good uncle's intense      
satisfaction1 she  actually smiled6     
,,vii4    ,camille soon wearied of the  
opera4 ,all--actors1 musicians1         
audience--seemed to say to her3--,we    
speak1 and you cannot2 we hear1  laugh1 
sing1 rejoice4 ,you rejoice in nothing1 
hear nothing4 ,you are only  a statue1  
the simulacrum of a being1 a mere       
looker-on at life4    ,when1 to exclude 
the mocking spectacle1 she closed her   
eyes1 the scenes  of her early life rose
 before the eyes of her mind4 ,she      
returned in  thought to her country     
home1 saw again her mother's dear face4 
,it was  too much6 ,uncle ,giraud       
observed1 with much concern1 tears      

rolling down  her cheeks4 ,when he would
 have inquired the cause of her grief1  
she made  signs that she wished to      
leave4 ,she rose1 and opened the door of
 the  box4    ,just at this moment1     
something attracted her attention4 ,she 
caught sight  of a good-looking1        
richly-dressed young man1 who was       
tracing letters and  figures with a     
white pencil upon a small slate4 ,he    
exhibited this slate  now and then to   
his neighbour1 a man older than himself1
 who evidently  understood him at once1 
and promptly replied in the same manner4
 ,at the  same time the two exchanged   
signs4    ,illustration3 ,,she ,,leaned 
,,over ,,the ,,edge ,,of ,,the ,,box4   
,camille's curiosity and interest were  
deeply stirred4 ,she had already        
observed that this young man's lips did 
not move4 ,she now saw that he  spoke a 
language which was not the language of  
others1 that he had found  some means of
 expressing himself without the aid of  
speech--that art for  her so            

incomprehensible and impossible4 ,an    
irresistible longing to see  more seized
 her4 ,she leaned over the edge of the  
box1 and watched the  stranger's        
movements attentively4 ,when he again   
wrote something upon his  slate1 and    
passed it to his companion1 she made an 
involuntary gesture  as if to take it4  
,whereupon the young man1 in his turn1  
looked at  ,camille4 ,their eyes met1   
and said the same thing1 ,we two are in 
like  case2 we are both dumb4    ,uncle 
,giraud brought his niece's wrap1 but   
she no longer wished to go4  ,she had   
reseated herself1 and was leaning       
eagerly forward4    ,the ,abb de l',epe 
was then just becoming known4 ,touched  
with pity for  the deaf and dumb1 this  
good man had invented a language that he
 deemed  superior to that of ,leibnitz4 
,he restored deaf mutes to the ranks of 
their fellows by teaching them to read  
and write4 ,alone and unaided he        
laboured for his afflicted              
fellow-creatures1 prepared to sacrifice 

to  their welfare his life and fortune4 
,the young man observed by ,camille was 
one of the ,abb's first pupils4 ,he  was
 the son of the ,marquis de ,maubray4   
,,viii4    ,it goes without saying that 
neither ,camille nor her uncle knew     
anything  either of the ,abb de l',epe1 
or of his new method4 ,camille's mother 
would assuredly have discovered it1 had 
she lived long enough4 ,but             
,chardonneux was far from ,paris2 the   
,chevalier did not take ,the  ,gazette1 
nor1 if he had taken it1 would he have  
read it4 ,thus a few  leagues of        
distance1 a little indolence1 or death1 
may produce the same  result4    ,upon  
,camille's return from the opera1 she   
was possessed with but one  idea4 ,she  
made her uncle understand that she      
wished for writing  materials4 ,although
 the good man wanted his supper1 he ran 
to his  chamber1 and returned with a    
piece of board and a morsel of chalk1   
relics of his old love for building and 
carpentry4    ,camille placed the board 

upon her knee1 then made signs to her   
uncle  that he should sit by her and    
write something upon it4 ,laying his    
hand  gently upon the girl's breast1 he 
wrote1 in large letters1 her name1      
,camille1 after which1 well satisfied   
with the evening's work1 he  seated     
himself at the supper-table4    ,camille
 retired as soon as possible to her own 
room1 clasping her board  in her arms4  
,having laid aside some of her finery1  
and let down her  hair1 she began to    
copy with great pains and care the word 
which her  uncle had written4 ,after    
writing it many times1 she succeeded in 
forming  the letters very fairly4 ,what 
that word represented to her1 who shall 
say8    ,illustration3 ,,she ,,began    
,,to ,,copy ,,with ,,great ,,care4      
,it was a glorious night of ,july4      
,camille had opened her window1 and from
  time to time paused in her            
self-imposed task to gaze out1 although 
the  view was but a dreary one4 ,the    
window overlooked a yard in which       

coaches were kept4 ,four or five huge   
carriages stood side by side  beneath a 
shed4 ,two or three others stood in the 
centre of the yard1 as  if awaiting the 
horses which could be heard kicking in  
the stable4 ,the  court was shut in by a
 closed door and high walls4            
,suddenly ,camille perceived1 beneath   
the shadow of a heavy diligence1 a      
human form pacing to and fro4 ,a feeling
 of fear seized her4 ,the man was       
gazing intently at her window4 ,in a few
 moments ,camille had regained her      
courage4 ,she took her lamp in her hand1
 and1 leaning from the casement1  held  
it so that its light illumined the      
court4 ,the ,marquis de ,maubray  7for  
it was he71 perceiving that he was      
discovered1 sank on his knees  and      
clasped his hands1 gazing at ,camille   
meanwhile with an expression of         
respectful admiration4 ,then he sprang  
up1 and nimbly clambering over two  or  
three intercepting vehicles1 was in a   
few minutes within ,camille's  room1    

where his first act was to make her a   
profound bow4 ,he longed for  some means
 of speaking to her1 and1 observing upon
 the table the board  bearing the       
written word ,camille1 he took the piece
 of chalk1 and  proceeded to write      
beside that name his own--,pierre4      
,illustration3 ,,he ,,was ,,in ,a ,,few 
,,minutes ,,within ,,camille',s ,,room4 
,who are you8 and what are you doing    
here8 thundered a wrathful voice4  ,it  
was that of ,uncle ,giraud1 who at that 
moment entered the room1 and  bestowed  
upon the intruder a torrent of abuse4   
,the ,marquis calmly wrote  something   
upon the board1 and handed it to ,uncle 
,giraud1 who read with  amazement the   
following words3 ,i love ,mademoiselle  
,camille1 and wish to  marry her4 ,i am 
the ,marquis de ,maubray2 will you give 
her to me8    ,the uncle's wrath abated4
    ,well6 remarked he to himself1 as he
 recognised the youth he had seen  at   
the opera--for going straight to the    
point1 and getting through  their       

business quickly1 ,i never saw the like 
of these dumb folk6                     
,,ix4    ,the course of true love1 for  
once1 ran smooth4 ,the ,chevalier's     
consent  to this highly desirable match 
for his daughter was easily obtained4   
,much more difficult was it to convince 
him that it was possible to teach  deaf 
mutes to read and write4 ,seeing1       
however1 is believing4 ,one day1  two or
 three years after the marriage1 the    
,chevalier received a letter  from      
,camille1 which began thus3--,oh1       
father6 ,i can speak1 not with my       
mouth1 but with my hand4    ,she told   
him how she had learned to do this1 and 
to whom she owed her  new-born          
speech--the good ,abb de l',epe4 ,she   
described to him the  beauty of her     
baby1 and affectionately besought him to
 pay a visit to  his daughter and       
grandchild4    ,after receiving this    
letter1 the ,chevalier hesitated for a  
long time4    ,go1 by all means1 advised
 ,uncle ,giraud1 when he was consulted4 

,do you  not reproach yourself          
continually for having deserted your    
wife at the  ball8 ,will you also       
forsake your child1 who longs to see    
you8 ,let us go  together4 ,i consider  
it most ungrateful of her not to have   
included me  in the invitation4    ,he  
is right1 reflected the ,chevalier4 ,i  
brought cruel and needless  suffering   
upon the best of women4 ,i left her to  
die a frightful death1  when ,i ought to
 have been her preserver4 ,if this visit
 to ,camille  involves some pain to     
myself1 that is but a merited           
chastisement4 ,i will  taste this bitter
 pleasure2 ,i will go and see my child4 
,x4    ,in the pretty boudoir of a house
 in the ,faubourg ,st4 ,germain1        
,camille's  father and uncle found      
,camille and ,pierre4 ,upon the table   
lay books and  sketches4 ,the husband   
was reading1 the wife embroidering1 the 
child  playing on the carpet4 ,at sight 
of the welcome visitors the ,marquis    
rose1 while ,camille ran to her father1 

who1 as he embraced her tenderly1  could
 not restrain his tears4 ,then the      
,chevalier's earnest look was bent  upon
 the child4 ,in spite of himself1 some  
shadow of the repugnance he  had        
formerly felt for the infirmity of      
,camille stirred afresh at sight  of    
this small being who had doubtless      
inherited that infirmity4    ,another   
mute6 cried he4    ,camille raised her  
son to her arms2 without hearing she had
 understood4  ,gently holding out the   
child towards the ,chevalier1 she placed
 her  fingers upon the tiny lips1       
stroking them a little1 as if coaxing   
them  to speak4 ,in a few moments he    
pronounced distinctly the words which   
his  mother had caused him to be        
taught3--    ,good morning1 papa6       
,now you see clearly1 said ,uncle       
,giraud1 that ,god pardons everything   
and for ever6                           
,illustration                           
,illustration                           
,,the ,,stone ,,breaker              ,a 

,,story ,,for ,,children4 ,,from ,,the  
,,french ,,of ,,quatrelles4             
,quatrelles' real name is ,ernest ,louis
 ,victor ,jules ,l'pine4 ,he      lives 
at ,paris--a grey old gentleman of      
sixty-five1 who during      the greater 
part of his life has held a post in the 
,french      ,government1 who wears in  
his button-hole the rosette of the      
,legion of ,honour1 and who can do      
almost anything      delightful--whether
 it be to paint a picture1 or to compose
 a      piece of music1 or 7as in the   
following example7 to tell a            
charming little story to amuse the      
children4      ,,there was once1 in     
,japan1 in times so far away that the   
learned hardly  now dare speak of them1 
a poor little stone-breaker who worked  
on the  highways4    ,illustration3     
,,before ,,the ,,door ,,of ,a ,,splendid
 ,,dwelling4    ,he worked on the       
highways as long as the day lasted1 in  
all weathers1 in  all seasons1 in rain1 
in the burning sunshine1 and in snow4   

,he was  always half dead with fatigue  
and three-quarters dead with hunger2 and
  he was not at all contented with his  
lot4 ,oh6 how ,i would bless  heaven1 he
 said1 if one day ,i became rich enough 
to sleep far into the  morning1 to eat  
when ,i was hungry1 and drink when ,i   
was athirst4 ,i am  told that there are 
people so blessed by fate as always to  
be gay and  full of food4 ,stretched at 
ease upon thick mats before my door1 my 
back  covered with soft silken          
vestments1 ,i would take my afternoon   
nap1  wakened every quarter of an hour  
by a servant1 who should remind me that 
,i had nothing to do1 and that ,i might 
sleep without remorse4    ,a passing    
angel overheard these words1 and smiled4
    ,be it according to your wish1 poor 
man6 the angel said4 ,and1 suddenly1    
the stone-breaker found himself before  
the door of a splendid dwelling  of his 
own1 stretched at his ease upon a pile  
of thick mats and dressed  in sumptuous 
garments of silk4 ,he was no longer     

hungry1 no longer  thirsty1 no longer   
tired--all of which appeared to him as  
agreeable as  it was surprising4    ,he 
had feasted for half an hour on these   
unknown enjoyments1 when the  ,mikado   
passed by4 ,the ,mikado6 ,it was a great
 thing to be the ,mikado4 ,the  ,mikado 
was ,emperor of ,japan1 and the ,emperor
 of ,japan was1 especially in  those    
far-off times1 the most powerful of all 
the emperors of the ,east4              
,illustration3 ,,surrounded ,,by ,,his  
,,ministers4    ,the ,mikado was        
travelling for his pleasure1 preceded by
 couriers1  surrounded by cavaliers more
 embroidered and belaced than the ,grand
 ,turk  of ,turkey1 followed by famous  
warriors1 escorted by musicians1        
accompanied by the most beautiful women 
in the world1 who reclined in  howdahs  
of silver borne on the backs of white   
elephants4    ,the ,mikado lay upon a   
bed of down in a palanquin of fine gold1
 decked  with precious stones4 ,his     
prime minister had the unequalled honour

 of  holding above his master's head a  
large umbrella fringed all round with   
tiny jingling bells4    ,the enriched   
stone-breaker followed the imperial     
procession with an eye  of envy4        
,much advanced ,i am6 he said to        
himself4 ,shall ,i be happy with the few
  paltry indulgences ,i am able to give 
myself8 ,why am ,i not the ,mikado8 ,i  
could then traverse the highways in a   
splendid carriage1 in a golden          
palanquin powdered with precious stones1
 followed by my prime minister1  under  
the shade of a great umbrella fringed   
with jingling bells1 while  my second   
minister refreshed my visage with the   
waving of a fan of  peacocks' feathers4 
,ah1 ,i wish ,i were the ,mikado6    ,be
 as you wish to be6 said the angel4     
,and instantly he found himself         
stretched on the down bed of the golden 
palanquin powdered with precious stones1
 surrounded by his ministers1  his      
warriors1 his women and his slaves1 who 
said to him1 in ,japanese3    ,mikado1  

you are superior to the sun1 you are    
eternal1 you are  invincible4 ,all that 
the mind of man can conceive you can    
execute4  ,justice itself is subordinate
 to your will1 and providence waits on  
your  counsels tremblingly4    ,the     
stone-breaker said to himself3    ,very 
good6 these people know my value4       
,illustration3 ,,the ,,little           
,,stone-,,breaker ,,sparkled ,,in ,,the 
,,heavens4    ,the sun1 which had been  
shining very ardently for some days1 had
 parched  the country4 ,the road was    
dusty1 and the glare from it fatigued   
the eyes  of the apprentice ,mikado1    
who1 addressing his minister1 the bearer
 of  the jingling umbrella1 said3       
,inform the sun that he is incommoding  
me4 ,his familiarities displease  me4   
,tell him that the great ,emperor of    
,japan authorises him to retire4  ,go6  
,the prime minister confided to a       
chamberlain the honour of carrying the  
jingling umbrella1 and went on his      
mission4    ,he returned almost         

instantly1 his face expressing the      
utmost  consternation4    ,great        
,emperor1 sovereign of gods and men1 it 
is inconceivable6 ,the sun  pretends not
 to have heard me1 and continues to burn
 up the road6    ,let him be chastised4 
,certainly6 such insolence deserves it2 
but how am ,i to get hold of him  to    
administer his punishment8    ,am ,i not
 the equal of the gods8    ,assuredly1  
great ,mikado1 at least their equal4    
,you told me1 just now1 that nothing is 
impossible to me4 ,either you  have     
lied1 or you resist me1 or you have     
badly executed my orders2 ,i  give you  
five minutes to extinguish the sun1 or  
ten to have your head  chopped off4 ,go6
    ,the prime minister departed1 and   
did not return4    ,the exasperated     
stone-breaker was purple with anger4    
,this is a pretty sort of a dog's       
business1 upon my word1 to be emperor1  
if he has to submit to the              
familiarities1 caprices1 and brutalities
 of a  mere circulating star4 ,it is    

plain that the sun is more powerful than
 ,i4  ,i wish ,i were the sun4    ,be it
 as you wish6 said the angel4           
,illustration3 ,,never ,,did ,,so ,,much
 ,,rain ,,fall4    ,and the little      
stone-breaker sparkled in the highest   
heavens1 radiant1  flaming4 ,he took    
pleasure in scorching trees1 withering  
their leaves1  and parching up springs2 
in covering with perspiration the august
  visages of emperors as well as the    
dusty muzzles of the wayside            
stone-breakers--his companions of the   
morning4    ,but a cloud came between   
the earth and him1 and the cloud said3  
,halt1 my dear fellow2 you can't come   
this way6    ,by the moon1 that's too   
much6 ,a cloud--a poor little misty1    
bodiless  cloud--calls me familiarly1   
'my dear fellow1' and bars my way6      
,clouds1  it is plain1 are more powerful
 than ,i4 ,if ,i do not become a cloud1 
,i  shall burst with jealousy4    ,don't
 burst for so trifling a cause1 said the
 angel1 always on the  watch4 ,be a     

cloud1 since you prefer to be so4       
,proudly the new cloud planted himself  
between the earth and the  resplendent  
planet4    ,never1 in the records of    
memory1 did so much rain fall4 ,the     
transformed  stone-breaker took pleasure
 in launching rain and hail upon the    
earth1  and that in such a terrible     
fashion that the uprooted trees found   
nothing left but mud in which to hold on
 to the ground4 ,under his  aquatic     
reign of several hours1 streams became  
floods1 floods became  torrents1 the    
seas were confounded with each other1   
and dreadful  waterspouts whirled in    
every direction1 wringing and destroying
 whatever  was above the surface of the 
waters4    ,a rock1 however1 made head  
against the force of the hurricane4 ,in 
spite  of all1 it remained unmoved4 ,on 
its granite sides the waves broke in    
frothy showers1 the waterspouts sank at 
its feet1 and the thunder made  it laugh
 every time it burst against its        
unyielding flanks4    ,i am at the end  

of my powers6 said the cloud2 this rock 
defies me1  masters me1 and fills me    
with envy4    ,take its place6 said the 
angel1 and let us see whether1 at last1 
you  are satisfied4    ,the transformed 
cloud did not yet feel at his ease4     
,immovable1  inaccessible1 insensible to
 the burning caresses of the sun and to 
the  booming of the thunder1 he believed
 himself to be the master of the  world4
 ,but at his feet a sharp hammering     
sound attracted his attention4  ,he     
stooped and beheld a wretched being     
covered with rags1 thin and bald1  as he
 had been in the time of his deepest    
poverty1 who1 with a heavy  hammer in   
his hand1 was engaged in chipping off   
pieces of the granite  for the purpose  
of mending the neighbouring road4       
,illustration3 ,,at ,,his ,,feet ,a     
,,sharp ,,hammering ,,sound ,,attracted 
,,his  ,,attention4    ,what is the     
meaning of this8 cried the haughty rock2
 a poor  wretch--wretched amongst the   
most wretched--mutilating me1 and ,i    

cannot  defend myself6 ,i am profoundly 
humiliated--reduced to envy the lot even
  of this wretched being6    ,take his  
place6 said the angel1 smiling4    ,and 
the insatiate personage became again    
what he had been before--a poor  little 
stone-breaker4 ,as in the past1 he      
worked on the highways as long  as day  
lasted1 in all weathers1 in all seasons1
 in rain1 in the burning  sunshine1 and 
in snow4 ,he was always half dead with  
hunger1  three-quarters dead with       
fatigue4 ,but that did not prevent his  
being  perfectly contented with his lot4
    ,illustration3 ,,perfectly          
,,contented ,,with ,,his ,,lot4         
,transcriber ,notes3    ,passages in    
italics were indicated by underscores4  
,small caps were replaced with ,,all    
,,caps4    ,throughout the dialogues1   
there were words used to mimic accents  
of the  speakers4 ,those words were     
retained as-is4    ,the illustrations   
have been moved so that they do not     
break up  paragraphs and so that they   

are next to the text they illustrate4   
,errors in punctuations and inconsistent
 hyphenation were not corrected  unless 
otherwise noted4    ,on page #bcd1 the  
single quotation mark after ,,daubs was 
replaced with a  double quotation mark4 
,on page #bee1 idosyncrasy was replaced 
with idiosyncrasy4    ,on page #bfc1 an 
apostrophe before ,tsar was deleted4    
,on page #cjg1 custudy was replaced with
 custody4    ,on page #cjg1 onscrupulous
 was replaced with unscrupulous4