AustLit

Identity. A Brighton orphan thrashes the Prince of Wales who kicks over the shells he collected for his livelihood. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria approve his action and have him educated at the Prince's expense and give him a life position in the Royal household. Noble benevolence, fair play etc. Brief. (PB)

Narrative in the form of a reminiscence of India and the narrator - a British officer's - infiltration of enemy lines with his Sikh soldiers. His entry into a British garrison single-handed to learn how long it could withstand a siege after a savage fight between his men and the moslems. Frequent British accolades of loyalty and courage of his men - with undertone of suspicion of foreigners. Action tale. (PB)

A newlywed's husband's frustrating and fruitless search for his wife's fan - which was downstairs all the time. Humour/domestic. (PB)

Tale of a kind act by three French student musicians. They perform in the street to make money for an old musician unable any longer to earn alms in this manner. The proceeds enable him and his consumptive daughter to return to Alsace. Lively; historically based. The musicians were Gustave Roger (the tenor); Adolph Hermann (the violinist); and Charles Gounod (the conductor). (PB)

Domestic. Narrates mainly the conflicting feelings of anger, self-pity, remorse and self-reproach of a wife and mother over a fight with her husband over his domestic short temper. Includes interactions with her naughty twins and her servant. By the end of the day she forgets her 'other suitor' and comforts her husband when he returns with news that his pay has been cut back ... Some interest in subject and style but a little tedious and predictable. (PB)

Humorous account of an American tourist's attempt to hire a bicycle in Switzerland for the day. His barbarous mixture of the languages spoken in Switzerland results in his apparent theft of the bike, a chase by police, and a fine for his escapade. Light. (PB)

A British army sub-lieutenant in India frustrates his colonel's attempt to stop his marriage with the help of his fiancée - they take his telegram orders literally and so 'join at once'. Humour. Slight and brief. (PB)

Domestic. An evening playing cards with Mrs W's friends is a disaster. Mr W's initial reluctance to go; Mrs W's inability at cards; and a catastrophic waltz spell complete marital disharmony. Slight. (PB)

US frontier scene. A waggon-train of 30 wagons and 60 troopers attacks a force of 400 Apaches and wins. Concentrates on narrator's near death from a wounded but determined Indian warrior - he is saved at the last minute. (PB)

A traveller to the Pink and White terraces in New Zealand's North Island has a vision of a beautiful nude maiden in a canoe joined by others until a sudden storm overturns her boat. He helps rescue her and as a reward she takes him to the maidens' crystal home within the earth. As she kisses him he awakes to find out he has fainted from toxic gas. Dreamy, insubstantial atmosphere; unsatisfyingly vague first person narrative. Interpolated with brief quotations, eg: from A. L. Gordan's "Ashtaroth", Tasso, etc. (PB)

Humour. A teacher's lesson in maths is based on cutting a piece of meat successively in halves - Mince in the final result ... (PB)

Set in a farming district, a widow married to a much younger man, a former farm labourer, appeals to a neighbour to help prevent the daughter's marriage to his labourer. The neighbour has encouraged the match as he holds the deeds to the widow's farm and wants to see her totally broken. The widow murders him, his labourer is blamed until the widow confesses and kills herself. (PB)

Humorous instructions on tram-car etiquette for maximum inconvenience to driver, conductor and fellow passengers. (PB)

An Englishman working on a ranch in New Mexico for his health is taken from a dance hall to a dark hut a few miles away by a beautiful Indian girl. He has money on him to buy his own ranch and suspecting a trick finds a poisonous tarantula on the bed she leads him to. She puts the spider to her bosom when he suspects her and her father - whose innocent dupe she was - watches her die before the English cowboy kills him. The Englishman leaves the next day for California. Mixture of understatement and melodrama. (PB)