CHAPTER XVI.

On the 6th of November, 1870, the head-quarters of the Connaught Rangers left Agra by train for Bombay. It was our last journey in India. I had passed many pleasant years in the country, and I had received great kindness from friends, many of whom I most probably would never see again. Indian hospitality has not been over-rated. I have been told that now-a-days there are so many railways that hotels take the place of dāk bungalows; but in my time it was different, and at the various halting-places the burra-sahib of the place generally came himself to welcome any wanderer to his own house, and to show him all the attention he possibly could think of. When I look back at the days passed in Hindostan, the names of Lind, the Commissioner, and Judge Spankie, of the High Court, stand out among a crowd of others, and recall to my memory very happy days. So it was with mingled feelings that I bid adieu to the burning plains.

At Allahabad I had to part with my bearer. I am certain it was with mutual regret we went our different ways. I see now his erect figure marching away out of the railway-station, laden, as usual, with his beloved copper cooking-pots. He was a Hindoo, but more attentive to his devotions than many an enlightened Christian. An honest, good man like him, although a heathen, must surely have his reward. We were five nights in the train before we reached Deollalee, from whence the final departure for home is made. The train pulled up during the heat of the day, and was put into a siding, while the men got their meals cooked.

Our first halt was at Allahabad. We spent the day with my friend, Judge Spankie. Our last experience of Indian hospitality was in the house of a friend whose unvarying kindness I shall never forget. Some of the places we stopped at were merely railway-sidings; tents were standing for the accommodation of the regiments. Our cook, who travelled down country with us, always managed to give us a tolerable dinner, making up a little mud fire-place beside the train, and, as a matter of course, going through all the ordinary dishes.

Jubbulpore is a large station, and there we got into the hotel, which was very full. A large party, newly arrived from home, were going up country, among them half a dozen pretty, fresh, English girls. When we were quartered at a certain station in India, there was only one ‘spin’ in the place, and she, poor thing, received such overwhelming attention that quite inadvertently she was engaged to two men at the same time. Deollalee, where our last few days in India were spent, was an immense erection of wooden barracks and huts. Regiments newly arrived from home were halted here, as well as those about to leave the country, and the respective arrangements were made between the various departments of the in-coming and out-going corps. The servants who had accompanied us down country now left us, taking service with the new-comers.

On the evening of the 16th of November, we got into the train for our final journey. It was daylight when we descended the Ghauts, a most wonderful piece of engineering. The railway goes down a sheer fall of nineteen hundred feet, in a succession of zig-zags. Our train was a long one. The carriage we were in was at the end, and, in looking out of the window, the engine, with its following, seemed another train on quite a different line far below us.

It was the afternoon when we reached Bombay. It has left no very distinct impression on my mind, as we proceeded direct from the station to the tug, which took us off to the huge _Jumna_, that was lying waiting for us. We were fortunate in every respect in our voyage in her. The weather was perfect, and Captain Richards, the captain of _H.M.S. Jumna_, was unvaryingly kind and courteous. On the 17th of November, the shores of India faded away, never to be looked on by me again. The splendid ship we were in, with its luxurious comforts, was a contrast to the vessel in which I had come out to India thirteen years before.

Now, on our return home, we were embarked in a magnificent troopship. I think there were seventeen hundred souls on board, but everything was in such beautiful order that there was no confusion. My regiment got on capitally, and Captain Richards reported very favourably of the men’s conduct when in his ship.

1870–71 was the last season that regiments were conveyed across the isthmus from Suez to Alexandria by train. We left the _Jumna_ with much regret. The train was drawn up almost immediately alongside. We started in the evening from Suez, and arrived at Alexandria about seven o’clock next morning--one man short. He got out in the desert to get a drink--as we heard long afterwards--and the train went on without him, in consequence of which he lost his home passage, as well as his train. On arrival at Alexandria, we embarked at once on a tug, and proceeded on board the _Crocodile_. One of the many children that were accompanying their parents home distinguished himself on the short trajet from the wharf to the troopship by carefully untying the fastenings of a cage-door, and letting loose a very valuable minar, which the unconscious owner had brought at great trouble to himself from the far north of India. I do not think he ever knew how his bird escaped. Minars speak most perfectly, much more distinctly and with a better imitation of the human voice than a parrot.

It is very annoying losing a pet, especially when the conviction must be that it will inevitably come to grief. I recall a curious case of the sort which happened in Scotland at my old home. My sister-in-law had a parrot, which had been the object of her care for many years. In fine summer weather, when the windows were open, it flew out, and enjoyed itself very much among the trees in front of the house, and, when called, returned to its cage. One day a sudden gale of wind came on, and the poor bird was carried away before it. A great search was made; but it never came back. My sister read in the county paper an advertisement, couched in the following term: ‘Found, a parrot. Anyone having lost the same, apply to,’ &c., &c. In hopes that this referred to her lost favourite, she wrote a full description of Lorry, and anxiously waited for the reply. Her disappointment was great when she received the following answer to her application: ‘Milady, i am sorry to say that it was a _farot_’ (ferret), ‘and not a _parot_, that was found.’

The _Crocodile_ was a fac-simile of the _Jumna_, with the exception of not being painted white. In the Mediterranean, we were caught in a gale, and found that the _Crocodile_ was not distinguished without cause for her powers of rolling. The storm delayed us three days, as we could make no headway against the wind. It was the last rough weather we encountered, but as we neared our own latitudes the cold became intense. Nothing could have looked much more miserable than we poor denizens of a warm climate did that 21st of December, as, with eager eyes and longing expectation, we crowded the sides, and looked at the goal of our hopes for long years--home! Take the Solent on a fine, bright, sunny day in summer, with yachts and pleasure-boats glancing over the surface of the rippling water, and you will say it is a fair sight to see, but what we looked on now was a grey and leaden sky, the whole country under snow, and an occasional flake in the air, proving there was a good deal more to fall. Slowly we came into our berth alongside the quay, and it did seem a realization of our long dreams when friends and relations flocked over the gangway, and warmly welcomed us back to the old country.

The next day we disembarked. The snow that had been threatening was now falling, and it was freezing very hard. One month previous the sun was shining and the thermometer marked 86°. The men of the 88th, with their white-covered helmets on their heads, had, like all of us, red noses and yellow faces. We thought it was positively cruel to bring us suddenly from intense heat to bitter cold, but, in spite of shudders and chattering teeth, we all felt an exhilarating glow on that 22nd of December, 1870, when we disembarked during an eclipse of the sun and in a blinding snowstorm. The 88th regiment proceeded to Fort Grange, and that night thirty men were taken into hospital with bronchitis. The regiment did not remain very long quartered in the forts, but were moved over to Portsmouth, where it occupied the Cambridge Barracks.

What a changed place is Portsmouth now that the old walls have been removed! It has assumed a gay and youthful look. Midshipman Easy would not recognise it, and the old tars of former days would feel quite adrift. The last ten years have greatly improved its outward appearance. It was always a favourite quarter, being so near the Isle of Wight, and the young officers of the different regiments stationed in Portsmouth and the neighbourhood kept the ‘tambourin a-roulin,’ as no doubt they do still.

There was a good anecdote told about the subaltern of the main guard at Portsmouth during the time that a noble lord was commanding the district. A ball was to take place at the Southsea Rooms, and, as ill-luck would have it, the hero of my story was in orders for guard the very day of the ball, and could get no one to exchange duties with him. Despair filled his mind, for _she_ was to be there, and he was engaged to her for several dances. Cupid, they say, laughs at locksmiths, so, I presume, goes into fits when a subaltern’s guard is mentioned as an excuse for being a recreant knight. So our hero decided he would, like Cinderella, go to the ball for only a certain time. As the other officers were in uniform, his costume was not remarkable, but he kept his eyes on the general, and once, when whispering soft words into his fair one’s ears, he saw his lordship give a start as he looked towards him, and felt sure he saw his lips form themselves into the appearance of a strong expletive.

In a short time the general called his aide-de-camp, and our young warrior looked out for squalls. He followed his lordship to the door, saw him get into his carriage, and heard him give the order, ‘To the main guard!’ Away flew the fiery steeds. On arrival of the general, ‘Guard turn out!’ was shouted. Everything was correct. The officer was at his post, and reported ‘all correct.’ This ought to have been sufficient for the visiting officer, and satisfied him that he had made a mistake, but, if all stories be true, the then commander-in-chief at Portsmouth never made a mistake, _in his own opinion_. He called the young officer to him, and asked him, ‘Did I not see you, a few moments ago, in the Southsea ball-room?’ And the only reply he got was, ‘How could that be, sir, as I am now here in command of my guard?’

So the older wise one departed, and the younger retired to his guard-room to smoke and dream. But the affair was not over. Next morning the A.D.C. arrived at our subaltern quarters, requesting his attendance at Lord ----’s house, and our friend went at once. The general, I have always been told, was very kind-hearted. He received the young officer most courteously, and then said,

‘Mr. ----, the guard you were on is a thing of the past. We meet now as friends. I want to know how the mischief you ever managed to get to your guard, for I am positive I saw you in the ball-room.’

On receiving the reply: ‘Behind your lordship’s carriage!’ it may be imagined how the general laughed, and, no doubt, was of opinion that the young officer had shown a great deal of cleverness in getting out of what might have been a serious scrape.

This escapade recalls to my memory a story I heard given by a most amusing _raconteur_ in Scotland. The colonel of a regiment quartered in Edinburgh Castle had been much annoyed at the number of men who not only were brought up to the orderly-room for drunkenness, but also for absence without leave, so he was determined to make an example of some one on the first opportunity. One morning the regiment was on parade, and a private soldier appeared with his coat all muddy and his cap in a battered condition, quite sober, but evidently having been engaged in a row, and ‘absent all night.’ Here was a ‘horrid example.’ So the colonel ordered a corporal’s guard to make the man a prisoner, and, forming the regiment in line, he marched the culprit in front, so that every soldier might see him. On arriving at the left flank of the line the prisoner saluted, and said, ‘Thank you, colonel; it is one of the finest regiments I ever saw. You may dismiss them,’ which rather altered the colonel’s intentions with regard to this ‘horrid example!’

I would like to command a regiment formed of officers like the Portsmouth subaltern and men like the Edinburgh private, although neither of them, I daresay, knew anything about Spenser’s ‘Faerie Queen,’ a knowledge of which is required at examinations for commissions in the army of the present day.

But I must finish now. At Portsmouth I said farewell to my dear old home in which I had passed all the years of my soldiering life, and now again I say God speed to you, old 88th; luckier than most time-honoured corps, you are Connaught Rangers still, but full of by-gone memories are the numbers 88, the sound of which has echoed in peace and war, at home and abroad.

THE END.

LONDON: PRINTED BY DUNCAN MACDONALD, BLENHEIM HOUSE.

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“Madame de Witt has done justice to her father’s memory in an admirable record of his life. Mrs. Simpson’s translation of this singularly interesting book is in accuracy and grace worthy of the original and of the subject.”--_Saturday Review._

“This book was well worth translating. Mrs. Simpson has written excellent English, while preserving the spirit of the French.”--_The Times._

“We cannot but feel grateful for the picture that Mme. de Witt has given us of her father in his home. It is a work for which no one can be better qualified than a daughter who thoroughly understood and sympathised with him.”--_Guardian._

“M. Guizot stands out in the pages of his daughter’s excellent biography a distinct and life-like figure. He is made to speak to us in his own person. The best part of the book consists of a number of his letters, in which he freely unfolds his feelings and opinions, and draws with unconscious boldness the outlines of his forcible and striking character.”--_Pall Mall Gazette._

WORDS OF HOPE AND COMFORT TO THOSE IN SORROW. Dedicated by Permission to THE QUEEN. _Fourth Edition._ 1 vol. small 4to. 5s. bound.

“These letters, the work of a pure and devout spirit, deserve to find many readers. They are greatly superior to the average of what is called religious literature.”--_Athenæum._

“The writer of the tenderly-conceived letters in this volume was Mrs. Julius Hare, a sister of Mr. Maurice. They are instinct with the devout submissiveness and fine sympathy which we associate with the name of Maurice; but in her there is added a winningness of tact, and sometimes, too, a directness of language, which we hardly find even in the brother. The letters were privately printed and circulated, and were found to be the source of much comfort, which they cannot fail to afford now to a wide circle. A sweetly-conceived memorial poem, bearing the well-known initials, ‘E. H. P.’, gives a very faithful outline of the life.”--_British Quarterly Review._

“This touching and most comforting work is dedicated to THE QUEEN, who took a gracious interest in its first appearance, when printed for private circulation, and found comfort in its pages, and has now commanded its publication, that the world in general may profit by it. A more practical and heart-stirring appeal to the afflicted we have never examined.”--_Standard._

“These letters are exceptionally graceful and touching, and may be read with profit.”--_Graphic._

LIFE OF MOSCHELES; WITH SELECTIONS FROM HIS DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE. By HIS WIFE. 2 vols. large post 8vo. With Portrait. 24s.

“This life of Moscheles will be a valuable book of reference for the musical historian, for the contents extend over a period of threescore years, commencing with 1794, and ending at 1870. We need scarcely state that all the portions of Moscheles’ diary which refer to his intercourse with Beethoven, Hummel, Weber, Czerny, Spontini, Rossini, Auber, Halévy, Schumann, Cherubini, Spohr, Mendelssohn, F. David, Chopin, J. B. Cramer, Clementi, John Field, Habeneck, Hauptmann, Kalkbrenner, Kiesewetter, C. Klingemann, Lablache, Dragonetti, Sontag, Persiani, Malibran, Paganini, Rachel, Ronzi de Begnis, De Beriot, Ernst, Donzelli, Cinti-Damoreau, Chelard, Bochsa, Laporte, Charles Kemble, Schröder-Devrient, Mrs. Siddons, Sir H. Bishop, Sir G. Smart, Staudigl, Thalberg, Berlioz, Velluti, C. Young, Balfe, Braham, and many other artists of note in their time, will recall a flood of recollections. Moscheles writes fairly of what is called the ‘Music of the Future,’ and his judgments on Herr Wagner, Dr. Liszt, Rubenstein, Dr. von Bülow, Litolff, &c., whether as composers or executants, are in a liberal spirit. He recognizes cheerfully the talents of our native artists: Sir S. Bennett, Mr. Macfarren, Madame Goddard, Mr. J. Barnett, Mr. Hullah, Mr. A. Sullivan, &c. The volumes are full of amusing anecdotes.”--_Athenæum._

A YOUNG SQUIRE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, from the Papers of CHRISTOPHER JEAFFRESON, of Dullingham House, Cambridgeshire. Edited by JOHN CORDY JEAFFRESON, Author of “A Book about Doctors,” &c. 2 vols, crown 8vo. 21s.

“Two volumes of very attractive matter:--letters which illustrate agriculture, commerce, war, love, and social manners, accounts of passing public events, and details which are not to be found in the Gazettes, and which come with singular freshness from private letters.”--_Athenæum._

“Two agreeable and important volumes. They deserve to be placed on library shelves with Pepys, Evelyn, and Reresby. The Jeaffreson letters add very much to our knowledge of other people, and of other acts than those recorded by Pepys, Evelyn, and Reresby, and are pleasantly supplementary in sketches of contemporaneous men and manners.”--_Notes and Queries._

MY YOUTH, BY SEA AND LAND, FROM 1809 TO 1816. By CHARLES LOFTUS, formerly of the Royal Navy, late of the Coldstream Guards. 2 vols. crown 8vo. 21s.

“Major Loftus played the part allotted to him with honour and ability, and he relates the story of his life with spirit and vigour. Some of his sea stories are as laughable as anything in ‘Peter Simple,’ while his adventures on shore remind us of Charles Lever in his freshest days. A more genial, pleasant, wholesome book we have not often read.”--_Standard._

MY LIFE, FROM 1815 TO 1819. By CHARLES LOFTUS, Author of “My Youth by Sea and Land.” 2 vols. crown 8vo. 21s.

“The praise which the _Athenæum_ gave to the first portion of Major Loftus’s work, may be fairly awarded to the second. These reminiscences are pleasantly told. There is a cheeriness about them which communicates itself to the reader.”--_Athenæum._

“A thoroughly interesting and readable book, which we heartily recommend as one of the most characteristic autobiographies we ever read.”--_Standard._

A LEGACY: Being the Life and Remains of JOHN MARTIN, Schoolmaster and Poet. Written and Edited by the Author of “JOHN HALIFAX.” 2 vols. crown 8vo. With Portrait. 21s.

“A remarkable book. It records the life, work, aspirations, and death of a schoolmaster and poet, of lowly birth but ambitious soul. His writings brim with vivid thought, touches of poetic sentiment, and trenchant criticism of men and books, expressed in scholarly language.”--_Guardian._

THE VILLAGE OF PALACES; or, Chronicles of Chelsea. By the Rev. A. G. L’ESTRANGE. 2 vols. crown 8vo. 21s.

“Mr. L’Estrange has much to tell of the various public institutions associated with Chelsea. Altogether his volumes show some out-of-the-way research, and are written in a lively and gossipping style.”--_The Times._

“Mr. L’Estrange tells us much that is interesting about Chelsea. We take leave of this most charming book with a hearty recommendation of it to our readers.”--_Spectator._

COSITAS ESPANOLAS; or, EVERY-DAY LIFE IN SPAIN. By Mrs. HARVEY, of Ickwell-Bury. _2nd Edition._ 8vo. 15s.

“A charming book; fresh, lively, and amusing.”--_Morning Post._

MEMOIRS OF QUEEN HORTENSE, MOTHER OF NAPOLEON III. Cheaper Edition, in 1 vol. 6s.

“A biography of the beautiful and unhappy Queen, more satisfactory than any we have yet met with.”--_Daily News._

WORKS BY VARIOUS AUTHORS.

WORKS BY THE AUTHOR OF ‘JOHN HALIFAX.’

Each in One Volume, elegantly printed, bound, and illustrated, price 5s.

JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. A WOMAN’S THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN. A LIFE FOR A LIFE. NOTHING NEW. MISTRESS AND MAID. THE WOMAN’S KINGDOM. CHRISTIAN’S MISTAKE. A NOBLE LIFE. HANNAH. THE UNKIND WORD. A BRAVE LADY. STUDIES FROM LIFE. YOUNG MRS. JARDINE.

WORKS BY THE AUTHOR OF ‘SAM SLICK.’

Each in One Volume, elegantly printed, bound, and illustrated, price 5s.

NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE. WISE SAWS AND MODERN INSTANCES. THE OLD JUDGE; OR, LIFE IN A COLONY. TRAITS OF AMERICAN HUMOUR. THE AMERICANS AT HOME.

WORKS BY MRS. OLIPHANT.

Each in One Volume, elegantly printed, bound, and illustrated, price 5s.

ADAM GRAEME. THE LAIRD OF NORLAW. AGNES. THE LIFE OF THE REV. EDWARD IRVING. A ROSE IN JUNE. PHŒOBE, JUNIOR.

WORKS BY GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D.

Each in One Volume, elegantly printed, bound, and illustrated, price 5s.

DAVID ELGINBROD. ROBERT FALCONER. ALEC FORBES. SIR GIBBIE.

Under the Especial Patronage of Her Majesty.

_Published annually, in One Vol., royal 8vo, with the Arms beautifully engraved, handsomely bound, with gilt edges, price 31s. 6d._

LODGE’S PEERAGE AND BARONETAGE, CORRECTED BY THE NOBILITY.

THE FIFTY-FIRST EDITION FOR 1882 IS NOW READY.

LODGE’S PEERAGE AND BARONETAGE is acknowledged to be the most complete, as well as the most elegant, work of the kind. As an established and authentic authority on all questions respecting the family histories, honours, and connections of the titled aristocracy, no work has ever stood so high. It is published under the especial patronage of Her Majesty, and is annually corrected throughout, from the personal communications of the Nobility. It is the only work of its class in which, _the type being kept constantly standing_, every correction is made in its proper place to the date of publication, an advantage which gives it supremacy over all its competitors. Independently of its full and authentic information respecting the existing Peers and Baronets of the realm, the most sedulous attention is given in its pages to the collateral branches of the various noble families, and the names of many thousand individuals are introduced, which do not appear in other records of the titled classes. For its authority, correctness, and facility of arrangement, and the beauty of its typography and binding, the work is justly entitled to the place it occupies on the tables of Her Majesty and the Nobility.

LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL CONTENTS.

Historical View of the Peerage.

Parliamentary Roll of the House of Lords.

English, Scotch, and Irish Peers, in their orders of Precedence.

Alphabetical List of Peers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, holding superior rank in the Scotch or Irish Peerage.

Alphabetical list of Scotch and Irish Peers, holding superior titles in the Peerage of Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

A Collective list of Peers, in their order of Precedence.

Table of Precedency among Men.

Table of Precedency among Women.

The Queen and the Royal Family.

Peers of the Blood Royal.

The Peerage, alphabetically arranged.

Families of such Extinct Peers as have left Widows or Issue.

Alphabetical List of the Surnames of all the Peers.

The Archbishops and Bishops of England and Ireland.

The Baronetage alphabetically arranged.

Alphabetical List of Surnames assumed by members of Noble Families.

Alphabetical List of the Second Titles of Peers, usually borne by their Eldest Sons.

Alphabetical Index to the Daughters of Dukes, Marquises, and Earls, who, having married Commoners, retain the title of Lady before their own Christian and their Husband’s Surnames.

Alphabetical Index to the Daughters of Viscounts and Barons, who, having married Commoners, are styled Honourable Mrs.; and, in case of the husband being a Baronet or Knight, Hon. Lady.

A List of the Orders of Knighthood.

Mottoes alphabetically arranged and translated.

“This work is the most perfect and elaborate record of the living and recently deceased members of the Peerage of the Three Kingdoms as it stands at this day. It is a most useful publication. We are happy to bear testimony to the fact that scrupulous accuracy is a distinguishing feature of this book.”--_Times._

“Lodge’s Peerage must supersede all other works of the kind, for two reasons: first, it is on a better plan; and secondly, it is better executed. We can safely pronounce it to be the readiest, the most useful, and exactest of modern works on the subject.”--_Spectator._

“A work of great value. It is the most faithful record we possess of the aristocracy of the day.”--_Post._

“The best existing, and, we believe, the best possible Peerage. It is the standard authority on the subject.”--_Standard._

HURST & BLACKETT’S STANDARD LIBRARY OF CHEAP EDITIONS OF POPULAR MODERN WORKS, ILLUSTRATED BY SIR J. GILBERT, MILLAIS, HUNT, LEECH, FOSTER, POYNTER, TENNIEL, SANDYS, HUGHES, SAMBOURNE, &c.

Each in a Single Volume, elegantly printed, bound, and illustrated, price 5s.

1. SAM SLICK’S NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE.

“The first volume of Messrs. Hurst and Blackett’s Standard Library of Cheap Editions forms a very good beginning to what will doubtless be a very successful undertaking. ‘Nature and Human Nature’ is one of the best of Sam Slick’s witty and humorous productions, and is well entitled to the large circulation which it cannot fail to obtain in its present convenient and cheap shape. The volume combines with the great recommendations of a clear, bold type, and good paper, the lesser but attractive merits of being well illustrated and elegantly bound.”--_Post._

2. JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.

“This is a very good and a very interesting work. It is designed to trace the career from boyhood to age of a perfect man--a Christian gentleman; and it abounds in incident both well and highly wrought. Throughout it is conceived in a high spirit, and written with great ability. This cheap and handsome new edition is worthy to pass freely from hand to hand as a gift book in many households.”--_Examiner._

3. THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS.

BY ELIOT WARBURTON.

“Independent of its value as an original narrative, and its useful and interesting information, this work is remarkable for the colouring power and play of fancy with which its descriptions are enlivened. Among its greatest and most lasting charms is its reverent and serious spirit.”--_Quarterly Review._

4. NATHALIE. By JULIA KAVANAGH.

“‘Nathalie’ is Miss Kavanagh’s best imaginative effort. Its manner is gracious and attractive. Its matter is good.”--_Athenæum._

5. A WOMAN’S THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“A book of sound counsel. It is one of the most sensible works of its kind, well-written, true-hearted, and altogether practical. Whoever wishes to give advice to a young lady may thank the author for means of doing so.”--_Examiner._

6. ADAM GRAEME. By MRS. OLIPHANT.

“A story awakening genuine emotions of interest and delight by its admirable pictures of Scottish life and scenery. The author sets before us the essential attributes of Christian virtue, with a delicacy, power, and truth which can hardly be surpassed.”--_Post._

7. SAM SLICK’S WISE SAWS & MODERN INSTANCES.

“The reputation of this book will stand as long as that of Scott’s or Bulwer’s Novels. Its remarkable originality and happy descriptions of American life still continue the subject of universal admiration.”--_Messenger._

8. CARDINAL WISEMAN’S RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LAST FOUR POPES.

“A picturesque book on Rome and its ecclesiastical sovereigns, by an eloquent Roman Catholic. Cardinal Wiseman has treated a special subject with so much geniality, that his recollections will excite no ill-feeling in those who are most conscientiously opposed to every idea of human infallibility represented in Papal domination.”--_Athenæum._

9. A LIFE FOR A LIFE.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“In ‘A Life for a Life’ the author is fortunate in a good subject, and has produced a work of strong effect.”--_Athenæum._

10. THE OLD COURT SUBURB. By LEIGH HUNT.

“A delightful book, that will be welcome to all readers, and most welcome to those who have a love for the best kinds of reading.”--_Examiner._

11. MARGARET AND HER BRIDESMAIDS.

“We recommend all who are in search of a fascinating novel to read this work for themselves. They will find it well worth their while. There are a freshness and originality about it quite charming.”--_Athenæum._

12. THE OLD JUDGE. By SAM SLICK.

“The publications included in this Library have all been of good quality; many give information while they entertain, and of that class the book before us is a specimen. The manner in which the Cheap Editions forming the series is produced, deserves especial mention. The paper and print are unexceptionable; there is a steel engraving in each volume, and the outsides of them will satisfy the purchaser who likes to see books in handsome uniform.”--_Examiner._

13. DARIEN. By ELIOT WARBURTON.

“This last production of the author of ‘The Crescent and the Cross’ has the same elements of a very wide popularity. It will please its thousands.”--_Globe._

14. FAMILY ROMANCE.

BY SIR BERNARD BURKE, ULSTER KING OF ARMS.

“It were impossible to praise too highly this most interesting hook.”--_Standard._

15. THE LAIRD OF NORLAW. By MRS. OLIPHANT.

“The ‘Laird of Norlaw’ fully sustains the author’s high reputation.”--_Sunday Times._

16. THE ENGLISHWOMAN IN ITALY.

“Mrs. Gretton’s book is interesting, and full of opportune instruction.”--_Times._

17. NOTHING NEW.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“‘Nothing New’ displays all those superior merits which have made ‘John Halifax’ one of the most popular works of the day.”--_Post._

18. FREER’S LIFE OF JEANNE D’ALBRET.

“Nothing can be more interesting than Miss Freer’s story of the life of Jeanne D’Albret, and the narrative is as trustworthy as it is attractive.”--_Post._

19. THE VALLEY OF A HUNDRED FIRES.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “MARGARET AND HER BRIDESMAIDS.”

“If asked to classify this work, we should give it a place between ‘John Halifax’ and ‘The Caxtons.’”--_Standard._

20. THE ROMANCE OF THE FORUM.

BY PETER BURKE, SERGEANT AT LAW.

“A work of singular interest, which can never fail to charm.”--_Illustrated News._

21. ADELE. By JULIA KAVANAGH.

“‘Adele’ is the best work we have read by Miss Kavanagh; it is a charming story, full of delicate character-painting.”--_Athenæum._

22. STUDIES FROM LIFE.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“These ‘Studies from Life’ are remarkable for graphic power and observation. The book will not diminish the reputation of the accomplished author.”--_Saturday Review._

23. GRANDMOTHER’S MONEY.

“We commend ‘Grandmother’s Money’ to readers in search of a good novel. The characters are true to human nature, and the story is interesting.”--_Athenæum._

24. A BOOK ABOUT DOCTORS. By J. C. JEAFFRESON.

“A delightful book.”--_Athenæum._

“A book to be read and re-read; fit for the study as well as the drawing-room table and the circulating library.”--_Lancet._

25. NO CHURCH.

“We advise all who have the opportunity to read this book.”--_Athenæum._

26. MISTRESS AND MAID.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“A good wholesome book, gracefully written, and as pleasant to read as it is instructive.”--_Athenæum._

“A charming tale charmingly told.”--_Standard._

27. LOST AND SAVED. By HON. MRS. NORTON.

“‘Lost and Saved’ will be read with eager interest. It is a vigorous novel.”--_Times._

“A novel of rare excellence. It is Mrs. Norton’s best prose work.”--_Examiner._

28. LES MISERABLES. By VICTOR HUGO.

AUTHORISED COPYRIGHT ENGLISH TRANSLATION.

“The merits of ‘Les Miserables’ do not merely consist in the conception of it as a whole; it abounds with details of unequalled beauty. M. Victor Hugo has stamped upon every page the hall-mark of genius.”--_Quarterly Review._

29. BARBARA’S HISTORY. By AMELIA B. EDWARDS.

“It is not often that we light upon a novel of so much merit and interest as ‘Barbara’s History.’ It is a work conspicuous for taste and literary culture. It is a very graceful and charming book, with a well-managed story, clearly-cut characters, and sentiments expressed with an exquisite elocution. It is a book which the world will like.”--_Times._

30. LIFE OF THE REV. EDWARD IRVING.

BY MRS. OLIPHANT.

“A good book on a most interesting theme.”--_Times._

“A truly interesting and most affecting memoir. Irving’s Life ought to have a niche in every gallery of religious biography.”--_Saturday Review._

31. ST. OLAVE’S.

“This charming novel is the work of one who possesses a great talent for writing, as well as experience and knowledge of the world.”--_Athenæum._

32. SAM SLICK’S AMERICAN HUMOUR.

“Dip where you will into this lottery of fun, you are sure to draw out a prize.”--_Post._

33. CHRISTIAN’S MISTAKE.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“A more charming story has rarely been written. Even if tried by the standard of the Archbishop of York, we should expect that even he would pronounce ‘Christian’s Mistake’ a novel without a fault.”--_Times._

34. ALEC FORBES. By GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D.

“No account of this story would give any idea of the profound interest that pervades the work from the first page to the last.”--_Athenæum._

35. AGNES. By MRS. OLIPHANT.

“‘Agnes’ is a novel superior to any of Mrs. Oliphant’s former works.”--_Athenæum._

“A story whose pathetic beauty will appeal irresistibly to all readers.”--_Post._

36. A NOBLE LIFE.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“This is one of those pleasant tales in which the author of ‘John Halifax’ speaks out of a generous heart the purest truths of life.”--_Examiner._

37. NEW AMERICA. By HEPWORTH DIXON.

“A very interesting book. Mr. Dixon has written thoughtfully and well.”--_Times._

“We recommend every one who feels any interest in human nature to read Mr. Dixon’s very interesting book.”--_Saturday Review._

38. ROBERT FALCONER. By GEORGE MAC DONALD.

“‘Robert Falconer’ is a work brimful of life and humour and of the deepest human interest. It is a book to be returned to again and again for the deep and searching knowledge it evinces of human thoughts and feelings.”--_Athenæum._

39. THE WOMAN’S KINGDOM.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“‘The Woman’s Kingdom’ sustains the author’s reputation as a writer of the purest and noblest kind of domestic stories.”--_Athenæum._

40. ANNALS OF AN EVENTFUL LIFE.

BY GEORGE WEBBE DASENT, D.C.L.

“A racy, well-written, and original novel. The interest never flags. The whole work sparkles with wit and humour.”--_Quarterly Review._

41. DAVID ELGINBROD. By GEORGE MAC DONALD.

“The work of a man of genius. It will attract the highest class of readers.”--_Times._

42. A BRAVE LADY. By the Author of “John Halifax.”

“A very good novel; a thoughtful, well-written book, showing a tender sympathy with human nature, and permeated by a pure and noble spirit.”--_Examiner._

43. HANNAH. By the Author of “John Halifax.”

“A very pleasant, healthy story, well and artistically told. The book is sure of a wide circle of readers. The character of Hannah is one of rare beauty.”--_Standard._

44. SAM SLICK’S AMERICANS AT HOME.

“This is one of the most amusing books that we ever read.”--_Standard._

45. THE UNKIND WORD.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“The author of ‘John Halifax’ has written many fascinating stories, but we can call to mind nothing from her pen that has a more enduring charm than the graceful sketches in this work.”--_United Service Magazine._

46. A ROSE IN JUNE. By MRS. OLIPHANT.

“‘A Rose in June’ is as pretty as its title. The story is one of the best and most touching which we owe to the industry and talent of Mrs. Oliphant, and may hold its own with even ‘The Chronicles of Carlingford.’”--_Times._

47. MY LITTLE LADY. By E. F. POYNTER.

“There is a great deal of fascination about this book. The author writes in a clear, unaffected style; she has a decided gift for depicting character, while the descriptions of scenery convey a distinct pictorial impression to the reader.”--_Times._

48. PHŒBE, JUNIOR. By MRS. OLIPHANT.

“This novel shows great knowledge of human nature. The interest goes on growing to the end. Phœbe is excellently drawn.”--_Times._

49. LIFE OF MARIE ANTOINETTE.

BY PROFESSOR CHARLES DUKE YONGE.

“A work of remarkable merit and interest, which will, we doubt not, become the most popular English history of Marie Antoinette.”--_Spectator._

“This book is well written, and of thrilling interest.”--_Academy._

50. SIR GIBBIE. By GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D.

“‘Sir Gibbie’ is a book of genius.”--_Pall Mall Gazette._

“This book has power, pathos, and humour. There is not a character which is not life-like.”--_Athenæum._

51. YOUNG MRS. JARDINE.

BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.”

“‘Young Mrs. Jardine’ is a pretty story, written in pure English.”--_The Times._

“There is much good feeling in this book. It is pleasant and wholesome.”--_Athenæum._

52. LORD BRACKENBURY. By AMELIA B. EDWARDS.

“A very readable story. The author has well conceived the purpose of high-class novel-writing, and succeeded in no small measure in attaining it. There is plenty of variety, cheerful dialogue, and general ‘verve’ in the book.”--_Athenæum._

“‘Lord Brackenbury’ is pleasant reading from beginning to end.”--_Academy._

THE NEW AND POPULAR NOVELS.

PUBLISHED BY HURST & BLACKETT.

I HAVE LIVED AND LOVED. By Mrs. FORRESTER, Author of “Viva,” “Mignon,” “My Lord and my Lady,” &c. 3 vols.

EXCHANGE NO ROBBERY. By M. BETHAM-EDWARDS, Author of “Kitty,” “Doctor Jacob,” &c. 2 vols.

A GOLDEN BAR. By the Author of “Christina North,” “Under the Limes,” &c. 3 vols.

RED RYVINGTON. By WILLIAM WESTALL, Author of “Larry Lohengrin,” &c. 3 vols.

“Mr. Westall writes of the manufacturing districts with knowledge, and in his hands the rough Lancashire folk and the grimy purlieus of the cotton towns lend themselves not unpicturesquely to the needs of fiction.”--_Athenæum._

“One of the most readable novels of the year. The author’s interests are wide and intelligently directed, and his way of describing incident is exceedingly graphic. The conversations are both interesting and amusing, preserving, as they do, the racy and humorous manners and modes of expression of the self-made men who hold them.”--_Daily News._

“A very pleasant and readable tale of English life and manners. The character of Dora, the honest, straightforward English girl, is very charming. Mr. Westall’s large circle of readers will welcome this latest effusion from his pen.”--_Life._

GABRIELLE DE BOURDAINE. By Mrs. JOHN KENT SPENDER, Author of “Godwyn’s Ordeal,” “Both in the Wrong,” &c. 3 vols.

“We advise all who can enjoy a pretty story, well told, to read ‘Gabrielle de Bourdaine.’ It is the best of Mrs. Spender’s novels. It is in her character-drawing that the author shows so marked an improvement.”--_Standard._

“‘Gabrielle de Bourdaine’ is a pleasant story in its quiet and simple way. It is readable and attractive.”--_Athenæum._

“Like every work of Mrs. Spender’s, this novel bears many traces of cultivated power and deep thought.”--_John Bull._

“This novel is deeply interesting.... There are many passages which would make the reputation of a novelist. Gabrielle is drawn with a powerful pen, and is a delightful study.”--_Scotsman._

SAINT AND SIBYL. By C. L. PIRKIS, Author of “A Very Opal,” “Wanted, An Heir,” &c. 3 vols.

“In ‘Saint and Sibyl’ there are some excellent pieces of writing, some touches of poetical art, some highly dramatic scenes, some pretty and pathetic pictures.”--_St. James’s Gazette._

“This story abounds in incident and diversity of character. There are many striking passages.”--_The Queen._

“A cleverly written, readable story. The two girls, Rose and Sibyl, are ably contrasted: Sibyl in especial is an original, clever conception.”--_Daily News._

DAISY BERESFORD. By CATHARINE CHILDAR, Author of “The Future Marquis.” 3 vols.

“An admirable novel, which will not fail to extend its author’s popularity very widely.”--_John Bull._

“Several of the characters in ‘Daisy Beresford’ are cleverly drawn. Two old maiden aunts are very well done, and the heroine is also good.”--_Athenæum._

“Miss Childar has written a pretty, pleasant story, full of varied character and entertaining talk. Daisy Beresford is a charming creation.”--_Daily News._

DONOVAN. By EDNA LYALL, Author of “Won by Waiting.” 3 vols.

“‘Donovan’ is distinctly a novel with a high aim, successfully attained. The character-drawing is vigorous and truthful.”--_Pall Mall Gazette._

THE BRANDRETHS. By the RIGHT HON. A. J. B. BERESFORD HOPE, M.P., Author of “Strictly Tied Up.” _Second Edition._ 3 vols.

“In ‘The Brandreths’ we have a sequel to Mr. Beresford Hope’s clever novel of ‘Strictly Tied Up,’ and we may add that it is a decided improvement on his maiden effort. He has not only laid a firmer grasp on some of those characters which in his earlier work were rather wanting in outline and individuality, but he has secured the interest of his readers by simplifying his story. ‘The Brandreths,’ although it abounds in the study of personal character, investigating the innermost life and analysing the feelings of the hero, is, nevertheless, in great measure a political novel. Mr. Hope writes of political life and the vicissitudes of parties with the knowledge and experience of a veteran politician. Not a few of the casual pictures of society are exceedingly faithful and lively. We repeat, in conclusion, that the novel is one which will repay careful reading.”--_Times._

“There are many sayings in these volumes--many wise, many witty, many tender, many noble sayings--that we should wish to cite to our readers, but doubtless their pleasure will be greater in finding them out for themselves. The book is full of clever epigrams.”--_Standard._

NEW BABYLON. By PAUL MERITT and W. HOWELL POOLE. 3 vols.

“This story is clever and amusing. Vivid and graphic scenes follow in changeful succession.”--_Daily Telegraph._

“‘New Babylon’ will attract attention at the libraries, where an exciting story is always welcome. The tale hurries along from one stirring incident to another, and compels the reader to admire the inventive power of the writers, and their ingenuity in weaving a complicated series of incidents.”--_Era._

FORTUNE’S MARRIAGE. By GEORGIANA M. CRAIK, Author of “Dorcas,” “Anne Warwick,” &c. 3 vols.

“‘Fortune’s Marriage’ is gentle, tender, and unexaggerated. It is carefully written and has been carefully thought out.”--_Daily News._

“‘Fortune’s Marriage’ is naturally and pleasantly written, like all Miss Craik’s stories. Both Fortune and Ronald are thoroughly well drawn.”--_St. James’s Gazette._

REDEEMED. By SHIRLEY SMITH, Author of “His Last Stake,” “All for Herself,” &c. 3 vols.

“Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Beatrice have perused this story with great interest, and they have been especially pleased with the manner in which the incidents that led to the death of the Prince Imperial have been introduced in the latter part of the novel.”--_Nottingham Guardian._

THE MERCHANT PRINCE. By JOHN BERWICK HARWOOD, Author of “Lady Flavia,” &c. 3 vols.

“A clever, stirring novel.”--_Daily Telegraph._

“‘The Merchant Prince’ is an interesting story of English commercial life, told quietly and easily in Mr. Harwood’s well-known manner.”--_Daily News._

A FAITHFUL LOVER. By Mrs. MACQUOID, Author of “Patty,” “Diane,” &c. 3 vols.

“A pretty, graceful, and agreeable novel, in which there is plenty of charming portraiture and abundance of love-making.”--_Illustrated London News._

IRIS. By Mrs. RANDOLPH, Author of “Gentianella,” “Wild Hyacinth,” &c. 3 vols.

“‘Iris’ has all the pleasant characteristics which are peculiar to the writer. As usual, the story is refined, agreeable, and interesting throughout.”--_John Bull._

A BROKEN LILY. By Mrs. MORTIMER COLLINS. 3 vols.

“This novel has many points of interest, and the construction is workmanlike. There is much that is clever and amusing in the story.”--_John Bull._

HURST AND BLACKETTS SIX-SHILLING NOVELS

MY LORD AND MY LADY. By Mrs. FORRESTER, Author of “Viva,” “Mignon,” &c.

“This novel will take a high place among the successes of the season. It is as fresh a novel as it is interesting, as attractive as it is realistically true, as full of novelty of presentment as it is of close study and observation of life.”--_World._

“A love story of considerable interest. The novel is full of surprises, and will serve to while away a leisure hour most agreeably.”--_Daily Telegraph._

“A very capital novel. The great charm about it is that Mrs. Forrester is quite at home in the society which she describes. It is a book to read.”--_Standard._

“Mrs. Forrester’s style is so fresh and graphic that the reader is kept under its spell from first to last.”--_Post._

SOPHY: OR THE ADVENTURES OF A SAVAGE. By VIOLET FANE, Author of “Denzil Place,” &c.

“‘Sophy’ is the clever and original work of a clever woman. Its merits are of a strikingly unusual kind. It is charged throughout with the strongest human interest. It is, in a word, a novel that will make its mark.”--_World._

“A clever, amusing, and interesting story, well worth reading.”--_Post._

“This novel is as amusing, piquant, droll, and suggestive as it can be. It overflows with humour, nor are there wanting touches of genuine feeling. To considerable imaginative power, the writer joins keen observation.”--_Daily News._

“‘Sophy’ throughout displays accurate knowledge of widely differing forms of character, and remarkable breadth of view. It is one of the few current novels that may not impossibly stand the test of time.”--_Graphic._

STRICTLY TIED UP.

By the Right Hon. A. J. B. BERESFORD HOPE, M.P.

“A clever story. In ‘Strictly Tied Up’ we have vigorous sketches of life in very different circumstances and conditions. We have the incisive portraiture of character that shows varied knowledge of mankind. We have a novel, besides, which may be read with profit as well as pleasure.”--_Times._

“‘Strictly Tied Up’ is entertaining. It is in every sense a novel conceived in a light and happy vein. The scheme of the story is well proportioned and worked out in all its complications with much care and skill.”--_Athenæum._

“This novel may be described as a comedy of life and character. There is humour as well as excitement in the book, and not a few of the descriptions both of people and scenery are exceedingly graphic and piquant.”--_Saturday Review._

HIS LITTLE MOTHER: and Other Tales.

By the Author of “John Halifax, Gentleman.”

“This is an interesting book, written in a pleasant manner, and full of shrewd observation and kindly feeling. It is a book that will be read with interest, and that cannot be lightly forgotten.”--_St. James’s Gazette._

“The Author of ‘John Halifax’ always writes with grace and feeling, and never more so than in the present volume.”--_Morning Post._

“‘His Little Mother’ is one of those pathetic stories which the author tells better than anybody else.”--_John Bull._

“This book is written with all Mrs. Craik’s grace of style, the chief charm of which, after all, is its simplicity.”--_Glasgow Herald._

“We cordially recommend ‘His Little Mother.’ The story is most affecting. The volume is full of lofty sentiments and noble aspirations, and none can help feeling better after its perusal.”--_Court Journal._

LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] A mussack is the entire skin of a sheep or goat. In India our bhiesties (water-carriers) bring water from the wells in no other way. Bowed down under the weight of a huge mussack full of water, a man has the appearance of carrying a living animal.

[2] Treaty between the British Government on the one part, and Maharajah Golab Sing of Jummoo on the other, concluded on the part of the British Government by Frederick Currie, Esq., and Brevet-Major Henry Montgomery Lawrence, acting under the orders of the Right Hon. Sir Henry Hardinge, G.C.B., one of Her Britannic Majesty’s Honourable Privy Council, Governor-General, appointed by the Honourable Company to direct and control all their affairs in the East Indies; and by Maharajah Golab Sing in person:--

ARTICLE 1.--The British Government transfers and makes over for ever, in independent possession, to Maharajah Golab Sing, and the heirs male of his body, all the hilly or mountainous country, with its dependencies, situated on the east-ward of the river Indus, and westward of the river Rávee, including Chumba, and excluding Lahoul, being part of the territory ceded to the British Government by the Lahore State according to the provisions of Article 4 of the Treaty of Lahore, dated 9th March, 1846.

ARTICLE 2.--The eastern boundary of the tract transferred by the foregoing article to Maharajah Golab Sing, shall be laid down by Commissioners appointed by the British Government and Maharajah Golab Sing respectively for that purpose, and shall be defined in a separate engagement after survey.

ARTICLE 3.--In consideration of the transfer made to him and his heirs by the provisions of the foregoing articles, Maharajah Golab Sing will pay to the British Government the sum of seventy-five lacs of rupees (Náruksháhee); fifty lacs on completion of this Treaty, and twenty-five lacs on or before the 1st of October of the current year, A.D. 1846.

ARTICLE 4.--The limits of the territories of Maharajah Golab Sing shall not be at any time changed without the concurrence of the British Government.

ARTICLE 5.--Maharajah Golab Sing will refer to the arbitration of the British Government any disputes or questions that may arise between himself and the Government of Lahore or any other neighbouring state, and will abide by the decision of the British Government.

ARTICLE 6.--Maharajah Golab Sing engages for himself and his heirs to join, with the whole of his military force, the British troops when employed within the hills, or in the territories adjoining his possessions.

ARTICLE 7.--Maharajah Golab Sing engages never to take, or retain, in his service any British subject, nor the subject of any European or American State, without the consent of the British Government.

ARTICLE 8.--Maharajah Golab Sing engages to respect, in regard to the territory transferred to him, the provisions of Articles 5, 6, and 7 of the separate engagement between the British Government and the Lahore Durbar, dated 11th of March, 1846.

ARTICLE 9.--The British Government will give its aid to Maharajah Golab Sing in protecting his territories from external enemies.

ARTICLE 10.--Maharajah Golab Sing acknowledges the supremacy of the British Government, and will, in token of such supremacy, present annually to the British Government one horse, twelve perfect shawl-goats of approved breed (six males and six females), and three pairs of Cashmere shawls.

Then come the signatures, &c., and date, 16th of March, 1846.

[3] ‘Lalla Rookh.’

[4] ‘Lalla Rookh’.

[5] ‘Light of the Harem’--‘Lalla Rookh’

[6] ‘Lalla Rookh.’

[7] ‘Lalla Rookh.’

Transcriber’s Notes:

1. Obvious printers’, punctuation and spelling errors have been corrected silently.

2. Where hyphenation is in doubt, it has been retained as in the original.

3. Some hyphenated and non-hyphenated versions of the same words have been retained as in the original.

4. Italics are shown as _xxx_.

5. New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.