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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 742, March 16, 1878 - -Author: Various - -Editor: William Chambers - Robert Chambers - -Release Date: August 4, 2020 [EBook #62849] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBER'S JOURNAL *** - - - - -Produced by Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_161"></a>{161}</span></p> - - -<h1>CHAMBERS’S JOURNAL<br /> -OF<br /> -POPULAR<br /> -LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART.</h1> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" >CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - -<p class='center'> - -<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. --> - -<a href="#STORY_OF_GEORGE_CRUIKSHANK">STORY OF GEORGE CRUIKSHANK.</a><br /> -<a href="#HELENA_LADY_HARROGATE">HELENA, LADY HARROGATE.</a><br /> -<a href="#FIRES_IN_AMERICA">FIRES IN AMERICA.</a><br /> -<a href="#MONSIEUR_HOULOT">MONSIEUR HOULOT.</a><br /> -<a href="#THE_CATANCIENT_AND_MODERN">THE CAT—ANCIENT AND MODERN.</a><br /> -<a href="#SPECIMENS_OF_HINDU_ENGLISH">SPECIMENS OF HINDU ENGLISH.</a><br /> -<a href="#CURIOUS_CASES_OF_SLEEP-WALKING">CURIOUS CASES OF SLEEP-WALKING.</a><br /> -<a href="#POURING_OIL_ON_THE_TROUBLED_WATERS">POURING OIL ON THE TROUBLED WATERS.</a><br /> -<a href="#LOVE_UNSUNG">LOVE UNSUNG.</a><br /> - -<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. --> - -</p> - - -<hr class="full" /> - - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="header" style="max-width: 37.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/header.png" alt="Chambers’s Journal of Popular Literature, Science, -and Art. Fourth Series. Conducted by William and Robert Chambers." /> -</div> - -<hr class="full" /> -<div class="center"> -<div class="header"> -<p class="floatl"><span class="smcap">No. 742.</span></p> -<p class="floatr"><span class="smcap">Price</span> 1½<em>d.</em></p> -<p class="floatc">SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1878.</p> -</div></div> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="STORY_OF_GEORGE_CRUIKSHANK">STORY OF GEORGE CRUIKSHANK.</h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">A passing</span> sigh of regret has noted the recent -demise, at the good old age of eighty-six, of one -of the most remarkable men of our time. Seldom -has it been our lot to record in the pages of this -<i>Journal</i> the story of one whose genius was of so -wild and fantastic a character as that of this -veteran artist, who won his maiden fame in the -days of George III., and has passed away in the -latter part of the reign of Queen Victoria.</p> - -<p>George Cruikshank, who was of Scotch parentage, -was born in London on September 27, 1792. -His father was an artist of the caricature order, -contemporary with Gilray; and his elder brother -Robert was a draughtsman who, though of no -great ability, had a strong Cruikshankian manner -about him. George began to sketch at a very early -age; and at the commencement of the present -century he got a living by making etchings for the -booksellers. His father had originally intended -to train up his son for the stage; but perceiving -that his inclinations lay in quite another direction, -he allowed him to cultivate those artistic talents -which were afterwards to be a source of delight -to himself and to the public. In 1805 the lad -sketched Lord Nelson’s funeral car; and his illustrations -of the ‘O. P.’ riots at Covent Garden -Theatre in 1809 attracted considerable attention -at the time. Some of his earliest sketches depict -characters who were the centre of interest at that -period, but whose names have now quite an -ancient ring about them.</p> - -<p>Before the reign of George III. was over, the -young artist had made a conspicuous name as a -caricaturist and comic designer. His first designs -were in connection with cheap songs and children’s -books; and after that he furnished political caricatures -to the <i>Scourge</i> and other satirical publications, -besides doing a good deal of work for Mr -Hone’s books and periodicals during several years. -Indeed this famous publisher was the first to -perceive the talents of the artist, and to introduce -his rather eccentric sketches to the public. It -is related of the young Cruikshank that, having -a desire to follow art in the higher department, -he endeavoured on one occasion to study at the -Academy. The schools at that period were restricted -in space and much crowded. On sending -up to Fuseli his figure in plaster, the Professor -returned the characteristic but discouraging answer: -‘He may come, but he will have to fight for a -seat.’ Cruikshank never repeated his attempt to -enter the Academy, although he afterwards became -an exhibitor. His pencil was ever enlisted on the -side of suffering and against oppression, and it is -therefore not surprising to find that the cause of -the ill-used Queen Caroline was greatly benefited -by its scathing satire. Some special hits were -made by the artist on this occasion, for it was a -subject on which the public mind was very much -excited, and one design which was entitled ‘The -Queen’s Matrimonial Ladder’ ran through fifty -editions.</p> - -<p>In 1830, when the government had determined -to suppress the agitation for parliamentary reform, -Cruikshank, at the request of his old patron Hone, -produced some political illustrations, which are -said to have convulsed with laughter the ministry -at whom they were directed, and to whom they -did incalculable damage. One of these, called -‘The Political House that Jack Built,’ was particularly -good, and within a very short time one -hundred thousand copies of it were sold. A few -years later George abandoned political caricature -and gave himself up to the illustration of -works of humour and fancy, to the exposure of -passing follies in dress and social manners, and -to grave and often tragic moralising on the vices -of mankind.</p> - -<p>In the year 1821 he illustrated—and indeed -originated—the celebrated ‘Life in London’ of -Pierce Egan, a work better known by the title -of ‘Tom and Jerry.’ The book was published -in sheets and enjoyed an enormous success, -establishing the name of George Cruikshank as -the first comic artist of the day. The plates for -this work were in <i>aquatint</i>, and though not in -Cruikshank’s best manner, they exhibited that -variety of observation and marvellous fullness of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_162"></a>{162}</span> -detail for which the designer was always remarkable. -The letterpress of the work was, however, -written in too free a manner for the moral intention -with which the plates were drawn; and -offended at the gross use to which his illustrations -were applied, the great artist retired from the -engagement before the work was completed.</p> - -<p>It was related to the writer of this article by -Cruikshank himself that, when a very young man, -he was one day engaged in hastily sketching a -work of rather questionable character. While he -was doing it, his mother and another lady entered -the room, and he quickly hid the sketch away. -The act, however, so disturbed him that he resolved -never to allow his pencil to produce any work in -the future at which a virtuous woman could not -look without a blush. The pure moral tone of all -his works attests how well he kept so noble a -resolve.</p> - -<p>From 1823 down to many years later, George -Cruikshank was the most highly esteemed of -English book illustrators. Work poured in upon -him at a prodigious rate; but being a man of -singular energy and tireless industry, he was -always equal to the demand. His designs for -‘Italian Tales,’ ‘Grimm’s German Stories,’ the -‘Wild Legend of Peter Schlemihl the Shadowless -Man,’ ‘Baron Munchausen,’ and Sir Walter Scott’s -‘Demonology and Witchcraft,’ are amongst his -best and highest works. He also illustrated some -of Washington Irving’s works of fiction, Fielding -and Smollett’s books, beside Maxwell’s graphic -history of the ‘Irish Rebellion.’ It would, however, -be impossible, in this brief notice of his life, -to mention one tithe of the works that have emanated -from the untiring pencil of this remarkable -man. But the generation which is passing away -cannot fail to remember his celebrated ‘Mornings -at Bow Street,’ a series of sketches which depicted -and ruthlessly exposed the dark and savage side of -London life.</p> - -<p>The genius of Charles Dickens, as we formerly -had occasion to remark, received invaluable -assistance from Cruikshank’s pencil, which illustrated -the first writings of the young author, and -thus paved the way for him to a larger audience -than he might otherwise have had. In the first -month of 1837 appeared the opening number of -‘Bentley’s Miscellany,’ edited by ‘Boz’ (Charles -Dickens), then in the flush of his ‘Pickwick’ -success, and illustrated by Cruikshank. In the -second number of the ‘Miscellany,’ Dickens commenced -‘Oliver Twist,’ a work not only illustrated -by Cruikshank, but for which the latter it appears -had himself supplied, unwittingly, some of the -characters.</p> - -<p>George used to say that he had drawn the -figures of ‘Fagin,’ ‘Bill Sikes and his Dog,’ ‘Nancy,’ -the ‘Artful Dodger,’ and ‘Charley Bates’ before -‘Oliver Twist’ was written; and that Dickens seeing -the sketches one day shortly after the commencement -of the story, determined to change his plot, -and instead of keeping Oliver in the country, resolved -to bring him to town, and throw him (with -entire innocence) into the company of thieves. -‘Fagin’ was sketched from a rascally old Jew whom -Cruikshank had observed in the neighbourhood of -Saffron Hill, and whom he watched and ‘studied’ -for several weeks. The artist had also conceived -the terrible face of ‘Fagin in the Condemned Cell’ -as he sits gnawing his nails, in the curious accidental -way we lately narrated to our readers. He -had been working at the subject for some days -without satisfying himself; when sitting up in bed -one morning with his hands on his chin and his -fingers in his mouth, he saw his face in the glass, -and at once exclaimed: ‘<i>That’s it! that’s the face I -want!</i>’</p> - -<p>Nobody who has seen the sketches to ‘Oliver -Twist’ can ever forget them, and two at least of -the series are perfect <i>chefs-d’œuvre</i> of genius, namely -the death of Sikes on the roof of the old house at -the river-side, and the despair of Fagin in his cell. -In fact some of Cruikshank’s best work in the -delineation of low and depraved life and the squalid -picturesqueness of criminal haunts, appeared in -the above-named book. His illustrations to Harrison -Ainsworth’s works were also for the most -part charming specimens of what may be appropriately -termed the ‘Cruikshankian’ art. At the -same time he sketched the designs for some of the -‘Ingoldsby Legends’ as they appeared from time to -time in the ‘Miscellany.’ In 1841 he set up on -his own account a monthly periodical called the -‘Omnibus,’ of which Laman Blanchard was the -editor; and subsequently joined Mr Ainsworth in -the magazine which that gentleman had started -in his own name; the great artist, in a series -of splendid plates of the highest conception, illustrating -the ‘Miser’s Daughter’ and other works -from the pen of the proprietor. For several -years Cruikshank had been publishing a ‘Comic -Almanac,’ which was a great favourite with the -public, and was always brimming full of fun -and prodigal invention. In 1863 a ‘Cruikshank -Gallery’ was opened at Exeter Hall, in which -were exhibited a great number of his works, -extending over a period of <i>sixty</i> years. The exhibition -originated from a desire on the artist’s part -to shew the public that they were all done by -the same hand, and that he was not, in fact, <i>his -own grandfather</i>; some people having asserted -that the author of his later works was the grandson -of the man who had sketched the earliest -ones.</p> - -<p>He will perhaps be remembered most affectionately -by the great industrial portion of the people -as the apostle as well as the artist of temperance. -Perceiving drunkenness to be the national vice, -he depicted its horrors from the studio, and -denounced its woes from the platform. It was -about the year 1845 that he joined the teetotalers; -and in 1847 he brought out a set of plates called -‘The Bottle,’ a kind of ‘Drunkard’s Progress,’ in -eight designs, executed in glyphography with remarkable -power and tragic intensity, not unlike -some of the works of Hogarth. The success of -these extraordinary engravings was enormous. -Dramas were founded on the story at the minor -theatres, and the several tableaux were reproduced -on the stage. He soon published a sequel to ‘The -Bottle,’ and did a great deal of work for the -temperance societies; but it was observed that his -style suffered somewhat by the contraction of his -ideas and sympathies, and his reputation declined -amongst the general public in proportion to the -increase of his popularity amongst the teetotalers. -He remained, however, the staunch friend and -ally of the temperance leaders up to the day of -his death; and he used to say that for years -before he became a total abstainer he was the -enemy of drunkenness with his pencil, but that<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_163"></a>{163}</span> -later experience had taught him that precept -without example was of little avail. There is no -doubt that, though the good he was able to do -by persuading others to whom drink was a positive -injury, brought great satisfaction to his mind, -it alienated from him to a great extent the friendship, -to their loss, of his former companions. But -to know his duty was for George Cruikshank to -do it, and nobly did he stand by the cause which -he had espoused. His advocacy of temperance is -also said to have been a great pecuniary loss to -him; and the writer of this article remembers -having heard him say, a few years since, that he -had lost a commission to paint the portrait of a -nobleman, because somebody had told the latter -that since George Cruikshank had become a teetotaler -he had lost all his talent! The hearty -laugh which accompanied the recital of the story -rings in the writer’s ears still.</p> - -<p>Perhaps his greatest work in the cause of temperance, -as it is certainly his most extraordinary -one, is the large oil-painting called ‘The Worship -of Bacchus,’ which now hangs in the National -Gallery. It represents the various phases of our -national drinking system, from the child in its -cradle to the man’s descent to the grave. There -are many hundreds of figures depicted on the -canvas, engaged in all the different customs of -so-called civilised life; and the sad lesson it reads -is well deserving the attention of all who love their -country, and would prefer to witness its increased -prosperity rather than its decline. Cruikshank -had the honour of describing the picture to Her -Majesty the Queen at Windsor in 1863; and since -then it has been exhibited in all the principal -towns and cities of the United Kingdom. Finally, -it was presented by the teetotalers to the nation, -having been purchased from the artist by means -of a subscription. The time spent in the preparation -of this work must have been very great, -indeed it might well have been the study of an -ordinary lifetime. An engraving of the picture -was published some time ago, in which all the -figures were outlined by the painter and finished -by Mr Mottram.</p> - -<p>In his own way, George Cruikshank was a -philanthropist, and to the end of his life it was -his proud boast that he put a stop to hanging for -forging bank-notes. The story, as told by himself, -is so interesting, that we need not apologise for -placing it before our readers. He lived in Salisbury -Square, Fleet Street; and on his returning -from the Bank of England one morning he was -horrified at seeing several persons, two of whom -were women, hanging on the gibbet in front of -Newgate. On his making inquiries as to the -nature of their crime, he was told that they had -been put to death for forging <i>one-pound</i> Bank of -England notes. The fact that a poor woman could -be put to death for such a minor offence had such -an effect upon him, that he hurried home, determined, -if possible, to put a stop to such wholesale -destruction of life.</p> - -<p>Cruikshank was well acquainted with the habits -of the low class of society in London at that time, -as it had been necessary for him to study them in -the furtherance of his art, and he knew well that -it was most likely that the poor women in question -were simply the unconscious instruments of the -miscreants who forged the notes, and had been induced -by them to tender the false money to some -publican or other. In a few minutes after his -arrival at his residence he had designed and -sketched a ‘Bank-note not to be Imitated.’ Shortly -afterwards, William Hone the publisher called -on him, and seeing the sketch lying on the table, -he was much struck with it.</p> - -<p>‘What are you going to do with this, George?’ -he asked.</p> - -<p>‘To publish it,’ replied the artist.</p> - -<p>‘Will you let me have it?’ inquired Hone.</p> - -<p>‘Willingly,’ said Cruikshank; and making an -etching of it there and then, he gave it to Hone, -and it was published; the result being, that ‘I had -the satisfaction of knowing that no man or woman -was ever hanged afterwards for passing forged one-pound -Bank of England notes.’</p> - -<p>In 1863 he published an amusing pamphlet -against the belief in ghosts, illustrated by some -weird fantastic sketches on wood. But his public -appearances now became less frequent. During -the later years of his life he gave considerable -attention to oil-painting, and he used greatly to -regret that he had not received a more artistic -education, stating that when he first saw the -cartoons of Raphael he felt overpowered by a -sort of shame at his own comparative deficiencies. -He has, however, left some good specimens of his -power in oil in ‘Tam o’ Shanter,’ ‘A Runaway -Knock,’ and ‘Disturbing the Congregation;’ the -last-named having been bought by the late Prince -Consort, and afterwards engraved. The design -of the Bruce Memorial, which has been so much -admired, was also from the pencil of George -Cruikshank; and the last contribution from his -pen to the public press was a letter on this -subject.</p> - -<p>His personal appearance was no less remarkable -than his works. Rather below middle stature, -and thick-set, with a rather sharp Roman nose, -piercing eyes, a mouth full of lurking humour, -and wild elf-locks flowing about his face, he at -once attracted attention as a man of genius, -energy, and character. He was always famous for -great courage and spirit, which added to his -muscular power, made him very capable of holding -his own everywhere.</p> - -<p>Though accustomed to depict life in its shadier -phases, Cruikshank was of a naturally joyous -disposition. In social life his humour was inimitable; -and his readiness to add to the amusement -of his host and his host’s guests was only equalled -by the unique way in which he played the part of -actor, singer, and dancer. The fact of his being -a teetotaler in no way interfered with his honest -natural merry nature; with old and young alike -he was a deserved favourite. Young folks were -especially fond of the dear old man. Dining with -some other guests at the London house of a friend -of the writer’s some five-and-twenty years ago, Mr -Cruikshank, when asked to favour the company -with a song, struck up the comic ditty of <i>Billy -Taylor</i>, that brisk young fellow, and danced an -accompaniment, much to the amusement of the -good folks present. ‘Not so bad for one of your -teetotalers,’ quoth the veteran as he returned to -his seat.</p> - -<p>In his earlier years he ventured alone into the -worst dens of criminal London, and since he had -grown old he actually captured a burglar in his -own house and with his own hands. In many -ways he contributed to the public amusement and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_164"></a>{164}</span> -the public good; and during the later years of his -life he was in receipt of a government pension, for -though he helped to make fortunes for others, he -made very little money for himself. He was a -Volunteer so far back as 1804; and in our own -days he commanded a regiment of citizen soldiers -of teetotal principles.</p> - -<p>There is on view at the Westminster Aquarium -at the present time a splendid collection of Cruikshank’s -works, each of which is a study in itself, -while the whole, consisting of about five hundred -sketches, forms a unique monument to his skill -and genius.</p> - -<p>As an artist he will be certain of lasting fame, -for he managed his lights and shades with a -skill akin to Rembrandt, while his delineation of -low life in its every phase was marvellous. His -illustrations to fairy and goblin stories were also -beyond praise, as they could not be surpassed in -strangeness and elfin oddity; and in this respect -he was popular with young and old. His sketches -must be innumerable, for he was, like all true -men of genius, a great worker, and he must have -toiled unceasingly through at least <i>seventy</i> years of -his long life. He was attacked with bronchitis -a few weeks previous to his death, yet with great -care he was actually enabled to recover from this -disease; but alas! only to succumb to an older -complaint from which he had been free for years. -He died painlessly, on the evening of the first of -February last, at his residence in Hampstead Road, -London; and while to comparatively few was -given the inestimable privilege of the great artist’s -friendship, the grief of a nation for his loss attests -the universality of his fame.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="HELENA_LADY_HARROGATE">HELENA, LADY HARROGATE.</h2> -</div> - - -<h3>CHAPTER XV.—THE STOLEN LETTER.</h3> - -<p><span class="smcap">Jasper Denzil</span>, his arm, bruised and crushed as -it had been beneath the weight of the fallen horse, -still needing the support of a sling, and his pallid -cheek and dim eye telling that he had not wholly -regained his strength, lounged among the cushions -of a sofa in what was called the White Room at -Carbery. This room, which owed its name to the -colour of its panelled walls, sparely relieved by -mouldings of gold and pale blue, overlooked the -park and adjoined the billiard-room; and Jasper, -with an invalid’s caprice, had chosen it for his -especial apartment during the period of his compulsory -confinement to the house.</p> - -<p>Time hung more heavily than ever on the -captain’s hands since his accident had cut him off -from his ordinary habits of life. Of intellectual -resources he had few indeed, being one of those -men (and they are numerous amongst us) to whom -reading is a weariness of spirit, and thinking a -laborious mental process, and who undergo tortures -of boredom when thrown helpless into that worst -of all company—their own. His sisters’ affection, -his sisters’ innocent anxiety to anticipate his -wishes and soothe his pain, bored him more than -it touched him. He was not of a tender moral -fibre, and barely tolerated at best those of his -own blood and name. He would very much have -preferred as a nurse bluff Jack Prodgers, to -Blanche and Lucy. With Prodgers he had topics -and interests in common; the minds of the two -captains ran nearly in identical grooves; whereas -his sisters did not fathom his nature or partake his -tastes. So dreary was the existence to which this -once brilliant cavalry officer was now condemned, -that he had actually come to look forward with a -sort of languid excitement to the professional visits -of little Dr Aulfus from Pebworth, whose gig, to -the great disgust of Mr Lancetter, the High Tor -surgeon, was daily to be seen traversing the carriage-drive -of Carbery Chase. With his father, Jasper’s -dealings were coldly decorous, no fondness and -no trust existing on either side. Sir Sykes had -announced to Jasper that his debts—of which the -baronet, through a chance interview with Mr -Wilkins the attorney from London, had been made -aware—had been paid in full.</p> - -<p>‘I must ask you, Jasper,’ Sir Sykes had said, -‘for two assurances: one to the effect that no more -secret liabilities exist to start up at unexpected -moments; and the other, that you will never again -ride a steeplechase.’</p> - -<p>‘For my own sake, sir, I’ll promise you that -last willingly enough,’ said Jasper, with a sickly -smile. ‘I didn’t use to mind that kind of thing; -but I suppose I am not so young in constitution as -I was, and don’t come up to time so readily. And -as for more snakes in the grass, such as those which -that impudent cur Wilkins wheedled me into -signing, for his own benefit and that of his worthy -allies, I give you my word there’s not one. Some -fresh tailor or liveryman may send a bill in one -day. A gentleman can’t always be quite sure as -to how many new coats and hired broughams may -be totted up against him by those harpies at the -West End; but that is all. I should have won a -hatful of money the other day if anybody but -Hanger had been on The Smasher’s back, when -that savage brute rushed at the wall; but I don’t -owe any, except a hundred and fifty which Prodgers -lent me, and every farthing of which I paid to the -bookmakers before the race, in hope of receiving -it back with a tidy sum to boot.’</p> - -<p>Sir Sykes had forthwith inclosed a cheque for -a hundred and fifty pounds to Captain Prodgers, -with a very frigid acknowledgment of the accommodation -offered to his son.</p> - -<p>‘I could wish that you had other friends, other -pursuits too,’ he said coldly to Jasper. ‘However, -I will not lecture. You are of an age to select -your own associates.’</p> - -<p>Captain Denzil then, being on terms of chilling -civility with his father, and an uncongenial companion -for his sisters, yielded himself the more -readily to the singular fascination which Ruth -Willis could, when she chose, exert. Sir Sykes’s -ward had a remarkable power of pleasing when -it suited her to please. She had at the first -conciliated the servants at Carbery—no slight feat, -considering the dull weight of stolid prejudice -which she had to encounter—and had won the regard -of the baronet’s two daughters. Then Lucy and -Blanche had felt the ardour of their early girlish -friendship for the Indian orphan cool perceptibly, -perhaps because the latter no longer gave herself -the same pains to win their suffrages. And now -she laid herself out to be agreeable to Jasper. -Nothing could be more natural or befitting than -that a young lady, under deep obligations to the -master of the house, should shew her gratitude by -doing little acts of kindness to her guardian’s son -when a prisoner; and without any apparent effort -or design, Ruth seemed to appropriate the invalid<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_165"></a>{165}</span> -as her own. She talked to him—she was by far -better informed than the average of her sex and -age, and had a rare tact which taught her when -to speak, and of what—and she read to him. -A more fastidious listener than Jasper might have -been charmed with that sweet untiring voice, so -admirably modulated that it assumed the tone -most suited to the subject-matter, be it what it -might. The captain, whose boast it was, that -with the exception of racing calendars and cavalry -manuals, he had not opened a book since he left -school, cared for nothing but newspapers, and -especially newspapers of a sporting turn, and -such literature is not generally very inviting to a -feminine student; but Miss Willis shewed no -symptoms of weariness as she retailed to her -hearer the cream of the turf intelligence.</p> - -<p>‘I don’t half like her. There are times when -I could almost say, I hate her!’ thought Jasper -to himself once and again; ‘but she’s clever, and -has something about her which I don’t understand, -for she never bores a fellow.’</p> - -<p>It was a burning day in early August. The -windows of the White Room were open, and the -heavy hum of the bees, as they loaded themselves -with the plunder of the blossoms that clustered -so thickly without, had in itself a drowsy potency. -Jasper, overcome by heat and lassitude, had fallen -asleep among his cushions, and Ruth Willis, who -had been reading to him, laid down the paper and -slipped softly from the room, closing the door -behind her. She met no one, either on her way -to her own chamber or as, having donned her -garden hat and jacket, she descended the stairs. -It was her practice on most fine days to leave the -house for a solitary ramble either in the park or -among the woods that sloped down to the river.</p> - -<p>It was Ruth’s custom, when thus she sallied -forth alone, to take with her a book, which she -could read when seated on some granite boulder -against which the swift stream chafed in vain, or -amidst the gnarled roots of the ancient trees in the -Chase. Nor did she, like the majority of young -ladies, consider nothing worth her study save the -contents of the last green box of novels from a -London circulating library, preferring often the -perusal of the quaint pretty old books that are -usually allowed to sleep unmolested on their -shelves, here the verses of a forgotten poet, there -perhaps some idyl unsurpassed in its simple -sweetness of thought and diction.</p> - -<p>With works of this description, well chosen -once but now voted obsolete, the library at -Carbery Chase was richly stored; and Sir Sykes -had willingly given to his ward the permission -which she asked, to have free access to its treasures. -He himself spent most of his time while -within doors in this same library, and there Ruth -fully expected to find him, when she entered it, -accoutred for her walk. She had in her hand a -tiny tome, bound in tawny leather, and with a -faded coat of arms, on which might still be deciphered -the De Vere wyverns stamped upon the -cover. To replace this and to select another -volume, she should have to pass Sir Sykes’s writing-table, -in front of the great stained glass -window; but he would merely look up with a -nod and smile as the small slender form of his -ward flitted by.</p> - -<p>Sir Sykes, however, contrary to his habit at -that hour, was not in the library. He must but -recently have quitted it, however, for the ink -in the pen that he had laid aside was yet wet, -and the note which he had been engaged in writing -was unfinished. On a desk which occupied the -right-hand corner of the writing-table, a large -old desk, the queer inlaid-work of which, in ivory -and tortoise-shell, had probably been that of some -Chinese or Hindu mechanic, lay an open letter, -the bluish paper and formal penmanship of which -suggested the idea of business. Now, it may seem -trite to say that a regard for the sanctity of -another person’s correspondence is not merely -innate in every honourable mind, but so strongly -inculcated upon us by education and example, that -there are many who are capable of actual crime, -yet who would be degraded in their own esteem -by any prying into what was meant to meet no -eyes but those of the legitimate recipient. Yet -Ruth Willis, the instant that she perceived herself -to be alone in the room, unhesitatingly drew near -to the table and took a brief survey of what -lay upon it. As she caught a glimpse of the letter, -her very breathing seemed to stop, and a strange -glittering light came into her large eyes, and a -crimson flush mantled in her pale cheek.</p> - -<p>‘I must have it!’ she exclaimed passionately. -‘At any risk I must know all, must realise the -extent of the danger, and whence it threatens. -There is not a moment to lose!’</p> - -<p>Quick as thought the girl snatched up the letter -from the desk on which it lay, and darted towards -the French window nearest to the now empty -fire-place. The window stood open. As she neared -it, she heard a man’s tread in the passage, a man’s -hand upon the door of the library. To avoid -detection, her only chance was in her own promptitude -and coolness. She had but just time to -pass through the opening and to conceal herself -among the rose-trees and flowering shrubs, before -Sir Sykes entered the room that she had so lately -left. She thrust the letter into her pocket and -cowered down close to the wall, terror in her eyes -and quick-moving lips, for she knew but too well -that in such a case as this no social subterfuge, -no fair seeming excuse could avail her.</p> - -<p>From her lair among the fragrant bushes Ruth -could see the baronet tossing over the papers that -lay neatly arranged on his table, then hurrying -to and fro in evident excitement. That he was -seeking for the missing letter was clear.</p> - -<p>‘Sooner or later,’ she murmured to herself, -‘he <i>must</i> remember the window, and should he -but see me, all is lost. In such a plight, boldness -is safest.’</p> - -<p>With a stealthy swiftness which had something -feline in it, Ruth Willis made her way past shrubs -and sheltering trees and black hedges of aged yew, -trimmed, for generations past, by the gardener’s -shears. There were men at work among the lawns -and flower-beds, men at work too among the hothouses -and conservatories. It would not be well, -should suspicion be rife and inquiry active, that -these men should have seen her. There was one -place, however, where the trees of the garden overhung -the fence dividing it from the park, and here -there was a wicket, seldom used. To reach it she -had to traverse one short stretch of greensward -exposed to the observation of the under-gardeners -at their work. Watching for a favourable moment, -Ruth glided across the dangerous piece of open -ground, unseen by those who were busy at that<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_166"></a>{166}</span> -mowing and rolling, and weeding and pruning, -which never seems to be finished in a rich man’s -pleasaunce. With the speed of a hunted deer she -threaded her way amidst the trees, opened the -gate, and skirting the southern angle of the park, -fled through the new plantations to her favourite -resort, the woods beside the river.</p> - -<p>No more peaceful and few prettier spots could -easily have been found than that which Ruth now -sought, a place where the swift stream, rushing -down from its birthplace among the Dartmoor -heights to end its short career in the blue sea—of -which, between the interlacing boughs, a view -could here and there be obtained—brawled among -the red rocks that half choked up the deep and -narrow ravine. A welcome coolness seemed to arise -from where the spray of the pellucid water was -sprinkled over boulders worn smooth by time; -and clefts where the delicate lady-fern and many -another dainty frond grew thickly. But Ruth -Willis for once was blind to the beauty of the -scene, deaf to the silvery music of the stream -among the pebbles or to the carol of the birds. -With dilated eyes and lips compressed, but with -trembling fingers, she drew forth the stolen letter, -and beneath the shadow of the overhanging boughs, -eagerly, almost fiercely, read and re-read the words -that it contained.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="FIRES_IN_AMERICA">FIRES IN AMERICA.</h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> exceeding dryness of the atmosphere in the -United States produces such an inflammability in -buildings, that when a fire breaks out it proceeds -with surprising velocity. Owing to this circumstance -Americans have organised the most perfect -system in the world of extinguishing fires, -though all their efforts are often in vain. A -stranger in New York or Boston would be -astonished at the immense uproar caused by an -outbreak of fire. Bells are rung, gongs sounded, -and steam fire-engines rush along the streets -regardless of everything. The unaccustomed -stranger is apt to make a run of it when he -sees the engines coming; the American simply -steps on to the ‘side-walk’ or into a ‘store’ -for a moment. It is provided by the city government -that ‘the officers and men, with their teams -and apparatus, shall have the right of way while -going to a fire, through any street, lane, or alley,’ -&c.; and most unreservedly do the said officers -and men make use of this permission. If any -old woman’s stall is at the corner of a street -round which the steamers must go, there is no -help for it; over it goes. If a buggy is left -standing at a corner, the owner must not be surprised -if but three wheels are left on it when he -returns. Accidents of this latter kind, however, -are rare; people recognise and yield willingly -the right of way; and the quicker the engines go -to a fire, the better pleased everybody is. It is -quite a point of rivalry among the firemen who -shall get the first water on a fire, and is mentioned -always in the report of the engineer.</p> - -<p>This is how it looks from the outside; but the -greater part of those who see the engines go to -a fire have no idea of the inner working of the -system. All they know is that when there is -a fire the engines go and put it out. We shall -therefore now proceed to shew, first, the means -for communicating alarms of fire; and second, the -means for extinguishing fires when discovered.</p> - -<p>There are in Boston (Mass.), which we may -take as an example of a well-protected city, about -two hundred and thirty-five alarm-boxes, which -are small iron boxes placed at street corners, on -public buildings, and in any convenient and -necessary locality. Each box is connected by two -wires with the head office at the City Hall, -and has its number painted in red, and a -notice stating where the key is kept, which is -generally the nearest house. The authorities -usually confide the key to some person whose -premises are open all night, such as the proprietor -of an hotel, an apothecary, or a doctor. -When the box is opened, nothing is seen but -a small hook at the top, the interior being concealed -by another iron lid. Under this second lid -is a steel cylinder with pieces of ebony let into its -circumference to correspond with the number of -the box. This cylinder is connected with one of -the telegraph wires; and a steel spring which -presses against it, with the other. When the hook -is pulled down a clock-work arrangement causes -the cylinder to revolve four times; the steel -spring consequently passes over the entire surface -of the cylinder four times, and contact is broken -at the points where the spring touches only the -non-conducting ebony. For instance, if the circumference -of the cylinder in box 125 could be -unrolled, it would present an appearance something -like this: I II IIIII. Let us now follow -the wires to the top of the City Hall, where, -night and day, sits an operator watching the -recording instrument. Here in a small room are -numerous electrical instruments of all sorts, gongs, -switches, keys, levers, and wires. In an attic -overhead are the batteries. As soon as a box is -opened and ‘pulled’ a bell strikes, and a recording -instrument in front turns out a slip of paper, on -which is printed the box number; thus</p> - -<p class="center"> -— — — — — — — — -</p> - -<p>would mean box 125. It prints this four times—the -number of revolutions made by the cylinder -in the box—to avoid any error.</p> - -<p>On the other side of the operator are three clock -faces bearing numerals from one to nine, and a -pointer. The one to the right is for the units, the -middle one for the tens, the one to the left for the -hundreds. Under them is a lever working horizontally. -Immediately the operator receives the -box number, he sets these pointers to correspond -with it—namely, the left one he puts at 1, the -middle at 2, the right one at 5—thus making 125—and -then moves the lever underneath.</p> - -<p>Now let us see what is the result of this manœuvring. -Wires connect these machines with various -church bells and gongs in all parts of the city, -which ring out the alarm as the operator moves -the lever. There are thirty-eight such bells in -Boston. When there is a church bell in the neighbourhood, -the fire department affixes an electrical -hammer to it; if, however, there is no public bell -in the right place, a large gong is erected. The -machine at City Hall is automatic when once -started, and causes the bells to sound the alarm -three times as follows. For box 125 they would -strike once; then a pause and strike twice; another -pause and strike five times; then a much longer -pause and repeat twice. For box 218 they strike<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_167"></a>{167}</span> -2—1—8, always sounding the number three times -with intervals between. So quickly is all this -managed that in half a minute after a person -opens and ‘pulls’ a box he hears the bells begin to -respond.</p> - -<p>In case that the engines which go on the -first alarm are not sufficiently numerous to extinguish -the fire, a second alarm is given by the -operator striking ten blows on the bells, which -brings several more engines. If the fire is very -serious, a third alarm brings still more engines -with hose and ladder companies. This is given by -striking twelve blows twice. If the conflagration -is becoming very serious indeed, the entire fire -department is summoned by striking twelve blows -three times. This, of course, very rarely happens. -Indeed so efficient are the men and apparatus, -that even a second alarm is quite unusual. The -second and third alarms are communicated to -the City Hall operator by simply ‘pulling’ the -same box a second and third time; or if the -pulling apparatus should have been destroyed -at an early stage of the fire, by transmitting a -request by a Morse telegraph key, which is -placed in every box for the use of the employés -when out testing the circuits. Every one knows -the number of the box situated near to his residence -or place of business; so, if awakened by -the bells in the night, he simply counts the box -number, and if it is not near him, turns over -and goes to sleep again reassured; whilst if it -chance to be his number, he is at once ready to -render any assistance.</p> - -<p>The fire telegraph is also made use of by the -city authorities for calling out the police or the -military in case of a disturbance, and also for -informing the parents who send their children to -the public schools when there is to be no class, -on account of bad weather or other reasons. Each -of these circumstances has its special number. -There is also a gong placed in every police station, -which is struck directly from the boxes, and it -frequently happens that the police have a flaming -building barricaded by a rope, before the engines -arrive.</p> - -<p>Next, the means for extinguishing fires when discovered. -In the city of Boston there are twenty-nine -steam fire-engines in actual service, and seven -held in reserve; eight chemical engines, throwing -water impregnated with soda and sulphuric acid, -which also serves as the motive-power; one steam -self-propelling engine; one fire-boat to defend the -water-front of the city; nearly forty hose carriages, -about seventy thousand feet of hose, and -twelve hook and ladder companies; besides other -apparatus of various kinds, such as hand-engines, -coal-wagons, sleighs for carrying the hose in -winter, and several aërial ladders. The engines -weigh from seven to nine thousand pounds, and -cost about a thousand pounds each.</p> - -<p>One of the most interesting features in the -American fire-system is the extreme ingenuity -that is exercised to insure the speedy arrival of -the apparatus at a fire. As has been said, in less -than a minute after the alarm-box has been pulled -the bells are ringing out the alarm all over the -city; and—incredible as it may seem—sometimes -in <i>ten seconds</i> after the alarm is rung, the engines -have left their stations with steam up and every -one prepared for work! Perhaps the best way to -give a general idea of how this wonderful celerity -is attained is to describe the interior arrangements -of an engine-house.</p> - -<p>Usually an engine and a hose-carriage are kept -in one house. This is a two-story building with a -small tower or look-out. In the cellar are kept -the steam-heaters and coal; on the first floor in -front are the engine and hose-carriage, at the back -the stables; on the second floor the sleeping-room -of the men, their smoking and reading room, and a -small tool-shop. There is a sort of wooden tunnel -running up by the side of the stairs from the -cellar to the top of the house, in which are hung -the lengths of spare hose. In the front of the -building is a large gateway, kept closed, for the -entrance and exit of the engine. The engine -stands facing the door, and by the side of it the -hose-carriage. The firemen’s helmets and coats -are hung on these; and in the engine the materials -for getting up the fire are laid at the bottom; and -close by is a sort of tow-torch soaked in oil, -which is lighted and thrown on the fire by the -engineman when they start. So inflammable is -the material laid in the engine-furnace that the fire -is lighted instantaneously. Coming up through -the floor, and connecting with two pipes at the -rear of the engine, are two tubes from the steam-heater -mentioned above. This is simply a small -boiler by which the boiler of the fire-engine is kept -filled night and day with hot water, so that -steam is up immediately after the fire is lighted. -By the side of the engine is a large gong, on -which the alarm is sounded by the same current -that causes the strokes on the bells outside. Under -this is a lever holding back a powerful spring, -which, when released, opens the stable-doors without -any attention from the firemen!</p> - -<p>There are three horses—two for the engine, and -one for the hose-carriage. They are kept in small -stalls, and face the door of the house, with the door -of the stall just in front of them, so that when the -door is opened, the horses, on stepping out, stand -by the side of the engine in readiness to be harnessed. -And not only this, but the horses, without -exception, are so well trained, that the instant -the door is opened they run out and stand by the -side of the engine-pole. They are always completely -harnessed, and their harness is so constructed -that in order to attach them to the engine -only the joining of a few snap-hooks is necessary.</p> - -<p>One fireman is always on patrol on the ‘floor,’ -whose duty it is to count and register the alarm; -another is on patrol in the neighbourhood. They -sleep with everything on but their coat and boots, -and each has a distinct place assigned to him, which -he takes on the striking of an alarm. So the gong -strikes, the stable-doors open, the horses rush out, -the men tumble down-stairs from their rooms -above, the horses are harnessed; and if the alarm -calls for them, the doors are thrown open, and they -are gone, occasionally, as was said, in ten or twelve -seconds from the striking of the alarm.</p> - -<p>The city of Boston is divided into ten fire districts, -and each district placed under the charge -of an assistant-engineer. Usually about five or -six engines, with their accompanying hose-carriages, -two hook and ladder companies, a coal-wagon, -and one of the wagons of the protective brigade—carrying -tarpaulins and rubber blankets, to protect -property from injury by water, supported by -the insurance companies—go to every fire. The -entire force of the Fire department in 1876 was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_168"></a>{168}</span> -six hundred and sixty-seven men, controlled by -three fire commissioners, one nominated by the -mayor, and confirmed by the city council every -year.</p> - -<p>Such are the means possessed by a city of rather -more than four hundred thousand inhabitants for -protection against fire; and with such a splendid -system and such a force of men and machines, it -is difficult to understand how a fire could attain -such awful proportions as that of 1872, when the -loss amounted to four millions sterling.</p> - -<p>Boston always took great pride and felt much -confidence in her granite-fronted places of business, -but her recent fire has relieved her of that misplaced -confidence. The blocks of granite crumbled -away, cracked and fell apart, and even exploded. -Of course this was an exceptionally great heat, but -one sees fewer warehouses fronted with granite -now than before the fire.</p> - -<p>Even during so terrible a calamity as this fire the -characteristic wit of the American did not desert -him. No sooner were the flames extinguished in -the burnt district, than the occupiers of the premises -put up notices on their lots stating their present -residences and future plans. Usually, in the -larger cities of the United States, a value is put -upon time of which we have no conception in -England. When a house is burnt down in London -or Edinburgh, half a year may elapse before -arrangements are made to build it up again. On -the morning after a fire in New York, we were -amused in observing that workmen were already -engaged in preparations for a new building. -Owing to this species of energy in the American -people, the two half-destroyed cities of Boston -and Chicago are built up again, handsomer and -stronger than ever. And still the work of improving -the fire department goes on. There are -in the newspapers almost daily accounts of the -trial of new engines, improved ladders, longer -fire-escapes, and surer fire-extinguishing compounds, -and nothing is spared in checking the -tyranny of what has been so aptly termed a ‘good -servant but bad master.’</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="MONSIEUR_HOULOT">MONSIEUR HOULOT.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="ph3">IN THREE CHAPTERS.</p> - - -<h3>CHAPTER I.—YESTERDAY—BONDAGE.</h3> - -<p><span class="smcap">I was</span> sitting one day looking disconsolately out -of window at a landscape almost blotted out by -rain and mist, a landscape almost hatefully familiar -to me. My mind was as cheerless as the prospect, -as blank as the sheet of paper stretched before -me to receive its impressions. I looked on that -sheet of paper with disgust, with loathing. There -was no idea in my head, and I felt that anything -I might attempt to write would turn out meaningless -verbiage. But my invisible task-masters were -behind me—I heard the crack of their many-thonged -whips—I saw Messrs Butcher and Baker -sitting joyfully on the car which was destined to -crush me if I once slackened the rope.</p> - -<p>Yes, I was a writer; neither a successful one -nor the reverse. I made a living by it, but it -was an irregular living. Sometimes I was comparatively -rich, at others I was superlatively poor. -At the date of which I write I was decidedly in -the latter condition. In purse and in health I -was at the lowest of low-water; one reacted on -the other; my poverty increased my physical -weakness, which in its turn prevented any effective -effort to fill the exchequer. Everything I wrote -somehow missed fire. A rest and a change might -have set me up. I had no means of taking either. -Nor was I the only sufferer in the house. My -wife was ill and depressed; the children were -out of health. Everything was out of gear.</p> - -<p>Under these doleful conditions I was sitting -in a sort of comatose state, brooding over all the -uncomfortable possibilities of existence or non-existence—without -a friend to take counsel with, -or even an acquaintance who might help to move -the stagnant waters of life—when I was aroused -by the unwonted sound of wheels. A fly drove -up to the gate, horse and driver shivering and -dripping with wet. The man jumped down and -rang the bell. The servant brought up a card; -‘Mrs Collingwood Dawson.’</p> - -<p>I knew the name well enough. Dawson was -a successful writer of fiction, a man whose novels -were in demand at all the circulating libraries. -But what could his better-half want with me? -Time would shew. The lady entered.</p> - -<p>Mrs Collingwood Dawson was a pleasant-looking -woman of uncertain age, not much over thirty -probably, and certainly under forty, with dark -luminous eyes and an expressive face.</p> - -<p>‘It is rather bold of me,’ she said, ‘to come -here and take you by storm, without introduction -or anything. I can only plead the fellowship -of the craft.’</p> - -<p>I replied in an embarrassed way with some -meaningless commonplace; and after a few preliminary -civilities, she came to the real purpose -of her visit.</p> - -<p>‘My husband is,’ she said, ‘a very ill-used man. -Everybody is worrying him to write this and that -and the other. If he had a dozen pairs of hands -he could keep them going. Unfortunately, he is -a sad invalid, and is really incapable of undertaking -more than the little he has in hand.’</p> - -<p>I expressed a decent grief at the ill-health of -Mr Collingwood Dawson.</p> - -<p>‘I have long been urging him,’ she went on, -‘to take a partner, a coadjutor, a <i>collaborateur</i>, -some one who will relieve him from the laborious -part of the business, who will work in his style -and on his ideas, and whose work should in effect -be his, and appear under his name.’</p> - -<p>‘You will have difficulty,’ said I, ‘in finding a -competent person who would be willing to sacrifice -his literary identity.’</p> - -<p>‘Yes; there is a difficulty certainly; but I have -taken the liberty of hoping that you would help -us to obviate it. You are yet young comparatively, -and have ample time hereafter to gather a crop -of bays on your own account.’</p> - -<p>‘What induced you, madam, to think of me in -the matter?’</p> - -<p>‘Simply a study of what you have written, the -style of which seemed suitable to our purpose. If -I am offending you, say so, and I will apologise, -and go no further.’</p> - -<p>I replied that I was willing to hear her offer; -that I had no opinion of literary partnerships, but -that my means would not allow me to reject point-blank -any advantageous proposal.</p> - -<p>‘There is nothing derogatory at all, you will -acknowledge, in working on other people’s lines; -the greatest authors have done it.’</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_169"></a>{169}</span></p> - -<p>‘Oh, if I can do it honestly, I shall have no -scruples on any other score.’</p> - -<p>‘Is there any difference between working for -us and say for a magazine which publishes your -work anonymously? Or in writing under a <i>nom -de plume</i>. If there is any deceit in the matter, it -rests with us, not with you. But if it be a deceit, -then all the old masters were cheats, when they -sold as their own, pictures which were in parts -done by their scholars, or sculptors who sell as -their work, statues of which all the rough work -has been done by pupils or workmen. No, indeed; -it is your own pride that stands in the way. And -pride you know is a sin, and ought to be repented -of.’</p> - -<p>‘Well,’ I said, ‘let me hear the terms.’</p> - -<p>The terms were liberal enough. A certain sum -per sheet at a higher rate than I could earn elsewhere, -and with the certainty of a market for all -I wrote, which at that time I did not possess. -But the bait which finally took me was the offer -of an immediate cheque for fifty pounds on -account and to bind the transaction.</p> - -<p>I took counsel of my wife.</p> - -<p>‘Can you hesitate?’ she said. ‘Here we hardly -know where to look for to-morrow’s food, and you -are offered a certain income and fifty pounds as -earnest-money.’</p> - -<p>I closed with the offer and accepted the retaining -fee; and I felt as Dr Faustus might have done -when he sold his soul to the Evil One.</p> - -<p>Mrs Collingwood Dawson seemed pleased at my -compliance, and sketched out to me the part she -wished me to take. We were to manufacture -novels solely—about three a year. The plot was -to be drawn out for me with indications of the -points to be worked out. I was to fill in dialogue -and description. The ‘author’ was to be at -liberty to add, cut out, amend, and put in finishing -touches.</p> - -<p>‘I shall give you,’ she said, ‘a packet which I -have left in the fly, containing the various works -of my husband. Read them over critically, and -adapt your style to his. I know you are a skilful -workman, and will have no difficulty in the -matter.’</p> - -<p>Business over, my employer joined our family -dinner. She was bright and cheerful, and her -gaiety was infectious. My wife was charmed with -her; the children could not make enough of her. -Her presence had all the effect upon me of sparkling -wine. When she was gone, I sat down to -read Mr Dawson’s works with as little appetite for -their perusal as a grocer has for figs. But I was -surprised to find that though uneven in quality -and often carelessly written, there were abundant -traces of a vivid imagination, and an intimate -knowledge of the workings of the human heart -in morbid and unhealthy developments. These -qualities, I may say, appeared only by fits and -starts, and were overlaid by a good deal of very -commonplace work. The strong point of his -fiction, and that which gained, no doubt, the -approval of the public, was the plot. His plots -were always ingenious and well combined, and -kept the interest going to the very fall of the -curtain.</p> - -<p>Time passed on. I got fairly to work on my -new business. I had no fault to find with my -employers, and they on their part seemed well -satisfied with my services. I had as much work as -I could manage; but I found it much easier than -of old, inasmuch as I had definite lines to work -upon and a distinct object in view. Then the -payment was regular, and in virtue of that, our -household assumed an aspect of comfort and -tranquillity to which it had long been a stranger. -As it was no longer necessary for me to live -within reach of London, I determined to carry out -a plan that had been in my head for some time, -and settle for a while in some quiet place in -Normandy, where one could have good air, repose, -and tranquillity, without the appalling dullness -that mantles over an English country town.</p> - -<p>All this time I had never seen Mr Collingwood -Dawson, and the only address I knew was at his -chambers in the Temple; but all business matters -were arranged with a Mr Smith, who, I understood, -was his agent. My removal involved only -a trifling extra cost in postage, and I had work -on hand that would keep me going for several -months.</p> - -<p>We settled in a pleasant picturesque little town -on the banks of the Seine, and after giving myself -a few weeks’ holiday, to make acquaintance with -the neighbourhood, I began to plod on steadily at -my task.</p> - -<p>I had just despatched a parcel of manuscript, -and was strolling homewards from the post-office -along the quay, when I stopped to watch some -people fishing from the steps that lead down to -the water-side. The tide was low, the evening -tranquil. The setting sun was blinking over the -edge of the wood-crowned heights behind; but -all this side of the view was in shadow, while -the aspens and poplars on the further bank were -glowing in golden light. A little brook that -escapes into the river hereabouts through a conduit -of stone was splashing and bubbling merrily. -In the eddy formed by the brook and the big river -were swimming the light floats of the fishermen, -every now and then pulled down, more often by -some drowning weed or twig, but sometimes by a -fish, whose eager darts from side to side, and -struggles as it was hauled in by main force, -afforded great amusement and excitement to some -half-dozen boys.</p> - -<p>A more than commonly vigorous pluck at one -of the floats, and a strenuous tug at the line -belonging to it, which made the rod curve and -wave under its strain, shewed that a big fish had -been hooked. The sensation among the spectators -was great. It is always an awkward matter to -land a fish of any size when the river-bank is -perpendicular and there is no landing-net. Our -friends here, however, were not disposed to create -unnecessary difficulties. A companion of the -successful fisherman seized the line and began to -haul it in hand over hand. It is a capital way -this if everything holds and the fish is hooked -beyond possibility of release. In this case, however, -although the line was pulled in vigorously, -all of a sudden the resistance ceased and the hook -came naked home. The baffled fisherman bowed -and smiled politely at his friend. It was a little -<i>contre-temps</i> inseparable from the amusement of -fishing.</p> - -<p>‘Clumsy!’ growled a voice close to my elbow in -good English. I turned round quite startled, for -there were no English residents in the town, and -the accents of my native tongue were becoming -unfamiliar. A man stood by my side of somewhat<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_170"></a>{170}</span> -strange appearance. He was short and thick-set, -and had a massive strongly marked face, with -bushy overhanging eyebrows, a heavy gray moustache, -and stubbly beard of only a few weeks’ -growth. His arms were folded, the left one over -the other; but as he changed his position, I saw -that he had lost his right hand, and that its place -was supplied with an iron hook. He was dressed -in a blouse made of some kind of coarse blanket-stuff -of a huge cheque pattern, trousers of dirty-white -flannel, stuffed into boots that came halfway -up his calf. A Turkey-red handkerchief was -twisted carelessly round his throat, there being no -sign of any shirt beneath; and a bonnet of the -Glengarry shape was cocked rather fiercely on his -head. In his hand he held a packet of whity-brown -paper, made up as it seemed for transmission -by post. I could not help seeing that the -packet was addressed ‘London’ in a bold rough -hand.</p> - -<p>He seemed to wince at the look full of curiosity -that I gave him. His face, which had been -lighted up with interest in watching the progress -of the fishing, now turned dull and dark. He went -off at a short shambling trot in the direction of the -post-office, and I saw no more of him just then.</p> - -<p>I was not long, however, in finding out something -about him. His name it seemed was Houlot, and -although eccentric, he was inoffensive, and was on -the whole rather respected by the townspeople. -He was a <i>savant</i>—a character, in their eyes, that -excused a good deal of moroseness and roughness -of manner. He had resided in the neighbourhood -for some years, and occupied a single room in a -house upon the hill overlooking the town. Here -he lived—hermit-fashion—keeping no domestic, -buying his own provisions in the market and -cooking them himself. His kitchen, however, I -was given to understand, was the least important -part of his establishment; and the juice of the -grape or of the apple, or of the potato haply, -distilled into strong waters, formed the chief of -his diet. For many weeks at a time he would -scarcely stir from his room, only coming out when -his bottle of brandy was empty, or on market-days -to buy provisions. After this period of -seclusion, he would be seen walking about the -country with a pipe in his mouth, a thick oaken -stick under his arm, and a book in his solitary -hand, still morose and unsociable. There was yet -a third stage, during which he would haunt the -cafés and wine-shops, drinking a good deal, and -chatting away with all comers. At these times he -was apt to get quarrelsome, and he was known in -consequence to be on bad terms with the inspector -of police.</p> - -<p>I daresay that if I had chosen to apply to the -last-named functionary, I should have got still -more ample information; but there was nothing to -justify me in pushing inquiry any further. It -was generally thought that Houlot was English in -origin; but his French was not distinguishable as -that of a foreigner, and he spoke German as well -as he did English.</p> - -<p>A week or two afterwards I met Monsieur Houlot -walking on the heights overlooking the Seine, with -his pipe and stick, and with his nose in a tattered -volume. I raised my hat in passing; but he -turned his head away with a scowl, and did not -return my salute. Decidedly, I said to myself, he -is English.</p> - -<p>One morning the postman brought me a registered -letter containing a remittance from England, -and placed before me his book to receive my signature. -When I had signed, he handed me a -letter; but it was not for me, it was for M. Houlot; -and yet, curiously enough, the address was in the -handwriting of Mr Smith, the business agent of -Collingwood Dawson, from whom I was expecting -a remittance.</p> - -<p>‘Ah, I have given you the wrong letter,’ said -the postman. ‘They are both just alike, and I -have made a mistake; pardon, Monsieur;’ and he -handed me a similar letter addressed to myself.</p> - -<p>I noticed that from this date Houlot seemed to -assume his third stage of habits—that in which -he haunted the cafés and wine-shops. Every one -agreed that he was much less inaccessible at such -times, and could even make casual acquaintanceship -with strangers. I had a great desire to know -more about him, and took a little pains to throw -myself in his way. I ascertained that he usually -spent his afternoons in one particular café—the -<i>Café Cujus</i>—thus called from the name of its proprietor; -and I made a point of taking coffee there -every day at the hour at which he was usually to -be met with. But I did not advance my purpose -by that. He would bury his head in the <i>Journal -de Rouen</i>, turn his back persistently upon me, and -leave the café at the earliest possible moment.</p> - -<p>‘You will come and visit us this evening?’ said -Mademoiselle Cujus graciously to me one day, as -I paid my score at the counter of the elegant little -platform whence she dispensed her various tinctures. -‘We shall have a very genteel concert tonight.’</p> - -<p>Mademoiselle is a charming little Frenchwoman, -with a piquant retroussé nose, a full and -softly rounded chin, and dark eyes with a veiled -fire about them, most attractive. She wears the -prettiest little boots in the world, and is always -charmingly dressed. It is difficult to refuse -Mademoiselle Cujus anything, and I undertook to -be present at the concert. Admission was free, -and thus I did not commit myself to any great -outlay.</p> - -<p>When I entered the café that evening, I found it -well filled with a miscellaneous but respectable company. -Everybody is talking, coffee-cups and glasses -are clinking, dominoes are rattling. At one end of -the room, on an extemporised platform, formed of a -few rough boards, the prima-donna, a rather bony -lady in a very low dress, stands with a roll of -music in her hand, and surveys the company in a -somewhat dissatisfied way. She has cleared her -throat once or twice, and the pianist bangs out -an opening chord or two. Her voice is a little -husky—perhaps with the singing of anthems; but -she has plenty of confidence and ‘go’ about her, -and the wit to please her audience.</p> - -<p>When the rattle of applause that greeted the -end of the lady’s song had ceased, there followed -a comic man dressed as a peasant, carrying a -tobacco-pipe, which he was always trying, though -ineffectually, to light with a match from his -trousers-pocket. He counterfeits the Norman -peasant in a state of semi-intoxication excellently -well, and his song is much applauded and called -for again.</p> - -<p>‘Yah!’ growled a voice behind me in an -angry tone; and looking round I saw M. Houlot -standing by the doorway, his thick stick under<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_171"></a>{171}</span> -his arm. He seemed to be a little obscure in -his faculties, and to have resented the last performance -as a personal insult to himself. His -brows were knitted, and his eyes gleamed angrily -whilst he grasped the thin end of his stick in -a menacing way. Mademoiselle Cujus saw him -at the same moment as myself, and descended -quickly from her Olympus to appease him, laying -her hand upon his arm as if to beg him to -retire. He shook it roughly off; and Mademoiselle -looked imploringly at me, as being -the only one of the company who had noticed -this little scene. At the sight of beauty in distress -I at once came forward. I took Houlot kindly -but firmly by the arm, and led him out into the -kitchen at the back, where, among the many -brightly shining vessels of tin and copper, we -endeavoured to pacify him and explain matters.</p> - -<p>No one could possibly withstand the winning -ways of Miss Cujus. Houlot was appeased, and -went quietly out into the street. I had had -enough of the concert, and followed him. He -lurched a little in his gait, and every now and -then stopped and looked fiercely round at the -stars overhead, as if he objected to their winking -at him in the manner they did. I accosted him -once more, and in English, saying that I understood -that he spoke the language perfectly, and -would he favour me with his company for half -an hour. He made no reply at first, but wrinkled -his brows and puckered his lips.</p> - -<p>‘Come along!’ he said at last with a suddenness -that startled me. ‘Let me have a talk with you, -then.’</p> - -<p>I occupied a furnished house, with a little -pavilion in the garden looking out on the river, -which I used as my writing and smoking room; -and to this pavilion I took my friend and called -for lights and cognac. He seemed restless and -disturbed at the idea of being my guest. He -would not sit down, but as soon as he had -swallowed a glass of brandy he grasped his stick -once more to take his departure.</p> - -<p>‘If you would like any English books,’ I said, -‘I have some magazines and so on.’</p> - -<p>He shook his head. ‘I never read English; I -have read none for ten years,’ he said. ‘I like to -get things at first-hand; so that if I want to know -anything, I go to the Germans; if I want to feel -anything, to the French. But what have you -here?’ taking up a book. It was a volume of -Dawson’s last novel, which had been sent over to -me.</p> - -<p>‘Hum!’ he cried. ‘Is this a good author?’</p> - -<p>‘A popular one,’ I replied, modestly remembering -the share I had, if not in his fame, at least in -his fortunes.</p> - -<p>‘I’ll take this, if you’ll let me have it,’ he said.</p> - -<p>‘Take the three volumes.’</p> - -<p>‘No; I’ll only take one. I don’t suppose I shall -get through the first chapter.’</p> - -<p>Next day, however, he came back to borrow the -second volume, and the day after the third. I felt -a little flattered that a work in which I had taken -so good a share had the power to captivate such a -dour and sullen soul.</p> - -<p>‘What do you think of it?’ I said, when he -brought back the last volume. He was standing -leaning against the doorway with his stick under -his arm. He would never sit down; he seemed to -have made a vow against it.</p> - -<p>‘Think of it?’ he cried. ‘Why, it is my own—my -own story!’</p> - -<p>‘Yours!’ I said astonished. ‘How do you make -that out?’</p> - -<p>‘It is mine! the framework, the skeleton of it. -Some fool has been at work upon it and taken out -all the beauties of it! The burning fiery dialogue, -the magnificent glowing descriptions, all are gone, -and in their stead some ass has filled it all up -with pulp!’</p> - -<p>This was pleasant for me to hear. My blood -boiled with indignation, but I was obliged to -smother my rage and put on a sickly smile. ‘You -must be mistaken,’ I said. ‘How could he possibly -have got hold of your story?’</p> - -<p>‘How? He must have got it from a man named -Smith, to whom I sent it. Write? Yes, I have -written ever since I was breeched! It is a disease -with me; I can’t help it. Romances, novels, all -that trash!’</p> - -<p>‘And you send what you write to London?’</p> - -<p>Houlot nodded. But he seemed all at once to -have repented of his freedom of speech, and took -refuge in his usual taciturnity. Then once more -hugging his stick, he started off at his usual -shambling trot.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_CATANCIENT_AND_MODERN">THE CAT—ANCIENT AND MODERN.</h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Cruel</span> and treacherous, a lover of the night -and darkness, the cat, with its distrustful gaze -and marked attachment to localities, was very -naturally the animal selected, in the middle ages -of superstition and witchcraft, to represent the -familiar companion, in which was embodied the -evil spirit supposed to attend all those who practised -the black art in former times. Long before -this time, however, as some people are probably -aware, the cat was one of the most highly favoured -animals living; petted, pampered, carefully protected, -and actually worshipped by the then most -civilised people in the world, the ancient Egyptians. -How this reverence came to be paid to -the cat in particular by this extraordinary people -it is quite impossible to determine; but by some -it is supposed to have originated from the benefits -conferred on mankind by its destruction of vermin -and reptiles; at anyrate, if the Egyptian cats were -as useful as they are represented to have been, the -care taken of them is easily accounted for. Though -it seems somewhat difficult to understand how the -sportsmen of the Nile trained their cats not only -to hunt game but to retrieve it from the water, -the hunting scenes depicted on walls at Thebes -and on a stone now in the British Museum, afford -proof of the Egyptian cat’s services in this respect. -In one of these representations Puss is depicted -in the act of seizing a bird that has been brought -down by the marksman in the boat; while in the -other scene, as the sport has not begun, the cats -are seen in the boat ready for their work. Thus -it appears from these ancient illustrations of field -and other sports, that the Egyptians were able to -train their domestic cats to act in the same way -as our modern retriever dogs do.</p> - -<p>It is generally supposed that nothing will induce<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_172"></a>{172}</span> -a cat to enter water; but this is clearly a fallacy, -like many other popular notions about the animal -world. The tiger is an excellent swimmer, as -many have found to their cost; and so the cat, -another member of the tiger family, can swim -equally well if it has any occasion to exert its -powers, either in quest of prey, or to effect its -escape from some enemy. As cats are exceedingly -fond of fish, they will often drag them alive -out of their native element whenever they get -the chance. They have even been known to help -themselves out of aquaria that have been left -uncovered; and on moonlight nights they may be -seen watching for the unwary occupants of a fish-pond, -during the spawning season especially. -Again, a cat will take the water in the pursuit of a -rat, a fact that was proved by a friend of ours -a few years ago. On one occasion being accompanied -by one of his pets, a rat was started, which -the cat not only pursued, but chased into the water -close by, eventually swimming to an island some -little distance from the bank, where it remained a -short time and then swam back again.</p> - -<p>Diana or Pasht, as that goddess was called in -Egypt, was the tutelary deity of cats. Various -reasons are assigned for this curious selection of the -cat as the animal worthy of being dedicated to the -moon. We find that according to Plutarch, the cat -was not only sacred to the moon, but an emblem -of it; and that a figure of a cat was fixed on a -sistrum to denote the moon, just as a figure of -a frog on a ring denoted a man in embryo. -And further, it was supposed that the pupils of -a cat’s eyes always dilated as the moon got towards -the full, and then decreased as the moon waned -again. This has been given by some as the reason -why cats were held sacred to the goddess Diana.</p> - -<p>As before stated, the Egyptians treated these -animals with unusual care and attention during -their lifetime; hence it is not surprising to find -that the death of a cat was regarded as a family -misfortune, in consequence of which the household -went into mourning. Their regret for the -defunct cat was displayed then by the curious -custom of shaving off the eyebrows before attending -the funeral, which they invariably conducted -with great pomp. Previous to interment, the -bodies of these pets were embalmed, and then, -when it was possible, conveyed to the city of -Bubastis, where they were placed in the temples -sacred to Pasht.</p> - -<p>The wilful destruction of a cat in Egypt is -looked upon as a very serious offence even now; -but in the good old days (for cats) at Bubastis the -offence, even supposing it to have been accidental, -was punished with prompt severity. The unfortunate -offender, as in the case of a Roman soldier -whose story is told by Diodorus, was taken prisoner, -tried, condemned, and sentenced—to death. -Puss had fine times of it in those early years -of superstition and animal worship; but unfortunately -for her, other people formed very different -notions concerning her character and occupations -generally; for in the middle ages cats -got the reputation of being the only animals -that ill-famed old women could induce to live in -their houses; consequently they naturally became -associated with witchcraft and all that was diabolical -and uncanny by the credulous people of -those times. In the Isle of Thanet a carving still -exists on one of the <i>misereres</i> of the church which -represents an ugly old woman sitting in a chair -and holding a distaff in her hand, while two cats -sit close to her, one of them indeed in the chair -itself, looking as if it wished to spring on to her -shoulder. It seems, however, that old women did -not monopolise the cats even in those days, for it -is known that in the thirteenth century one of the -rules of the English convents was, that the nuns -should keep no other ‘beast’ but a cat; hence we -may infer that cats were looked upon more -favourably by the religious orders than by the -people generally.</p> - -<p>The cat has been connected with many curious -superstitions in various parts of the world. In -some localities, for instance, it is believed that -witches in the shape of cats are in the habit -of roaming about the roofs of the houses during -the month of February; hence they are promptly -shot. In Germany also a similar notion prevails -respecting black cats; in consequence of -which they are never allowed to go near the -cradles of young children; though it is not easy -to understand why the young should be more exposed -to danger from these supposititious witches -than those more advanced in years. But numerous -instances might be given of the incredible -nonsense that has been believed, and is believed -still in some places about the diabolical attributes -of the cat, especially a black one. In Sicily, -where the cat is looked upon as sacred to St -Martha, there is a superstition that any one who -wilfully or accidentally kills a cat will be punished -by the serious retribution of seven years’ unhappiness. -So if any credit is attached to this, the life -of Puss in Sicily must be as secure from harm as -in the palmy days of Egyptian cat-worship. In -Hungary there is a curious superstition that before -a cat can become a good mouser it must be stolen. -The familiar nursery story of Whittington and -his Cat, as well as the favourite children’s fable -of Puss in Boots, can be traced some hundreds -of years back.</p> - -<p>It is perhaps an unfortunate thing that the -habits of cats are not more carefully observed, as it -is by no means certain that their peculiarities are -fully understood. By some their intelligence is -very much underrated, and they are often looked -upon as lazy uninteresting animals, only to be -tolerated in a house so long as they devote themselves -to nocturnal raids against mice or rats, as -the case may be. However, they cannot be put on -a par with the dog, for as far as present as well as -past experience shews, the cat, with certain honourable -exceptions, is neither as useful, as faithful, -nor as intelligent as our canine friend.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_173"></a>{173}</span></p> - -<p>The dog knows its owner, and will always make -itself comfortable in any place that the owner -chooses to take it, provided he is there himself. -The cat, on the other hand, knows its owner’s house -and furniture, attaches itself to them, and seldom -troubles itself at all about the presence or absence -of its owner; hence the great difficulty of removing -cats from one home to another. Sometimes they -may be induced to take kindly to new quarters, but -very rarely. If Puss be taken to a strange house, -it will first of all examine and smell every article -of furniture in the rooms it is allowed to enter; if -it finds the same things that it has been accustomed -to, perhaps the discovery may reconcile it to -remain; but if all is strange, the creature exhibits -symptoms of positive distress, and will even make -efforts to return to the old home; and this may -perhaps account for the stories told of Egyptian -cats rushing back into blazing houses after they -had been once brought out of them with difficulty; -for it has been gravely asserted that the Egyptian -cats preferred to perish with their homes when -fires broke out, rather than abandon them.</p> - -<p>Some years ago <i>The Times</i> gave an account of a -remarkable incident, illustrating in a striking way -the sagacity and kindness of a dog; the account -had appeared in two other newspapers, but we -have not the means of verifying it. A cat named -Dick was one day enjoying a meal of scraps, when -a needle and thread became entangled in his -dinner; the poor animal unconsciously partook of -these adjuncts, which stuck in his throat. Carlo, -a dog on very friendly terms with Dick, observed -that something was wrong, hurried up to him, and -seemed to receive some kind of communication -from him. The dog and the cat became physician -and patient. Carlo commenced operations by licking -Dick’s neck, the cat holding its head a little -aside to give Carlo a fair chance. This licking -operation continued with short intervals of rest for -nearly twenty-four hours, Carlo occasionally pausing -to press his tongue against his friend’s neck, -as if trying to find some sharp-pointed instrument -thrust from the inside to the outside. At length -Carlo was seen, his whole body quivering with -excitement, trying to catch something with his -teeth. In this he succeeded. Giving a sudden -jerk, he pulled the needle through the hide of the -cat, where it hung by the thread which still held it -from the inside. A by-stander then finished the -surgical operation by drawing out the thread; and -Carlo looked as if he were saying: ‘See what I -did!’</p> - -<p>We have just been told of a very remarkable -instance of intelligence displayed by a cat belonging -to one of our contributors. After having waited -in vain outside a rat’s hole for the appearance of -the occupant, puss hit upon the plan of ‘drawing’ -her prey, by <i>fetching a piece of meat and placing -it near the hole as a bait</i>, after which she hid -behind a box and waited for results. Whether the -bait took or not, we are not informed, but the -wily scheme deserved success.</p> - -<p>For the following instances of affection and -sagacity in cats, we are indebted to a lady correspondent.</p> - -<p>‘Last October,’ she says, ‘I was staying a few -days with a friend in a small country village -not many miles from Edinburgh. One morning I -was about to leave my bedroom, and had just -opened the window, when I saw a large yellow -cat wandering about in the grass which surrounded -the house. The creature had a timid scared look, -as if not much in the habit of associating with -human beings. I spoke to it in a tone of encouragement, -however; on hearing which it leaped -up on the window-sill and began to purr in a -friendly way. I told my friend the lady of the -house about the cat, when she gave me the following -account of it. “This poor animal belonged -to my deceased father. It came to our house a -very small kitten, and was accustomed from time -to time to receive food from my father’s hand, -with now and then a little caress or kindly word. -But my father was not a cat-fancier, and as a -general rule did not take any great notice of the -creature. About a year and a half ago my father -grew seriously ill, and after a few weeks of suffering, -died. During his illness the cat went up and -down stairs like a distracted creature, refusing -food, and mewing again and again in a mournful -way. Sometimes it came into the sick-room, and -jumped on the bed; but its master was too ill to -notice it, and it went away with a disappointed -look. When all was over, and the last attentions -had been paid to my father, and all was quiet in -the death-chamber, the poor cat came in and took -up its position on the bed at his feet. From this -place nothing would induce the creature to move; -and feeling astonished at its fidelity and affection, -we let it lie during the day; though strange to say, -it manifested a desire to leave the room at night, -returning always about nine in the morning, and -if the door was shut, mewing till it gained admittance. -On the funeral-day, the faithful creature -did not seem to understand the absence of its -master; it left the room upon the removal of -the body; but the first thing we saw when the -mourners returned was the poor pussie lying at -the door of the chamber. It was long,” said the -lady in conclusion, “before the affectionate animal -recovered its usual sprightliness; and I would not -like anything to happen to a creature which has -testified such a strong affection for one so dear -to me.”’</p> - -<p>Another story is as follows: ‘A cousin of mine -had a cat which had just brought into the world -some fine healthy kittens. According to the -usual custom on these occasions, some of the -kittens were drowned, while two were retained -for the mother to rear. These were kept in a -compartment of an old kitchen table or “dresser.” -This snug retreat had a little door which was -kept closed by means of a bolt. One day a -young visitor desired to see the kittens, which -were accordingly taken to the drawing-room by -one of the daughters of the house. During the -absence of the kittens, the cat, which had been in -the garden, came into the kitchen, and went as -usual to repose beside her little ones. She looked -into the dresser, and finding no kittens there, -<i>“clashed” to the door</i> in a rage, and left the kitchen, -her tail thick with indignation! This fact was -told me by one of the young ladies of the household, -who was busy in the kitchen at the time -and saw the whole thing. The cat’s furious -manner of slamming the door resembled so closely<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_174"></a>{174}</span> -an irate housewife’s way of doing so, that my -informant was exceedingly amused, and regarded -the cat henceforth as a sort of wonder!’</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="SPECIMENS_OF_HINDU_ENGLISH">SPECIMENS OF HINDU ENGLISH.</h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Among</span> the great changes which are now passing -over our gigantic dependencies in the Indian -peninsula, not the least noteworthy is the rapid -spread of a knowledge of the English language -among the native population. In certain districts -of the Madras Presidency, this knowledge of -English may almost be said to be extending like -wild-fire. The English civil officer riding through -a native village will sometimes be greeted with -a ‘Good-morning, sar,’ from a small boy whose -sole costume may be a string tied round the waist, -and whose English education may have extended -no further than a few such interjectional phrases. -But among the school-boys, college lads, and a -heterogeneous collection of half-taught young men -in search of employment, we meet with most -extraordinary feats in the use of our language. A -well-known story is told of a native clerk who, -being detained at home by a boil, wrote to his -employer to say that he could not attend his -duties ‘owing to the suffering caused by one boil -as per margin.’ And in the margin of his letter -was delineated with accuracy the form and appearance -of the offending growth!</p> - -<p>The following was the amusing though pertinent -answer of a student in the University -of Madras to a question about earthquakes and -volcanic action: ‘A month or two ago, says -the <i>Times</i>, a violent eruption of an unusual -kind took place in Peru and Chili in South -America; smokes, flames, and hot melted matter -were thrown with great violence on the neighbouring -districts from the hollow tops of the -volcanic mountains. Thousands of people of all -orders and sexes were destroyed. When this was -the case an abominable earthquake took its part. -Magnificent houses, huge piles, largest trees, -splendid temples, different kinds of people with -their relatives, and even large mountains were -swallowed up and goes on.’</p> - -<p>The letters of native applicants for employment -are often couched in most comical terms. The -writer once received a letter from a clerk who -thought he had not received the promotion he -deserved. The missive began: ‘<span class="smcap">Honored Sir</span>—Fathomless -is the sea of troubles in which I sail -for 1 year.’ This mixture of poetic fervour and -numerical accuracy is unique of its kind. The -following petition speaks for itself; the style is -common enough; but the writer is glad to say that -it is the only instance he has known of such an -offer of apostasy as is here disclosed; the proper -names are suppressed: ‘The humble petition -of —— most respectfully sheweth; I am a Tanjorean -[that is, native of Tanjore]. My name is -——. My age is 20. I came here to my uncle’s -house. My uncle is the Police Inspector of ——. -I want to be a Christian. There are two Police -Inspectors are vacant. Please recommend me to -be one of these Inspectors. As soon as I received -the Inspector’s employment, at once you may -take me in Christian. There is no a single doubt -at all. If you want to see me tell a word to your -Head Constable.... I heard that you are mild, -simplicity, and probity. I don’t know to write -more than this to you. Please excuse me if you -find any mistakes. Shall ever pray.—I am your -most obedient and humble servant, ——.’</p> - -<p>The next letter was sent by a clever hard-working -native clerk who had fallen ill. The signature -alone is in his own handwriting, and the letter -was probably dictated to a friend. ‘<span class="smcap">Most honored -Sir</span>—I have been suffering from severest fever and -bile for the last 10 days and I am quite unable to -move or to do anything. I lay quite prostrate on -my bed senseless (now and then)—continually -painting—my sight fails—not a drop of water -I drank—no food—and having been under imminent -danger day before yesterday, my lucid intervals -are very few, dangerous symptoms frequently -appear and I am not sure whether I will be able -to see the days before me—My case is very doubtful, -precarious and dangerous. I therefore most -humbly pray that your Honor will be most -graciously pleased to grant one month’s privilege -leave.... I beg to remain, ——.’</p> - -<p>The following petition reads somewhat as though -Lord Dundreary had helped to compose it. It is -from a pleader or attorney in a petty civil court -applying for the post of cashier in a government -treasury. Such cashiers have to give security in a -considerable sum for the due performance of their -duties, and as a precaution against fraud. It is -this security (L.500) which is meant by the word -‘bail’ in the petition. ‘<span class="smcap">Most honoured Sir</span>—This -application is with great humility presented -to your honour by ——. The gazette -reads that such as have a wish to find themselves -suffered to occupy the room of cashier, -now in vacancy, should undergo a greatly advanced -bail of Rupees 5000. He is appointed -a pleader on the 11th D. day 1869, and by the -civil judge in character with his petitionally implored -request, and he attends since the heresaid -down to the present age very punctually indeed -his dearly bought post.... He is, here he does -very hopefully indeed state, ready no matter at -any while to give the here-demanded bail, Rs. 5000. -Your humble and very punctual petitioner implores -your of course very widely diffused charity -to point to him his most humbly requested employ, -or otherwise, if ever so, any other one not far -below it. Your honour’s petitioner in requital -and in duty bound very closely, will perhaps -never add even a second, while to diligence without -bending his whole heart to pray to the universal -God to take care of and to cherish, your -honour together with all your family members for -ever and anon. He remains very affectionately -truly yours, humble waiter, ——.’</p> - -<p>The following curious epistle was addressed to -an officer holding an important post. It is hardly -necessary to add that he was neither Duke nor Lord. -It will be observed that the writer does not directly -ask for monetary aid to relieve him from his difficulties, -but simply his ‘Lordship’s’ protection, -and as a relief to his own feelings and troubles. -‘<span class="smcap">My Lord Duke</span>—I have the honor to inform to -your Lordship’s information that I will always obey -your Lordship’s order ten thousand tims do not -be angry my Lord Duke upon me. I beg that -your Lordship that should excuse my faults it is -my duty to get your Lordship’s favor ten thousand -times excuse my all faults my Lord Duke. I am -much fearfull I am very poor men my poor family -requires to your Lordship’s favor. My family is<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_175"></a>{175}</span> -very poor family. I got a Mother Grandmother -Daughterinlaw and my family &c. I had a debt -twenty-five thousand Rupees. I am suffering much -trouble for debtors. I believe that you are my -father and mother for my part only I want -your Lordship’s kind favour. If your Lordships -be angry or even little angry immediately I and -my family must die at once, certainly it is my -opinion I have no protector but your Lordship. -If your Lordships angry I must die at once. I am -much fearfull. If I had your Lordship’s favor It -is quite enough for me. You are Governor I am -poor men. If your Lordship be angry upon me it -is quite my misfortune and my family therefore do -not be angry. This is not Government memorial. -I thought that your Lordship is my father and -mother for my part therefore I have written all -my poor affairs to your gracious informations. -Hereafter I never write any letter to your Lordship -nor I did not require any answer. only remember -me with kindness it is ten thousand profits for me. -excuse the trouble I have given your Lordships -most valuable time. I have, &c.... <i>P.S.</i> I beg -your Lordship will continue your favor towards -me and my family. Protect my Lord Duke. This -is not memorial only for your Lordships Gracious -information. Protect me my Lord. This is First -Mistake. Execuse me my Lord, hereafter I never -do any mistakes. I remain, &c. ——.’</p> - -<p>Some years ago a great flood carried away a fine -bridge over the river Tambrapurni, near the chief -town of the province of Tinnevelly. This bridge -had been built some thirty years before by a rich -native gentleman named Sulochana Mudaliar, to -whom a memorial was erected at one of the -approaches to the bridge. The magistrate and -collector—as the ruler of the province is termed—by -dint of great exertions raised in subscriptions -about seven thousand pounds; a sum sufficient -to pay for the restoration of the bridge. When -the work was at last completed, a grand opening -ceremony took place, which gave occasion for a -number of poetic effusions in Tamil and in English -by native aspirants. The translation from the -Tamil is the work of a native, and the following -is the reply of a great feudal landholder, who had -been invited to attend the opening ceremony: -‘<span class="smcap">My dear Sir</span>—I received your affectionate -ticket wanting my company on the occasion of the -reopening of Sulochana Mudaliar’s bridge on the -2d December. I was quite pleased to come down -for the occasion but I regret to inform you that I -and —— are prevented from coming from being -a little sick. You will I humbly trust possibly -forgive me.—I beg to remain, Sir, Yours most -obediently, ——.’</p> - -<p>Extract from a translation of a Tamil poem:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Who is to judge of the might of Mr ——. He and -Messrs —— and —— of the eminent Tinnevelly -District have had the pleasure of constructing the -bridge so as to be praised by the world and allowed -the people to pass over it freely. May they live for -ever.</p> - -<p>The bridge fell down in the evening of Sunday, -18th November 1869. By the noise of which I -swooned away and trouble came also.</p> - -<p>How can I describe your pains O Mr ——. You -worked as diligently at the words of Mr —— as the -swinging of a swing and constructed the bridge with -success and very soon and completed it within the -fixed time. You beauty!...</p> - -<p>I have sung upon you in my adversity and hunger. -I pray you eminent men to place your mercy upon -me at your pleasure.</p> - -<p>While you are all occupying this eminent world -with great fame, I undergo troubles like bees that -tumbled down in honey. What can I do. Cause -some employment to be given me without failure -through the hand of —— with certainty.</p></div> - -<p>We will conclude with a specimen of female -composition in the form of a letter sent home -by a good old nurse or ayah named Martha, -who had accompanied her employers to England -in charge of a baby, and who had then been sent -back to her native village in India. Both in its -sentiment and diction the missive is extremely -touching.</p> - -<p>‘To the Presens of —— and —— most Respected -and Honored sheweth The under Signed -your Honor’s obediend The Mortha Ayah with due -Respectfully Begs to in form you about my considerations -which I hope will meet of your honor’s -kidest aprovall. Respected Master and Misters -I and my Relations are all well By thanks of -God and Faver of your Honor’s while in this -Time I hope you will be all right By thanks -of All mighty’s. This Poor and Obediend servend -wrote a letter to your honor when I came to -—— I hope you may Receive it, I am doing -Nothing Since I left you by the Reason of no -any Respected Place to work. here is great Chalara -in this year and all so Greatest Famine. 3 -mesures of Rice per a Rupee [between three and -four times the usual price]. I hope Dear Baby -will speek and Walk at this Time I am very -angshes to see her and I lovely Thousan kisses -to the Dear Baby, Respected Madam will you -kindly send me the Picture of the Baby’s to keep -with me as you Promist me. I humbly begs -you to say my meny Thanks to the Mr and -Mrs —— and the childrens of them. Please tell -my thanks to Miss Lysa and Miss Looois [servants -Eliza and Louise]. I hope I can see you very soon -Back in this Place. Therefore I humbly Begs to -Remain Most Honored Madam and Sir Yours truely -most obediend servent Mortha Ayah. Misis —— -she looking to get me a Employmend anywhere. -They are all well. The Dobin [a favourite horse -called Dobbin] he all right. Madam That this -Poor widdowe was Very much hapy at the Lost -Year By your Exalend honor’s kindness. But -this new year I pased very miserably.’</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CURIOUS_CASES_OF_SLEEP-WALKING">CURIOUS CASES OF SLEEP-WALKING.</h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the above curious subject a retired naval officer -obligingly sends us the following notes.</p> - -<p>One bright moonlight night I was on deck, as -was frequently my wont, chatting with the lieutenant -of the middle watch. It was nearly calm, the -ship making little way through the water, and -the moon’s light nearly as bright as day. We were -together leaning over the capstan, chatting away, -when W—— suddenly exclaimed: ‘Look! H——, -at that sentry,’ and pointing to the quarter-deck -marine who was pacing slowly backwards and -forwards on the lee-side of the deck.</p> - -<p>‘Well,’ I replied, after watching him somewhat -inattentively as he passed once or twice on his -regular beat, ‘what of him?’</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_176"></a>{176}</span></p> - -<p>‘Why, don’t you see he is fast asleep? Take a -good look at him when he next passes.’</p> - -<p>I did so, and found W—— was right. The man, -although pacing and turning regularly at the -usual distance, was fast asleep with his eyes closed.</p> - -<p>When next the man passed, W—— stepped -quickly and noiselessly to his side, and pacing -with him, gently disengaged the bunch of keys -which were his special charge—being the keys of -the spirit-room, shell-rooms, store-rooms, &c.—from -the fingers of his left hand, to which they were -suspended by a small chain; he then removed -the bayonet from his other hand, and laid it and -the keys on the capstan head. After letting him -take another turn or two, W—— suddenly called -‘Sentry!’</p> - -<p>‘Sir?’ replied the man, instantly stopping and -facing round as he came to the ‘attention.’</p> - -<p>‘Why, you were fast asleep, sentry.’</p> - -<p>‘No, sir.’</p> - -<p>‘But I say you were.’</p> - -<p>‘No, sir. I assure you I was not.’</p> - -<p>‘You were not, eh? Well, where are the keys?’</p> - -<p>The man instantly brought up his hand to shew -them, as he supposed; but to his confusion the -hand was empty.</p> - -<p>‘Where is your bayonet?’ continued W——.</p> - -<p>The poor fellow brought forward his other hand, -but that was empty also. But the puzzled look -of astonishment he put on was more than we -could stand; both burst out laughing; and when -the keys and bayonet were pointed out to him -lying on the capstan, the poor fellow was perfectly -dumfounded. W—— was too merry over the joke, -however, to punish the man, and he escaped with -a warning not to fall asleep again.</p> - -<p>Sentries and look-outs must be very liable to -fall asleep from the very nature of their monotonous -pacing, and this may in some degree account -for the facility with which sentries have at times -been surprised and secured before they could give -an alarm. In this instance, the most curious fact, -I think, was the regularity with which the man -continued to pace his distances and turn at the -right moment. I have known other instances of -sentries and others walking in their sleep, though -the end has not always been so pleasant to the -victims. In one case, the quarter-deck sentry, in -the middle of the night, crashed down the wardroom -hatchway with musket and fixed bayonet, -with a rattling that startled us all out of our -cabins. The fellow fell on his back upon the top -of the mess-table, but not much the worse for his -exploit. On another occasion a messenger boy -paid us a visit in the night: he fell upon a chair, -which he smashed to pieces, but the sleeper -escaped unhurt.</p> - -<p>These can hardly be considered true cases of -somnambulism, but shew how men may continue -their occupations when overcome by sleep. -Nothing but seeing his bayonet and the keys lying -on the capstan could have ever convinced the -marine that he had been sleeping; no mere assertion -to that effect would ever have influenced him.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="POURING_OIL_ON_THE_TROUBLED_WATERS">POURING OIL ON THE TROUBLED WATERS.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>The idea expressed in the above heading, though -commonly held to be of sacred origin, or as merely -a poetical manner of expressing a commonplace -occurrence, may nevertheless be taken literally -as well as figuratively, it being, as a matter of -fact, a saying which has satisfactory groundwork -in natural facts. It was recently stated in evidence -before the Commissioners appointed to -inquire into the Herring Fisheries of Scotland, -that the practice of pouring a quantity of oil -from a boat on to the surface of the sea during -heavy weather had the immediate effect of calming -the waters and relieving the boat from the -danger of heavy broken water. ‘But,’ added one -of the witnesses, ‘although the oil has this effect -for a time, the sea becomes rougher afterwards, -and so the advantage of adopting the plan is -practically not very great.’ It is more than probable -that this latter statement can be explained -by the law of comparisons. The oil cast out on -the weather-side of the boat effectually assuages -the violence of the waves, which instead of breaking -over it, glide smoothly under it. Presently -the film of oil becomes dispersed, and the waves, -again unchecked, appear, by comparison with the -late calm, to be still more formidable. A fresh -dose of oil would, however, again prove advantageous, -but the experiment is seldom repeated, -and so the efficacy of the remedy is called into -question. The best way of adopting it is to -throw overboard a barrel or skin filled with oil, -and pierced in two places, to allow of the gradual -escape of the contents. This reservoir should be -secured by a rope, and kept on the weather-side -of the boat, and renewed as often as necessary. -The plan is frequently adopted, with the best -results, by native boatmen in the Persian Gulf -and in parts of the Indian Ocean, where sudden -squalls are apt to spring up.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="LOVE_UNSUNG">LOVE UNSUNG.</h2> -</div> - - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0"><span class="smcap">Glide</span> on, sweet purling stream,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">And mingle with the sea;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Adown each glen thy waters gleam,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">In merry dance and free.</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Sing on, sweet bird; the blue expanse</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Of heaven’s vault is thine;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">O lap thy soul into a trance;</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Pour forth thy song divine;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">But I must not give forth my strain;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">I love a maid, but love in vain.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">The blithesome bird that haunts the vale</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Will bear but half her grief;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">She floats her sorrow on the gale,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">And gives her soul relief;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">The meanest floweret on the field</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Basks in the noonday sun;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And every creature hath a rest,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">When daily toil is done;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">I to myself make bootless moan,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And bear my burden all alone.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">A grief that links two hearts in bliss,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Is but a hidden treasure;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">What’s but a thorn when singly borne,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">When shared becomes a pleasure;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">The finer feelings of the soul</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Are known by mutual union;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Each spirit hath its counterpart,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">With whom to hold communion;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">But she is gone, and leaves with me</div> - <div class="verse indent0">The rest of the unsleeping sea.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse right"><span class="allsmcap">Æ. P.</span></div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="center">Printed and Published by <span class="smcap">W. & R. Chambers</span>, 47 Paternoster -Row, <span class="smcap">London</span>, and 339 High Street, <span class="smcap">Edinburgh</span>.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="center"><i>All Rights Reserved.</i></p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p>[Transcriber’s note—the following changes have been made to this text.</p> - -<p>Page 162: glyphograpy to glyphography—“executed in glyphography”.]</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Chambers's Journal of Popular -Literature, Science, and Art,, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBER'S JOURNAL *** - -***** This file should be named 62849-h.htm or 62849-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/8/4/62849/ - -Produced by Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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