The Dragon of Wantley His Tale

Excerpt

WhenBetsinda held the Rose
And the Ring decked Giglio’s finger
Thackeray! ’twas sport to linger
With thy wise, gay-hearted prose.
Books were merry, goodness knows!
When Betsinda held the Rose.
Who but foggy drudglings doze
While Rob Gilpin toasts thy witches,
While the Ghost waylays thy breeches,
Ingoldsby? Such tales as those
Exorcised our peevish woes
When Betsinda held the Rose.
Realism, thou specious pose!
Haply it is good we met thee;
But, passed by, we’ll scarce regret thee;
For we love the light that glows
Where Queen Fancy’s pageant goes,
And Betsinda holds the Rose.
Shall we dare it? Then let’s close
Doors to-night on things statistic,
Seek the hearth in circle mystic,
Till the conjured fire-light shows
Where Youth’s bubbling Fountain flows,
And Betsinda holds the Rose.

We two—the author and his illustrator—did not know what we had done until the newspapers told us. But the press has explained it in the following poised and consistent criticism:

“Too many suggestions of profanity.”
—Congregationalist, Boston, 8 Dec. ’92.

“It ought to be the delight of the nursery.”
—National Tribune, Washington, 22 Dec. ’92.

“Grotesque and horrible.”
—Zion’s Herald, Boston, 21 Dec. ’92.

“Some excellent moral lessons.”
—Citizen, Brooklyn, 27 Nov. ’92.

“If it has any lesson to teach, we have been unable to find it.”
—Independent, New York, 10 Nov. ’92.

“The story is a familiar one.”
—Detroit Free Press, 28 Nov. ’92.

“Refreshingly novel.”
—Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, 17 Dec. ’92.

“It is a burlesque.”
—Atlantic Monthly, Dec. ’92.

“All those who love lessons drawn from life will enjoy this book.”
—Christian Advocate, Cincinnati, 2 Nov. ’92.

“The style of this production is difficult to define.”
—Court Journal, London, 26 Nov. ’92.

“One wonders why writer and artist should put so much labor on a production which seems to have so little reason for existence.”
—Herald and Presbyterian, Cincinnati.

Now the public knows exactly what sort of book this is, and we cannot be held responsible.

How Sir Godfrey came to lose his TemperHow his Daughter, Miss Elaine, behaved herself in ConsequenceReveals the Dragon in his DenTells you more about Him than was ever told before to AnybodyIn which the Hero makes his First Appearance and is Locked Up immediatelyIn which Miss Elaine loses her Heart, and finds Something of the Greatest ImportanceShows what Curious Things you may see, if you don’t go to Bed when you are sentContains a Dilemma with two simply egregious HornsLeaves much Room for guessing about Chapter TenThe great White Christmas at Wantley347911131719273233343539414349516162697576778489909196101111112113120128135136142148155, 156167168176181185186187192198203208

 

here was something wrong in the cellar at Wantley Manor....