Crimson Rain: Charles Stevens Roman Romances

—Caractucus [c.1885]—

by John Adcock

Wanted always, scarce penny dreadfuls and fierce boys’ journals, 1830-1900. Nothing goody-goody! — advertisement by Barry “The Penny Dreadful King” Ono.

“Ildica’s lacerated shoulder bled so freely that both her own and Flavia’s fairer skin were sprinkled with crimson rain…” — Charles Stevens

CHARLES STEVENS. Charles Stevens [1836-1908?] was the founder and proprietor of Boys of England, whose first number was published on Tuesday, November 27, 1866. Stevens contributed the thrilling opening serial Alone in the Pirates’ Lair, illustrated by a man named Hebblethwaite, “who could draw as well with his left hand as with his right one, and was considered the finest black and white artist of the day [Frank Jay, 1918].” The Boys of England passed into the hands of Edwin Brett with the eleventh issue of Feb. 4, 1867. Stevens new venture in publishing was The Boys’ Book of Romance, begun in 1868 with art by John Proctor, Matt Morgan, Harry Maguire, and R. Wagner. Stevens contributed the opening serial A Cruise With The Buccaneers. He was the conductor of The Royal Journal in October 1869, contributing The Blonde, a Tale of the Great City to the first issue.

By the eighteen-seventies Charles Stevens was in great demand as a publisher, editor and writer of boy’s romances. In a rich muscular style Stevens manufactured brutal penny dreadful historical serials for the The Young Englishman’s Journal (both editor and contributor), Gentleman’s Journal, Boys Herald, The Young Men of Great Britain, The Sons of Britannia, The Boys Standard, The Boys Leisure Hour, Rover’s Log, and the Young Briton. His historical fiction was of great variety with tales of Dark Age Britain; of Cromwell’s time; of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, and the war of the Spanish Armada.

Stevens was particularly enamored of the period of the Roman Invasion of Britain. He wrote several ‘sword and sandal’ epics: Caractus the Champion of the Arena, Caradoc the Briton, Spartacus; or, The Revolt of the Gladiators, The Master of the Lion, Nicias the Spartan, The Roman Standard Bearer, The Sentinel of Pompeii, and King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table.

Stevens stories were grim and his characters believable, the texts illuminated with historical quotes and footnotes. My own favorite Stevens tale is The Roman Standard Bearer, a dreadful story of Julius Caesar, the Druids, and human sacrifice, which was originally published in the Emmett brothers Sons of Britannia, Vol.3 No. 76, issued August 19, 1871, then re-issued as a serial in Charles Fox’s Boys Leisure Hour for August 28, 1884. Conan the Barbarian would have run like a girl from Stevens muscular Ancient Britons!

—Roman Standard Bearer—

ANCIENT BRITONS. The Roman Standard Bearer, sub-titled A Tale of Britain’s First Invasion, begins in Rome where two of the gladiators, a Briton, Glaucus, and a Roman, Claudius, form a warm friendship in the arena. The story then follows their adventures in Britain where Caesar’s legions are startled by the sight of naked Britons with “stalwart bodies and sturdy limbs, which were tattooed with quaint devices of birds, beasts, reptiles, trees and flowers, from chest to ankle.”

Stevens protagonists were not the usual plucky boy heroes of penny fiction, they were bloodthirsty men with facial hair, and the arousing female characters, sold as slaves and sacrificed to the bloody gods, were the hard-boiled equal of the woad-painted men in the gladiatorial arena —

“Then the beautiful blonde suddenly shot out a lightning blow straight from her round dimpled shoulder, which the brunette avoided by quickly sinking on her knee and letting it pass over her head; but in an instant she was back on her feet again, and ere her antagonist could recover her guard, her steel-plated cestus came crashing down on her exposed chest.

The dull thud of the iron on the soft flesh could be heard in every part of the vast theatre. The stricken girl gave a short quick gasp, and the blood momentarily left her cheeks, as she reeled backwards a yard or more, but still maintained her footing.

Then she rallied and sprang forward to renew the contest, avoiding two blows by rapid movements of her agile body; she caught another on her round right arm, and disregarding the pain, she passed her opponent’s guard and rained a fierce stroke on her beautiful shoulder that cut through to the bone.

Then, with their naked, glowing busts pressed tightly against each other, and their white rounded arms encircling each other’s bodies in no gentle or loving grip, they wrestled for the mastery. To and fro they reeled panting with excitement and anger but in every twist and turn showing some new line of beauty in their undulating swaying forms, so exquisitely modeled and of such rare symmetry.

Sometimes Ildica would, with a hand pressed against each of her adversary’s white shoulders, thrust her body back until ‘twas hard to imagine that it could bend further without snapping the spine asunder, and then her strength would give way, and their chests would come together with a dull thud, and Flavia would quickly throw a milk-white exquisitely modelled leg, bare to the hip, around the darker-skinned, but equally well-proportioned limb of the Lady Ildica, and tighten the coil till every little blue vein would show through the creamy skin, in a vain attempt to hurl her on the sand.

Ildica’s lacerated shoulder bled so freely that both her own and Flavia’s fairer skin were sprinkled with crimson rain, and the blonde’s lovely chest already showed ten leaden-coloured bruises made by Ildica’s cestus, but yet neither thought of confessing herself vanquished and they continued to clutch each other’s yielding frames tighter and tighter until each seemed to feel two hearts beating in her body, and their rounded bosoms seemed bursting with the compression.”

— Roman Standard Bearer—

HOMICIDAL HEROINES. Virginal Stella waited her fate as a prisoner in the Den of Maniacs, about to be sacrificed by the Arch-druid in a huge wicker-man construction. But first she must serve as the entertainment for the blood-maddened crowd in the arena. Stevens painted the scene in the Den of Maniacs in fleshy purple-bruised prose —

“Naked beauty shrinking from a blow or from contact with anything that is vile or unclean, is sure to be graceful in the extreme, for an elegant pose is somehow, by mere accident, certain to be obtained in such a case, and so it was with Stella.

Her beauteous form, so perfect in its natural outlines, gleamed like a marble statue in the red murky light, and her rounded limbs, creamy skin, snowy neck, and heaving bosoms made her resemble a veritable goddess.

A woman’s beauty will seldom excite pity, however, in another female breast, and so the three harpies before named sprang at the fair Amazon simultaneously and endeavoured to clutch some portion of her delicate frame.Two of them were promptly felled to the floor by Cassibelan, who was happily chained sufficiently close to his sister to be able to render her some assistance, but the third, advancing from quite an opposite direction extended to the full length of her chain and fastened her teeth in Stella’s dimpled back.

The poor girl uttered a cry of pain and sprang in an opposite direction, but only to bring herself within reach of another crouching female form, who seized a white leg and bit deep into her quivering thigh, causing the red blood to spout forth.In vain Stella strove to tear herself away while the length of Cassibelan’s chain would not permit of his rendering any aid in this case.

Her assailant rendered mad by thirst and hunger, clung to her beautiful limb until her hooked nails were buried deep in the broad hip, and sucked a way at her rich young blood as though it had been the most delicious nectar of Olympus.

The Amazon writhed, and trembled, and shrieked; her flesh actually quivered with the agony she was enduring, but with her little fists she rained blow after blow upon the head of her cannibal assailant, and at length thereby forced her to desist.

The woman with a gasp of satisfaction and relief, relaxed her terrible clutch with teeth and nails, and sank back dreamily back as though in a happy sleep, while Stella, painfully dragging away her injured limb, sunk fainting upon the foul and blood-stained floor of the den.”

—Caractucus—

FAME. Story-paper collector Henry Steele once said “It was these tales that stimulated my love of history and certainly impressed many dates of important events on my mind, which the ordinary school tuition would have failed to do.” Indeed. Steele burst out in poetry to praise the thrilling serial The Sentinel of Pompeii and its inspired author, Charles Stevens —

This yarn though it was meant for lads,

Still holds them now that they are dads,

This tale of old boy’s journal fame,

Was given alack! No author’s name,

I think, however, the story throughout,

Was by Charles Stevens without doubt,

Years ago, a novel written,

Was by that classic writer, Lytton,

Stevens doubtless was inspired,

By this and his ambition fired,

So he wrote “The Sentinel” there and then,

A noble story from an able pen. 

— 1934

—Caractucus—

‡

Roving Jack the Pirate Hunter

“I am mad, mad !” gasps Jack; “oh, horror, horror!”

“Roving Jack the Pirate Hunter, a Romance of the Road and the Ocean,” by Charles Stevens, 40 nos. London: NPC, August 1862.

“Roving Jack the Pirate Hunter” “Boys of England Office” 40 parts.1882.

“Roving Jack, the Pirate Hunter.” Excerpts from; “Our Very Cheap Literature.” from The Contemporary Review, Volume XIV, 1870, by Alexander Strahan.

“Sensational art, however, attains its climax in the coloured illustrations of “Roving Jack.” On the first page Jack is lying in the “Death Hole” in the midst of chained, grinning skeletons - some with rags of red and yellow raiment still clinging to them. A man-of-warsman, with a cutlass in his mouth, and a torch in one hand, lowers himself down a rope by the other to the rescue. But even this impressivetableau appears tame when you turn to the double-page illustration of “Roving Jack’s Attack on the Phantom Captain in the Witch’s Cave.” Roving Jack, a juvenile cross between a stage smuggler and a stage foreign peasant, is coming down the witch’s cave’s rough staircase, at the head of his youthful companions, with his sword in his right hand. He looks horrified, and well he may. The witch, in crimson poncho and somewhat fashionably cut green dress, has a monstrously bloated toad squatting beside her train. A viper writhes round the pitchfork she brandishes in her right hand, another sits upon her shoulder, a third twines round the chain of the cauldron she is adjusting over an open fire, whose flames are rushing towards the opening which ventilates the cave. A bat, about the size of a crow, is hovering in the lilac smoke. Beneath a beam, round which a long, green snake is twisted, stands the Phantom Captain, with a death’s-head and a cross-bones embroidered on the undertaker’s cloak, which hides half of his red kilt and one of his jack-boots. Near him sits, with his red night-capped head between his hands, and his elbows on his knees, a grown-up stage smuggler, grinning in envious rivalry at a skull, through one of whose eye-sockets his twisted rapier is thrust. Between the smuggler and the skull, with her feet in the fire, lies a plump young woman, pinioned down to the ground by a dagger stuck through her right arm. We have inventoried the illustration before reading the text, which we supposed it illustrated. Turning to the letterpress we cannot find any such text. Here, however, is a specimen of the intellectual food supplied in “Roving Jack”:-

Oh! the unutterable horror and despair of that awakening in the pit of death and darkness.

The rude shock of his fall roused our hero from his state of insensibility.

He lifted his head. He felt blinded, racked with agonizing pain, sick, giddy, faint, bewildered, half-suffocated with that awful stench of corruption.

He was alone in the deep darkness, but where?

He knew not; his mind was a glass darkened and shattered.

He must shake off the wretched incubus that lies like a ton of lead upon his breast; he must awake - awake to the cheerful light; start from his hell-charmed slumber; break through the hag-spell that enthralls his soul with such dark and loathsome conceits.

The boy uttered a wild cry; the echoes laughed like mocking demons.

He raised his hands.

The hard steel clinked, and he found his wrists locked together, and his feet bound !

A twinge of exquisite pain shot through his aching head, and the veins of his brow seemed to swell to bursting.

He felt a clammy, warm trickling down his face.

It was a stream of blood!

By slow and painful degrees he collected his thoughts, and recalled all the dread incidents of that eventful night.

The savage face of the miscreant thief-taker seemed scowling upon him.

The fancy nerved the fierce heart of the fiery young hero to a pitch of desperate anger.

“No, you villain!” shouted Roving Jack, shaking his fettered hands through the darkness as if his enemy was actually before him, “you shall never, never conquer me ! Oh, if I had you alone, armed to the teeth as you are, with just my father’s pure sword in my hand !”

Jack gnashed his teeth with rage.

“I suppose I must die here,” he sighed bitterly, “That is hard, too - so young ! To leave no name behind me! all my bright gleams of glory to perish so soon and miserably ! And mother!”

Jack burst into tears.

“And - and Violet, who loves me so dearly; but there - there, I must not think of them, I cannot bear it!”

Jack dried his eyes and rested his head against the cold, dank wall.

He fixed his thoughts steadily upon holy things, and murmured a prayer.

Jack turned over upon his side, and managed to writhe along for a yard or two. He stretched out his arms.

“Ugh !” gasped Jack, recoiling with a violent shudder. “It is - a skeleton !”

He shook convulsively, and it was a long time before he could control his excited feelings.

“Oh, for one ray of blessed light!” he cried fervently.

Crawling about he laid his hands more than once on round hard skulls, and sharp fleshless bones.

He uttered a fearful cry, his brow exuded a cold clammy sweat, his limbs quivered like reeds in the wind, his lips became parched, his hair roused, and he felt as if he were losing his senses.

He threw himself down against the wall, and buried his face in his hands, crushed by despair and dismay.

At last he roused himself from his stupor, and glared wildly around him.

The stench grew more and more oppressive and the darkness was intense.

All at once there arose from the floor at some distance from him a greenish lambent flame that flickered faintly, and threw a ghastly light upon the awful scene.

Transfixed with awe, our hero glanced around.

The place was a very charnel of dead bones.

But whence that spectral light illumining the ghastly scene ? *

It lapped upon the floor, and in its fantastic waverings resembled the flare of ignited ether.

At last it settled at the feet of a lank and hideously-grinning skeleton propped against the opposite wall. Then it spread about the dread relict of miserable humanity, and flared upwards in an unconsuming blaze, playing round the smooth bare skull and creeping into the hollow eye-sockets.

Presently he was startled by a quick stealthy rustling.

RATS!

Tumbling and squeaking among the rattling bones, a legion of these detestable vermin surged around him.

One darted right across his face, inflicting a sharp bite upon his cheek.

Jack shrieked and staggered on to his feet, supporting himself against the wall.

Goaded to a pitch of madness, he snatched up a skull, and sent it clattering along the ground.

Squeak, squeak! and a terrific scampering.

Jack hurled another skull, and another, and another, till he sank with exhaustion.

He fainted.

His mind wandered, and he feebly muttered his incoherent prayers.

Now, the darkness seems peopled with dusky, yet visible forms, shapeless, yet living; they surrounded him, and seemed to gloat over his dying agonies.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha-a!” the cavern resounds with demoniac laughter.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha-a !” roar the echoes.

A mystic blue light dawns in the place.

The skeletons move!

They rear themselves on their gaunt shanks, and clack their bony hands together.

“I am mad, mad!” gasps Jack; “oh, horror, horror !”

Now they whirl round him faster and faster and faster, till he becomes dizzy.

One of them is taller than the rest, and seems to be their leader.

He is mantled in a heavy, black velvet pall, fringed with light lawn.

He pauses in the dance, and, approaching the captive, seems to proffer him assistance.

Jack holds out his chained wrists.

The spectre touches them with the hard tip of his bony finger, and an electric thrill darts through the captive’s shrinking veins.

The steel manacles are shattered, and clash to the ground like broken glass.

Jack shouts in mad triumph, and then points to his scorching lips, and sues for drink. The spectre presents a skull into which he has poured some ruby liquid.

Jack takes a greedy draught.

Then, with a horrible scream, he dashes the ghastly chalice to his feet.

His face and hands are smeared - with blood.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha-a !” yell the death spectres, and away they go round again, whirling dizzily, dizzily, deftly, nimbly, tossing up their jointed limbs, and nodding their faceless heads.

A delightful sensation of languid repose now overpowers the captive, and he stretches himself on the ground.

But what strange spell is on him?

Now there is a deep hush; the skeletons depart and he is left alone.

After awhile they return and swathe the living corpse in the garments of the grave and place it upon the bier.

BOOM!

The hollow echoes respond solemnly.

Boom, boom!

The passing knell of the living dead!

The bier is raised on the clacking shoulders of the ribbed spectres.

Boom, boom!

The cavern rings with a grand organ peal - the dirge of the dead alive !

BOOM !

The funeral procession is formed; some of the grizzly skeletons march before, and they scatter fresh flowers that wither to dust ere they reach the ground.

Others of the spectres follow.

The black-mantled leader acts as chief mourner.

Still the enchanted retains perfect consciousness.

A dark grave yawns beneath him.

He is lowered amid the hollow moanings of the skeleton mourners.

Cooped in his narrow cell, still conscious, but dumb and impotent to stir a muscle, the living dead glares up at the black cloud that is descending upon him.

It is the pall!

He feels the mazy velvet folds wrap round his spell-bound limbs, he hears the last grand chorus of the requiem dying away; - then

DARKNESS! OBLIVION!

* It is a well-known fact that dead bodies in advanced stages of composition emit certain foul gases, which occasionally appear in a state of combustion, flickering round the corpse in a faint blue flame. This natural phenomenon will account for many of the strange tales told of “corpse candles” and “death lights” seen glimmering around graves in old and dank churchyards. A similar luminate gas is engendered by miry swamps and marshy fens, and is often descried by the belated traveler dancing before him on his dark path as if luring him to follow, and which is considered by some superstitious country folk to be a certain tricksy fire-sprite, called “Will-o’-the-Wisp,” or “Jack-o’-Lantern.”

Sons of Britannia

The Sons of Britannia is incomplete in both Jay’s list in Peeps into the Past and in the Ono collection on microfilm. By comparing the two I have been able to add quite a few tales and information to Jay’s list. Included are some informative announcements and letters from authors taken from the correspondents page.

George Emmett’s Sons of Britannia was the most jingoistic boys paper to appear until Harmsworth’s imperialistic Union Jack (1894-1933.) He was an ex-cavalry officer who pulled no punches in his reviews of amateur periodicals submitted by his boy readers for comment. You almost suspect him of being paid by the government as a recruiting officer !

The Young Englishman’s Journal No. 1 April 13, 1867 to March 9, 1870 was incorporated with No. 1 of “The Sons of Britannia,” on March 14, 1870. The last few numbers were published for the proprietor, William Emmett Laurence, by his brother, under the name of “George Brent.”

Sons of Britannia Volume I , Edited By William Emmet Laurence, Office : Hogarth House, St. Bride’s Avenue, E. C. The Volume cover is an Illustration by POP (Proctor) and RAC for the serial ‘Catch Me Who Can.’ Volume II has a cover Illustration by Robert Prowse, a Scene From “Ben Braveall.”

Vol. I No. 1
“Rapier Jack; the Bull-Fighters of Madrid.” By Charles Stevens, illustrated by Harry Maguire. March 11, 1870. “The Idol’s Eye. Being the Adventures of Andrew Battel, Peter Carder, Sampson Von Burr, and “The Snake” in Search of a Big Diamond,“ by W. Stephens Hayward, author of “The Mutiny of the Thunder,” “The Golden Reef,” &c. (Maguire) pg.9. “Chronicles of the Cronies Club.” Pg. 11.

No. 9. “Union Jack, the British Boy sailor; or, Life on Board a Man o’ War,” by Captain Harry.

No. 13. “Spartacus; or, The Revolt of the Gladiators, A Tale of Ancient Rome.” “Book The First, B.C. 74 - The Slaves of the Arena.” by C. Stevens Author of “Caradoc the Briton,” and “The Master of the Lions.” June 6, 1870.

No. 18. “Death or Glory.” by George Emmett Author of “Captain Jack; or, One of the Light Brigade,” “Shaw the Lifeguardsman,” “The King’s Hussars,” “For Valour,” “Boy’s of Bircham School” &c. (Maguire) July 11, 1870.

No. 22. “Tom Wildrake.” Part 2; “King Robert, the Bruce; or, Scotland’s Fight for Freedom,” by the author of “Dick and Dick’s Brothers.”

August 8, 1870. “SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT. Sons of Britannia. Henceforth your favourite journal will be conducted by GEORGE EMMETT, the well known author of the most successful military and school stories yet written ; and your companion journal, “The Young Briton,” by your old favourite CHARLES STEVENS, the renowned and popular author of “Caradoc the Briton,” “Spartacus,” &c., &c. The celebrated HARRY MAGUIRE has undertaken the management of the Illustrations, and assisted by the best engravers, the artistic department will be second to none.” GEORGE EMMETT promised Military Stories, School Stories , Historical Romances by Charles Stevens, Naval Stories, by author of “Midshipman Tom,” Stories of Travel and Adventure by author of “Willie Gray; or, the Wreck of the Polar Star,” Domestic Tales by author of “Spangles and Gold,” Romances of the Days of Chivalry, by author of “Last Lord of Lorne,” and Stories of Ireland by the Great Irish Novelist, Dennis O’Connor.

August 8, 1870. The Young Briton announces “Harry the Fifth; or, the Conquest of France,” by Charles Stevens. Serials running at the time were “Spangles and Gold,” “Midshipman Tom,” “Giant of Nottingham,” and “Pirate’s Isle.” There were also “Notes of the War.- (Vessels past and present,) Our Sphinx, Correspondence, &c., &c.

August 8, 1870. Next Week’s Sons of Britannia promises THE GRAND WAR TALE ! “Trumpeter Tom, The War Dragoon” Two Numbers in Wrapper - One Penny. Splendid War Pictures with this Dashing Story.

August 29, 1870. In a Black Border : “It is with deep and sincere regret we announce the death of Mr. W. Stephens Hayward, the author of those popular stories “The Eagle and the Vulture,” “The Mutiny of the Thunder,” “Idol’s Eye,” &c., &c., &c. Of him may truly be said, “He died in harness ;” for through a long and painful illness he laboured to amuse our young friends, bearing the pangs of suffering with unflinching fortitude, and only laid aside the pen when his hand was no longer able to grasp it. At a comparatively early age he has passed from among us, and obeying the signal of the grim destroyer Death, has wandered away into the fathomless future, leaving behind him a circle of friends who know but too well the loss they have sustained.”

August 29, 1870. “HARK-A-WAY JACK ; The King of the Foxhunters,” in the Young Briton.

No. 26, “Whip the Wind,” by Silvershot (George Emmett) author of “My Adventures Among the Prairie Indians,“ “Red Hugh, the Backwoodsman,“ &c. Sept. 5, 1870.

Sept. 5, 1870. Now Ready ! Price One Penny. The Illustrated WAR BUDGET. The Largest and Best ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF THE WAR Containing all the Authentic LATEST NEWS, and the Opening Chapters of a Glorious Military Story entitled TRUMPETER TOM. Order At Once THE ILLUSTRATED WAR BUDGET Full of magnificent Cuts BY OUR SPECIAL ARTIST. Price One Penny.

Sept. 19, 1870. King Robert the Bruce.- we regret to announce that up to the time of going to press we had received no copy from the Author. Announcement “Rupert the Ready’ in the Young Briton. Special Notice. ‘Since our sad announcement of the death of our reader’s favourite author, W. Stephens Hayward, thousands of letters have reached us from our subscribers full of sorrow at the mournful tidings we had to convey and expressing the wish that they might possess as a memento of their esteemed writer, a complete edition of the works. With this wish we comply. OUR READER’S OWN EDITION of Mr. Hayward’s works will be published in a separate form. The first of the series will be the popular tale THE MUTINY OF THE THUNDER . The original story with the original illustrations , in weekly numbers, One Penny. Presented gratis with this work, MR. W. STEPHENS HAYWARD’S PORTRAIT AND AUTOGRAPH Second gift, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE LAMENTED AUTHOR.’

Vol. II No. 33 “The Fatal Cord : A Tale of Backwoods Retribution.” (Written expressly for the “Boys of England”) by Captain Mayne Reid. Chapter XVIII.

No. 35. “Brian Boru, The Hero King of Ireland” by Dennis O’Connor.

Nov. 19, 1870. In preparation. “The Days of Chivalry” by author of “Rupert the Ready.” Every Son of Bonny Scotland will read with interest this new story, “Silverdirk.”

No. 38. “All’s Well,” by author of “Sheet Anchor Jack.”

December 8, 1870. OUR LETTER-BOX. 13 Rue de Rivoli, Paris, 15 November 1870. “My dear Friend and Comrade, When, at the opening of this unhappy war, you wrote reminding me of our old friendship and the hairbreadth escapes we had together in the Crimea, asking me if I would write a military romance of the present struggle, I wrote to you, if you remember, excusing myself, for I fancied that the struggle would be a very brief one, and distinguished by little that would be worth narrating. I was wrong, however, and now, shut up in Paris with little to do except daily routine duties, and little to amuse myself with, except the mastication of donkey-steaks and the smoking of vile cigars, I fancy that it would be a real pleasure to write about the stirring scenes in which during the last five months I have taken part.
When I tell you that with the exception of Würth I have taken part in every battle of the campaign, have served in three different regiments, namely the Cent Gardes, the 26th Hussars, , and lastly and mainly, in the Cuirassiers of the Imperial Guard, with whom I charged at Weisenberg, at Gravelotte, and thrice at Sedan, in which latter battle I had the honour of saving the Emperor’s life whilst he was fighting on foot at the head of his troops, you will own that I have some real facts worth writing about. I have been shut up with Bezaine in Metz, too, and the horrors we endured in that infernal town are almost indescribable. I fear that in narrating some of them I shall scarcely be believed. When the whole army surrendered to the Germans, my regiment was, I believe, to have been marched to Frankfort, but before we had got half way through Alsace, we made a most brilliant attack on our guard, and cut our way to freedom. A fortnight later 700 of us reached Paris, wherein we are shut up….
To conclude, I have since my first skirmish had five horses shot under me, and received nine wounds mostly flesh ones.
I send you this letter by balloon post, and my first batch of MSS in the same way. Remembering how you used to compliment me on my acquaintance with English, I have endeavoured to write it in your language to save you the trouble of translating : if there are any inaccuracies of idiom pray set them right….
I am, my dear friend, still your comrade in heart. LEON LORRAIN.

No. 39. “Harlequin Hal; or, The Tricks and Traps of Theatrical Life.” By An Old Actor.

No. 43. “The Cuirassiers of the Guard,” by One of Themselves.

No. 48. Feb. 4, 1871, “Tom Wildrake,” Part 3.

53. “Longshore Luke; or, The Riverside Mystery,” by E. Harcourt Burrage.

58. “Through a Thousand Perils,” by J. J. G. Bradley, “Dick Darrington: A Tale of the Great Riots”.

63. “Red Snake, The Last of the Prairie Kings,” by the author of “For Honour,” “Lionel Westmore” &c.

67. “Tom Wildrake,” Part 4.

70. “The Factory Lad; or, Step by Step to Wealth and Fame.”

76. “The Roman Standard Bearer : A Tale of Britain‘s First Invasion” by Charles Stevens.

90. “Three Brave Boys”.

91. “An Ocean of Ice: a Story of the Polar Regions” by the author of “For Honour” “Harry Power,” &c.

97. “The Boy Gladiator,” by G. Ricken Alcot, U.S.A.

100. Feb. 5, 1872, “The Cloud King; or, Up in the Air and Down in the Sea,” by W. Stephens Hayward. (Maguire)

105. “Dashing Charlie the Texan Whirlwind,” by Ned Bunting.

114. “Hurricane Dick; or, The Child of the Storm”.

121. “Mazeppa; or, The Demon Horse of the Ukraine” Probably by Borlase (J. G. G. Bradley)

128. “Racketty Ralph the Hero of Scampdown College”

133. “Captain Tom Drake; or, England’s Hearts of Oak,” by W. L. Emmett author of “Shipwrecked Willie.”

148. “The Young Jockey ; or, A Ride For Life” by Vane St. John author of “The Haunted School,” “The Rightful Heir,” &c.

149. “Mountain Tom,” by Ned Bunting, and “Tom Wildrake” ends, Chapter 203. Jan. 8, 1873

156. “The Hundred Guardsmen: a Romance of the Second Empire,” by Captain Leon Lorraine, author of “The Cuirassiers of the Guard.”

March 19, 1873. OUR LETTER-BOX. John G. Sheen, Toronto, writes : “Having been for some years now a subscriber to all three of your valuable publications, which I think are extensively read here (in proportion to the population) as in the old country, I feel no hesitation in asking a favour of you, which is, that you oblige your Canadian readers, by giving them a genuine Canadian story. No doubt some one of your clever writers could find plenty of scope for his talents in giving us a tale of the many perilous adventures encountered and overcome by the pioneers of this land, who, loyal to their King and country, left their comfortable homes, and have by their perseverance and industry converted the unbroken forests of Canada into a smiling and fertile land, and have built up a Dominion that now extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific. I feel assured that your ‘British Boys’ will join their ‘Canadian Cousins,’ and as they have enjoyed your tales of life in Australia, South America, Central Africa, the South Sea Islands, and in fact every other part of the world (by the bye, your Australian stories are very great favourites here), they will enjoy, as well as we shall, a tale of Canadian life in the wild woods, in the days of the first settlers. In conclusion, I will only say how superior I consider all your publications to the trash contained in the innumerable Yankee periodicals that flood the bookseller’s stores in Toronto and other cities and towns of our Dominion. I trust you will insert this letter in the Sons of Britannia, and hope some of your Old Country boys will second it.

[We are exceedingly pleased to hear from our Canadian cousin, and at the earliest possible opportunity will comply with his request. As he speaks so highly of our stories of South America, we will call his attention to a story of Texan life, Now appearing in our companion journal, The Rover’s Log, entitled “The Goblin Scout,” by Percy B. St. John Esq., author of “The Arctic Crusoe” &c. In a letter to Mr. George Emmett he writes, “I would like to write you a story in connection with Texas as an independent republic. My naval experiences were rough and comic, with plenty of adventure. I was at the battle of Jacinto and the taking of Tobasco. I was twice a prisoner in the hands of the Mexicans. I was starved, went in rags, was obliged to do common seaman’s service on board a pilot’s boat,” &c., &c. &c. The “Goblin Scout” commenced in No. 53 of the Rover’s Log. Any of your friends in England can secure the numbers for you. Ed. S. O. B.

161. “Happy Go Lucky” by Alfred Sherrington, Esq.

165. “The King of the Iron Mace: or, The Ghost Riders of the Rhine”

170. “The Red Regiment,” by Percy B. St. John

176. “The Rascal Jack, A Tale of Thrashemwell College” by J. J. G. Bradley, illustrated by Phiz

182. “Tom, the Link Boy of Old London,” by Vane St. John author of “Jack-O’-the Mint.”

189. “The Desolate Raft,” by Percy B. St. John

194. “Giant Jack: the Hero of Red Mountain,” by E. H. Burrage.

No. 208. “Bound ‘Prentice To a Waterman. A Tale of the City and the River.” by Percy B. St. John. Illustrated by Phiz.

211. “The Cruise of the Volta; or, The Lost Heir of Altham,” by the author of “Mid of the Flora Bell,” etc.

216. “The Young Bushranger. A Story of the Australian Wilds.” By Vane St. John. Author of Claude the Outcast” “Tim Ne’er-Do Well” &c.

220. May 23, 1879, “Fatherless Bob; or, The True Story of a Poor Boy’s Life on Land and Sea,” by Bracebridge Hemyng

228. “Old Winchester; or, the Schooldays of Dashing Dick Tichborne,” by A Foundation Scholar

234. “Vagabond Dick,” by E. H. Burrage, author of “Spangles and Gold.”

241. “Alpine Jack ; or, The Mountain Guide” by the author of “William Tell,” &c.

245. “Lone Wolf, the Apache Chief,” by Lieut. E. R. Jayne, “Hal the Arab; or, the Earl and the Outlaw,” by E. H. Burrage.

Dec. 19, 1874. (No. illegible) “Hal the Arab; or, The Earl and the Outlaw.” by author of “Young Tom’s Schooldays.”

No. 256. “The Boy Mutineer. A Romance of the Whale Hunters” by Roger Starbuck, Esq.

No. 258. “Telegraph Tom ; The Mystery of a Lightning Flash” by author of “Benjamin Badluck,” “Tim Ne’er-Do Well” &c. (Vane St. John.) The illiterate boy’s dialogue in this tale is the closest I have seen to the dialogue style in the “Wild Boy’s of London.” Add Vane St. John, along with Bracebridge Hemyng to list of author suspects.

May 15, 1875. No. illegible. “Will Wilding ; or, The Hero of the School” by Bracebridge Hemyng, Esq. (Jack Harkaway.)

July 10, 1875. No. illegible. “The Wehr Wolf ; or, The Boy Avenger” by author of “Young Tom Truant,” “Joe the Call-Boy,” &c.

290. “The Land of the Crimson Snow: or, The Voyage of the Lucky Friday”

No. 296. “Harry Goldspur, The Knight of the Magic Ring.”

305 “Jolly Jack Johnson”

309. “Frost, Lightning and Frolic: or, A Newfoundland Boy’s Schooldays,” Written expressly for the Sons of Britannia.

313. “Rattling Tom of Cork,” by Vane St. John;

316. “Mischievous Mat; or, Mirth and Mystery,” by Bracebridge Hemyng

319. April 8, 1876, “Catch me who can; or, the Magic Horseshoe” by Walter Villiers, illustrated by P.O.P. (R. Proctor)

325. “Mat Mesures; or, The Terrible Will,” by Bertie Harcourt, illustrated by P. O. P.

334. July 22, 1876, “Lion Jack,” by P. T. Barnum, the great American Showman, illustrated by Bergham

345. “Ben Braveall,” by A. Sherrington

342. “Young Ironsides; or, The Pirates of the Treasure Ship”

353. “Frank’s Freaks at the Finishing School,” by the author of “Master John Bull at the French Academy”

359. “Larry O’Keefe,” by Bracebridge Hemyng

365. “Jack in the Jungle; a Tale of Land and Sea. Sequel to Lion Jack,” by P. T. Barnum

377. “Three Dashing Boys; or, The Cruise of the Island Queen”

380. June 9, 1877, “The Shadow Ship; or, The Prince of Pearl Island,” by Henry Emmett, author of “Union Jack,” “Mid of Flora Bell,” etc.

386. “A Troublesome Boy; or, His Way thro’ the World”

389. “Plucky Charlie, the Bluecoat Boy”

392. “The Haunted Island; or, The Adventures of Young Tom Trim and Uncle Sam”

The Sons of Brittania’s last number was No. 394 on September 15, 1877.

“Look out next week for No. 1 of ‘The Champion Journal.’ In addition to tales, ‘Dick Dare the Bareback Rider,’ ‘The Wondership; or, The Mysteries of the Sea,’ ‘Poor Jack, the Street Boy of London,’ ‘Happy Hal; or, True to the Core,’ ‘Marvels of Earth, Sea and Air,’ etc., etc., will be presented an illustrated supplement. All the stories now appearing in ‘The Sons of Britannia’ will be continued, so that the boys will have a splendid new journal and ‘The Sons of Britannia’ for one penny.”

Boy's Herald

John Dicks’ Boy’s Herald

To Our Readers.- “The writers engaged upon this publication will not condescend to the violent vulgarity of many publications. On the other hand, they will not pander to that needless tameness, which, in its way, is nearly as injurious as any efforts of the most objectionable school of writers.”

John Thomas Dicks first volume, first issue of ‘BOY’S HERALD Entertaining, Instructive, and Useful,’ was published on Saturday, January 6, 1877. The periodical was a sixteen page penny weekly with a masthead by Frederick Gilbert. The first exciting romance was “The Young Rebels, A Story of the Monmouth Rebellion,” by Henry Baker boasting a large engraving by D. H. Friston. The editor was George Frederick Pardon who had been an editor at Cassell's.

On the fifth page was a short account of life of the hero of Waterloo, “Shaw The Life Guardsman,” followed by another serial, “Jem the Diver,” by A. W. Thompson, featuring a Frederick Gilbert illustration. The story begins at a boys school, Goldhawk Academy, but in Chapter II school days end, and by Chapter III the chums, Jem, George, and Harry are out in the noonday sun leading a troop of soldiers through the swamps, deserts and jungles of Africa.

The last serial was a sea story titled “Charley Lance ; Or, The Search for the Missing Man,” by George Manville Fenn. R. Huttula served as illustrator. The next-to-last page had Notices to Correspondents, Announcements, Ads, a short poem by J. R. W. (J. Redding Ware,) and an editorial, “To Our Readers.”

The last page had three columns, Games and Magic, Puzzles and Riddles, and a Comic Column with six comic drawings by Archibald Chasemore, “Our Lunatic Contributor” of the C. H. Ross edited comic periodical “Judy.” Chasemore kept the page through the periodicals run, probably with the help of Ross, who contributed Puzzle Pages to numerous annuals and periodicals including Beeton’s Boys Own Magazine.

Gratis ! With the first number was a “handsome coloured picture for framing” of THE BATTLE OF INKERMAN Death of Sir George Cathcart, and Defeat of the Russians. With the second number was promised, gratis, the complete story of ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP From the “Arabian Nights Entertainments,” at 32 pages with four illustrations.

“Our heroes,” promised the editor, “will be neither villains, nor mortals in training for cherubim. In a word, it is hoped they will be found to be hearty, honourable young Englishmen, neither given on the one side to felony, nor on the other to tears.”

He may have been referring to the Emmett’s robust war-weekly’s “Sons of Britannia” and “Young Englishman” with their rough boy heroes such as Tom Wildrake and Captain Tom Drake. Jack Harkaway and his author Bracebridge Hemyng had sailed off to America and Frank Leslie’s periodicals.

Among the many engagements “made and pending” were mentioned authors and artists William H. Ainsworth, George Manville Fenn, Dr. D. R. Griffiths, Emerson Brand, Compton Reade, A. W. Thompson, Evylyn Jerrold, H. D. Friston, Melton Prior, Adelaide Claxton, Charles H. Ross, Henry Baker, Charles Stevens, Edward Ellis, G. F. Pardon, Erskine Boyd, T. H. Reynoldson, Percival Skelton, R. Huttula, and John Dicks, (publisher.) This whole staff was the same as that of Dicks’ weeklies”Every Week” and
“Bow Bells.” The editor was anonymous but may have been Charley Ross or Emerson Brand. Brand edited “Every Week” while Ross handled many of the “Bow Bells” Christmas numbers.

The Boy’s Herald heroes would, “in the course of time, go over the world - rise above it as high as possible - plunge as far down into the crannies of earth as may be practicable - and wander over as many unknown, or scarcely traversed, places as time and opportunity will concede.”
Again the competition was mentioned ; “We hold, however, to be superior in the production of this work to some of our contemporaries. At the same time, no rivalry is sought with the gentlemen and ladies who treat those who are nearing the treshold of manhood as though they were still children.”

Frank Jay, writing in “Vanity Fair An Amateur Magazine,” edited by Joseph Parks, in 1918, said ; “From a literary point of view, “The Boy’s Herald” was a gem of the first water in the matter of boys literature.” Well he remembered “those happy irresponsible days, when we revelled in the reading of the stirring and glowing tales of life and adventure, serious and humorous, and now as I turn the leaves over, and review the pleasures of boyhood, I recall many incidents and happy associations of my boyhood days. I am the fortunate possessor of the entire run of this journal, 100 numbers in 4 vol’s, publishers binding as new, which cost me a great amount of trouble and much expense to obtain. The last number is dated Nov. 30, 1878, the following numbers became incorporated with No. 8 of the “Boy’s Halfpenny Journal” which, however did not survive long.

A full page notice in the last issue of “Boy’s Herald” stated that with the incorporation with “Boy’s Halfpenny Journal would be “presented without charge, A SUPPLEMENT, containing the conclusion of THE SAUCY SEA-LARK, and LOYAL AND TRUE; OR, THROUGH PERILS TO PLENTY.” Thankfully no reader was deprived of a satisfactory ending to his favourite serial.

Volume I No. 2 begat a serial titled BLACK-ADDER; Or, The Wreckers of the Channel by Anonymous. The tale never appeared on a cover, nor was it illustrated. This is a reprint of James Malcolm Rymer’s True Blue; or, Sharks Upon The Shore. A Tale Of The Sea, from Reynolds’s Miscellany of Vol.23, No.585.

The second serial to grace the cover of the Boy’s Herald is a story I really looked forward to, Runaway Jack; or, The Fool of the Family, by Charles H. Ross. The date was Saturday, April 14, 1877, Volume I. No.15. Frederick Gilbert filled the page with a lovely illustration of the text “Soft Sammy’s Delight at the Rival Ghosts.”

Gilbert’s Rembrant inspired art was sketchier than his Reynolds’s Miscellany pieces. He was a master of black-shadowed chiaroscuro and the engraver helped endow the picture with life and energy. The title and author are engraved into the illustration rather than the usual practice of including text at the bottom of a page.

On the correspondents page were “ANNOUNCEMENTS EXTRAORDINARY. In this number of the BOY’S HERALD is commenced a new tale of thrilling interest and startling events, by the eminent novelist, CHARLES H. ROSS under the title of RUNAWAY JACK ; OR, THE FOOL OF THE FAMILY.” Popular painter David Wilkie’s “touching and tenderly domestic” engraving of THE ONLY DAUGHTER was given away gratis with this number. It was drawn from the Original by permission, and measured 27 by 21 inches.

Announced as forthcoming in No. 21 was a New and Original tale by ARTHUR THOMPSON with illustrations by the celebrated artist D. H. Friston. Commencing with no. 27 would be a New Tale (Historical) by the Favourite Writer CHARLES STEVENS illustrated by R. Huttula.
The Puzzles and Comic Column page followed with five comic vignettes by Chasemore.

“Jack Lamb was a fool. He played fool’s tricks, and was always caught. It is very foolish to get caught,” begins our author.

Fourteen year old Jack Lamb is the ragged, hungry runabout son of a poor Reverend with a large family. Jack meets a “big lout of a boy” named Joe Parker and they play a practical joke on Soft Sammy, the village fool inhabiting the churchyard. Sammy is about sixty with “long streaming white hare and preposterously thin legs.” He is half-witted and attends funerals regularly.

Joe covers himself in a white sheet and creeps moaning towards Sammy. Sammy shows no fear so Jack dons a black rug and sneaks up on Joe scaring the pants off him and leaving Sammy laughing and clapping while he makes tracks for home. Jack chases him and touches his neck from behind. Sick with terror Joe Parker swoons away.

“Next day the case looked serious, and the doctor was sent for. He prescribed leeches, and blisters, and several bottles of very nasty physic; but it was of little avail. Joe never quite recovered his proper senses. The railway rug, dropped in the way, was never found.”

“Jack, very properly, was flogged for losing the rug, and altogether this joke seems to me to have turned out rather a dull one. But wait until you hear the next.”

End of Chapter I. So far nothing spectacular - but wait - Chapter XIX is titled The Opium Den !

May 26, 1877 announces that with this number will be given away No. 1 of Captain Marryat’s PETER SIMPLE, complete in 8 numbers illustrated. Each week until completion a number would appear gratis in the Boy’s Herald along with an un-named SUPERB COLOURED OLEOGRAPH. Rob The Rover by A. Thompson will appear next number.

June 2, 1877 ROB MARSTON begins with artwork by D. H. Friston. Friston was illustrator of a great lowlife serial in Dicks “Every Week” called “King of Scamps; or London Detectives.”

Volume II, No. 27 began a long-promised historical serial by Charles H. Stevens called COMRADES IN ARMS, A Tale of the Great Armada. Frederick Gilbert supplies another cover in a fine, black, melodramatic mood. Huttula later illustrated some numbers of this story. By this time Runaway Jack is shooting hippos and fighting Chinese pirates in a far-off jungle.

Comrades in Arms is top-notch Stevens, with blood, adventure - did I mention blood ? He penned “Alone in the Pirate’s Lair” for Edwin Brett, and “Caractucus,” “Spartacus,” and “King Arthur” for the Emmett’s variety of boys papers. His stories were grim and his characters believable. My own favourite Steven’s tale is “The Roman Standard Bearer,” a dreadful story of Julius Caesar, the Druids, and human sacrifice which was originally published in the Emmett brothers “Sons of Britannia,” August 19, 1871 Vol.3 No. 76, re-issued as a serial in Charles Fox’s “Boys Leisure Hour” 28TH of August, 1884. Conan the Barbarian would have run like a girl from Stevens’ muscular Ancient Britons !

Comrade In Arms first chapter ends with a wrecker looting the bodies of the drowned of gold coin. Our hero Roland Trevelyan takes action. “Seizing the pommel of his sword, Roland swung the weapon in the air, and the next instant Red Dan Penraven lay stretched on the beach with his head slashed.”

“Runaway Jack concluded in Vol.2, No. 28, Saturday, July 14, 1877. “FRED TARLETON,” an illustrated circus tale, “BLUNDERING TIM,” and “OWEN REDGRAVE” were in the next issue, no.29. Another Reynolds’s Miscellany reprint, (Volume 34. No. 877. April 1, 1865) “Owen Redgrave” in the original anonymous appearance was titled “The Buccaneers; or, The Hidden Treasure.” In penny numbers the author used the pseudonym Edward Ellis, most probably the hard-writing Charles H. Ross.

The new cover serial in Volume II No. 35 was “LEO THE ZINGARO” by Henry Baker, (He used the name Henry Rebak in Bow Bells,) illustrated by F. Gilbert. Another inside serial to appear was the anonymous boy’s school story “HORTON’S FAG; or, Jack is as Good as His Master.”

Percy B. St. John took the cover for No. 46, November 17, 1877 with a thrilling western “THE BOY SCOUTS, a Tale of Manitoba.” R. Huttula contributed fine artwork to a wonderful Canadian story. The last title in this volume was “JOHN NETHERWOOD at Rossal.” By an Old Boy, in no. 52.

Volume III No. 53, Jan. 5, 1878, began with a story of India in 1850 “HAPPY JACK; or, His Varied Experiences of Military Life. A Story Founded On Facts.” It was anonymous. No. 58 on February 9 showcased “KYD’S TREASURE” by Percy B. St. John with Huttula art. Vol. III No. 63 was “THE ADVENTURES OF TOM BOWMAN ; Or, Mirth and Mystery” By the author of “The Young Rebels” (Henry Baker.)

The same issue had “DICK, THE FOUNDLING” an anonymous inside serial. No doubt this was by Charles Henry Ross, the resemblance of the plot to “CHARLEY WAG , the New Jack Sheppard” are startling, not only is the hero Dicky Dalton drawn out of the Thames into a boat on a dark and stormy night, Chapter I, but one of the main characters is named Tottleboy, spelled Toddleboy in “Charley Wag” and in Ross’s panel comic page of “Tommy Toddleboy’s Tailcoat !” Alas, again there is no proof Charley Ross was Edward Ellis, or wrote this tale, the demmed story is anonymous.

The microfilmed Boy’s Herald has a huge gap here but luckily I have the index pages to volume III with serial titles. In order these are “MR. TUMBUSTER AT OXFORD,” “WRECKS AND WRECKERS,” “HARRY BELMORE’S SCHOOLDAYS, A Tale of the Present Time,” and “DAYS OF SHAKESPEARE.” “Shakespeare” turned out to be “William Shakspeare : The Youth, The Lover, and the Poet. A Romance of Three Hundred Years Ago” by Vane Ireton St. John, from Reynolds’s Miscellany Vol. 32, No. 829, April 30, 1864.

Volume III began with “FRANK HOMESPUN,” next up was “THE MUTINY OF THE MARLBOROUGH; Or, ‘Tis a Long Lane That Has no Turning,” By Author of “Harry Belmore,” Vol. 4, No. 31, July 20, 1878, “GARIBALDI, His Trials Through Life,” “LOYAL AND TRUE; Or, Through Perils to Plenty. A Grave and Gay Irish Story,” by author of “Blundering Tim,” in No. 90, Sept. 21, 1878, “THE ROAD TO HAPPINESS,” and the final serial, “THE SAUCY SEA-LARK; Or, The Pride of the Station. A Tale of the African Squadron,” concluded as a supplement in the merger with “The Boy’s Halfpenny Journal.”

“The Boy’s Halfpenny Journal,” was primarily composed of reprints from the Dicks catalogue. The first issue began October 19, 1878 with “A POOR BOY’S TRIALS; or, The Victim of a Vitiated Society In Six Stages.” Possibly by E. F. Roberts who wrote many six part tales for Reynolds’s Miscellany. Next were “Rip Van Winkle,” “Philip Johnson; Or, The Bohemians,” and “The Octoroon; or, Life in Louisiana.” Boy’s Herald merged December 7, 1878, the title tale of No. 8 was “The Robin Redbreasts.” Next “The King’s Highway. A Romance of the London Road a Hundred Years Ago,” by Edward Ellis, “Daring Adventures of Captain John Smith; or, The Feathered Serpent,” by Percy B. St. John, “The Young Gamester,” “Solomon the Jew; or, The Vicissitudes of a Poor Boy,” “The Road to Ruin,” “The Seaside School,” “The Twin Brothers; or, Secret Service,” “The Captain of Blackrock Castle,” and “The Seagull; or, Secret Service.”

The choice of serials thought suitable for boys reprinted from Reynolds’s Miscellany in the Boy’s Herald is interesting. The majority of readers of RM were women (as were the purchasers of G. W. M. Reynolds “Mysteries of London” and “Mysteries of the Court of London”) and costermongers. “William Shakespeare” was basically a love story albeit a swashbuckling romance, “True Blue,” and “The Buccaneers” were more red-blooded boy’s fare.