pecially anxious to get home to help in the support of his family. (This, one writer, without the slightest endeavour to be accurate even on the simplest matters, says is nonsense, b

in June 1853, in writing to his sister, apologising for having passed over her birthday without a letter, he says: "I was, unfortunately, on my bed from another attac

em reserved for the postscript; now and again crude verses addressed to his sister, and winding up almost invariably with "write soon." After the father's death Mr Lepard, a member of the firm in which he had been confidential clerk for upwards of twenty-one years, used his influen

y a subscriber to an Orphan Asylum. There may be a few, but the most part of them spend all the money they have in hunting, racing, boating, horses, dogs,

lled her promise of buying her nephew's discharge; but as the little money she left, some ￡70, came to the Bradlaugh famil

and, her neighbour dilated upon the wickedness of her son, and the enormity of his offences, then she would harden herself against him. Her daughter Elizabeth wanted him home badly; and whilst her mother was away at Mitcham, attending the funeral, and doing other things in connection with the death of Miss Trimby, Elizabeth wrote to her brother, asking what it would cost to buy him out. He was instructed to write on a separate paper, as she was afraid of her mother's anger when she saw it, and wished to take the favourable opportunity of a soft moment to tell her. She was left in charge at home,

it would cost to buy me off; but I would

Discharg

for general c

money ho

-

2

bout

don, and I would work like a slave; but do not think, my dear sister, I want to t

are to put down the rioters at Six Mile Bridge, in

e little legal matters arising out of Miss Trimby's death, was not very favourable to the project, and

y should purchase the discharge according to her intentions. A thoroughly boyish letter gives expressio

not a mere dream, but something very like reality. The ￡30 has not yet made its appearance on the scene. I shall be glad to see it, as I shall not feel settled till I get away. I am

know the day I shall be home. Till then, belie

s Brad

abeth, Robert

of the ￡30 "on the scene," which speedily resu

yal's) Regiment o

f Middlesex, was enlisted at Westminster for the 7th Dragoon Guards, on the 17th December 1850, at the age of 17-3/12 years. That h

e, Hd. Comman

ahir, 12th

eneral's Of

ivate Charles Br

1853. J. Eden,

ter: Ve

slie, 7th

scharge is made out in his own h

und the chest) and harden his muscles, and so gave him the strength which served him so well in the later years of his life. He learned to fence and to ride, and both accomplishments proved useful in latter days. Fencing was always a favourite exercise with him and, in after days, when alone, he would also often exercise his muscles by going through a sort of sword drill with the old cavalry sabre, which is hanging on my wall to-day. Riding he at first abhorred, and probably any London East End lad would share his sentiments when first set upon a cavalry charger

quiet nights, whilst the private was on sentry duty, he and the young schoolmaster would have long serious talks upon subjects a little unusual, perhaps, amongst the rank and file; or in the evening, when Thoms

asantry as he could have learned it in no other way. The sights he saw and the things he heard whilst he was in Ireland, as the story I cited a few pages back will show, produced in