The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-07 00:00:00

ANDREW DEVEREL.'

Since early boyhood Andrew had been dependent on his
own exertions. The wandering life he had lived, and the
hardships he had endured, had early developed a strong
and active mind. He had a soul superior to the combina-
tion of a few animal propensities, governed by vanity, that
forms the minds of tuo many young men of the present day.
Time is not always the measure of existence. Some people
of 25 years have seen, done, and learnt more than others of
75. Some men with active minds do more in the way of
thinking in one year than others do in ten, although an in-
active mind may think itself ever employed. Andrew
Deverel had ever been in circumstances requiring the exer-
tions of all his faculties.
If he was so much superior to the majority of young men,
the reader may enquire, why should we find him in the
streets of his native village, homeless, ill-clad and hungry ?
His destitute state was not the result of profligacy or of
idleness; but he had a restless love of excitement and ad-
venture ; he preferred a wandering life, and seeing different
countries, instead of following any fixed employment; he
had chosen to be " a rolling stone," and to sacrifice all the
" moss" of wealth or comfort he might have gained in a
settled business. He was manly and honourable, but he
could not bear control, and he revolted from everything like
routine. His peculiarities were precisely those most likely
to prevent him from ever becoming rich, and to land him
occasionally on the positive fact of destitution, but he could
always find something to which he could turn his hand to
help himself out of his inconveniences ; he carried himself
complete wherever he went, and he considered his circum.
stances, whether good or ill, as merely temporary. Ho
was tall, well made, lithe of limb, capable of
enduring great fatigue and privation; with the
free and graceful carriage of an Indian chief, he
had the grave composure of one. His manners had the
characteristic of an old civilisation—viz, that of never seem-
ing to be out of place. His face was decidedly hand-
senile,--a pair of large gray eyes with long black eyelashes,

which could look very kind and good in spite of a certain
haughtiness, due partly to the erect manner in which he
held his head ; a straight powerful nose ; a light brown
beard and moustache allowed his mouth to be partly seen.
When he was in a good temper or a cheerful mood, the
expression of his whole countenance was kind and gentle,
but it was capable of looking very sarcastic and fierce when
he was not pleased. His hair, which was brown like his
beard, fell back from his forehead over his head rather long,
and without the slightest curl. He had the pride of a dozen
devils, a good deal of perverseness, and though his nature
was kind, his temper was uncertain. Fortune would have
to humour him as well as to favour him, if he were ever
to become a rich man.

Such is Andrew Deverel, who in his rags and
his wretchedness resolves, like the Gipsy Painter of
yore, that the rich man's daughter shall become
his bride. How Andrew speeds with his wooing
we shall not reveal. He has the spirit and determi-
nation of II Zingaro, and like him deserves to corn-
maud success. The episode of Henry Froud, who
goes to California to win gold for his ruined family,
is full of interest, and the scene of his return is de-
scribed with much dramatic force. Very different
emotions are excited by the sad story of the doomed
lieutenant, cursed by a fatal attraction to the
gaming-table. Deverel ultimately rescues him
from want, and lends him money to proceed home-
wards. Then follows a chapter entitled