Brothers of Pity and Other Tales of Beasts and Men Read online

  OWLHOOT II.

  "Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling."_The Raven._

  "Taffy was a thief."--_Old Song._

  I find the following letters at the Hole in the Tree.

  "X LINES, SOUTH CAMP, ALDERSHOT.

  "SIR,--You speak with great feeling of that elevated position(I allude, of course, to the top of the eight-day clock), whichcircumstances led you somewhat hastily to decline. It would undoubtedlyhave become you, and less cannot be said for such a situation as thesummit of an easel, overlooking the blackboard, in an establishment forthe education of youth. Meanwhile it may interest you to hear of a bird(not of your wisdom, but with parts, and a respectable appearance) whosecured a somewhat similar seat in adopting that kind of home which youwould not. It was in driving through a wood at some little distance fromthe above address that we found a wounded crow, and brought him home toour hut. He became a member of the family, and received the name ofSlyboots, for reasons with which it is unnecessary to trouble you. Hewas made very welcome in the drawing-room, but he preferred the kitchen.The kitchen is a brick room detached from the wooden hut. It was once,in fact, an armourer's shop, and has since been converted to a kitchen.The floor is rudely laid, and the bricks gape here and there. A barrackfender guards the fire-place, and a barrack poker reposes in the fender.It is a very ponderous poker of unusual size and the commonestappearance, but with a massive knob at the upper end which was wont toproject far and high above the hearth. It was to this seat that Slybootselevated himself by his own choice, and became the Kitchen Crow. Here hespent hours watching the cook, and taking tit-bits behind her back. Heate what he could (more, I fear, than he ought), and hid the rest inholes and corners. The genial neighbourhood of the oven caused him noinconvenience. His glossy coat, being already as black as a coal, wasnot damaged by a certain grimeyness which is undoubtedly characteristicof the (late) armourer's shop, of which the chimney is an inveteratesmoker. Companies of his relatives constantly enter the camp by waysover which the sentries have no control (the Balloon Brigade being notyet even in the clouds); but Slyboots showed no disposition to jointhem. They flaunt and forage in the Lines, they inspect the ashpits andcookhouses, they wheel and manoeuvre on the parades, but Slyboots satserene upon his poker. He had a cookhouse all to himself.... He died. Wemust all die; but we need not all die of repletion, which I fear, washis case. He buried his last meal between two bricks in the kitchenfloor, and covered it very tidily with a bit of newspaper. The poker isvacant. Sir, I was bred to the sword and not to the pen, but I have afoolish desire for literary fame. I should be better pleased to be inprint than to be promoted--for that matter one seems as near as theother--and my wife agrees with me. She is of a literary turn, and hashelped me in the composition of this, but we both fear that the storyhaving no moral you will not admit it into your Owlhoots. But if yourwisdom could supply this, or your kindness overlook the defect, it wouldafford great consolation to a bereaved family to have printed abiography of the dear deceased. For we were greatly attached to him,though he preferred the cook. I can at any rate give you my word as aman of honour that these incidents are true, though, out of soldierlymodesty, I will not trouble you with my name, but with much respectsubscribe myself by that of

  "SLYBOOTS."

  The gallant officer is too modest. This biography is not only true butbrief, and these are rare merits in a memoir. As to the moral--it is notfar to seek. Dear children, for whom I hoot! avoid greediness. IfSlyboots had eaten tit-bits in moderation, he might be sitting on thepoker to this day. I have great pleasure in making his brief careerpublic to the satisfaction of his gallant friend, and I should be gladto hear that the latter had got his step by the same post as hisOwlhoot.

  The second letter is much farther from literary excellence than thefirst. I fear this little boy plays truant from school as well as takingapples which do not belong to him. It is high time that he learnt tospell, and also to observe the difference between _meum_ and _tuum_.From not being well grounded on these two points, many boys have lostgood situations in life when they grew up to be men.

  "deer mister howl,--as you say you see behind your bak i spose its youtold varmer jones of me for theres a tree with a whole in it just behindthe orchurd he wolloped I shameful and I'll have no more of his applesthey be a deal sowerer than yud think though they look so red, but doyou call yourself a childerns friend and tell tails i dont i can tellyou.

  "TOM TURNIP."

  Richard Clay & Sons, Ltd., London & Bungay.

  The present Series of Mrs. Ewing's Works is the only authorized,complete, and uniform Edition published.

  It will consist of 18 volumes, Small Crown 8vo, at 2s. 6d. per vol.,issued, as far as possible, in chronological order, and these willappear at the rate of two volumes every two months, so that the Serieswill be completed within 18 months. The device of the cover wasspecially designed by a Friend of Mrs. Ewing.

  The following is a list of the books included in the Series--

  1. MELCHIOR'S DREAM, AND OTHER TALES.

  2. MRS. OVERTHEWAY'S REMEMBRANCES.

  3. OLD-FASHIONED FAIRY TALES.

  4. A FLAT IRON FOR A FARTHING.

  5. THE BROWNIES, AND OTHER TALES.

  6. SIX TO SIXTEEN.

  7. LOB LIE-BY-THE-FIRE, AND OTHER TALES.

  8. JAN OF THE WINDMILL.

  9. VERSES FOR CHILDREN, AND SONGS.

  10. THE PEACE EGG--A CHRISTMAS MUMMING PLAY--HINTS FOR PRIVATE THEATRICALS, &c.

  11. A GREAT EMERGENCY, AND OTHER TALES.

  12. BROTHERS OF PITY, AND OTHER TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN.

  13. WE AND THE WORLD, Part I.

  14. WE AND THE WORLD, Part II.

  15. JACKANAPES--DADDY DARWIN'S DOVECOTE--THE STORY OF A SHORT LIFE.

  16. MARY'S MEADOW, AND OTHER TALES OF FIELDS AND FLOWERS.

  17. MISCELLANEA, including The Mystery of the Bloody Hand--Wonder Stories--Tales of the Khoja, and other translations.

  18. JULIANA HORATIA EWING AND HER BOOKS, with a selection from Mrs. Ewing's Letters.

  * * * * *

  S.P.C.K., NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, LONDON, W.C.