, 1877-06-22
Author Of John Halifax.

Those who admire John Halifax" and
its companion novels. will be interested
in knowing that their authoress has quite
a romantic history Of her own. She was
born at -upon-Trent, Staifordshire,
in the yesr 1926, and WAS engaged to be
married in her youth 10 a gentleman
whose business made il necessary for him
TO leave England. On his return from
the voyage they were to be united. All
promised well, and when news came that
the ship was returning in safety, with
joyful heart Miss Mulock and her mother
went to the wharf to welcome, as in "My
Mother and |, >" the successful merchant
The vessel came into sight, and on the
deck stood the young man, who appeared
overjoyed to see awaiting him the be-
loved of his heart. They exchanged
greetings, and mingling with the crowd,
he hurried to be the first to land-but as
he was on the plank his foot slipped, and
he fell into the water and was drowned
before her very eyes. For a long time
Miss Mulock could not occupy herself
with anything, but at last her friends in
duced her to write for consolation in her
great sorrow, and she sent out "John
Halifax" which established her reputa-
ton and absorbed her thoughts. Time
passed on, but she never swerved in her
allegiance to her drowned love-but after
years had elapsed there was a terrible
railroad accident in her neighOorhood,
and she was active in ministering to the
wounded, and one young man was brought
to her house, and for months she nursed
bim and he recovered, but lost one of his
limbs, and also his heart to his kind
friend. All his entreaties made no i'm
preston, as Miss Mulock said she should
never marry; but be replied that if he
waited ten years she should be his wife,
so with the characteristic firmness of a
woman, after a year she, in 1865, became
Mrs. George Lille Craik, and a happy
wife she is, although twenty years older
than her husband. The blessing of chill
dren is denied them, but Providence gave
them ample satisfaction for that regret.
One morning Mrs. Craik was walking
out and found little baby lying in the
roadside, forsaken by its mother. A bas-
ket of linen was beside it, which indicated
that it was not of poor parentage. She
SbOppou W lOOh ~ IL, anu lueu DtRdn 10
long to have it for her own. She ran
home to her husband and told him, and
made him, though reluctant, accompany
her back, and where it still lay smiling
and crowing-and his heart was touched
by the helpless little child, and he was as
eager as his wife to take it. As found
ling babies are not generally the most
coveted of possessions, there was no op-
position to their wishes, and they carried
the wee daughter home and christened
her Theodore. Mrs. Craik is devoted to
her, and no party is 80 delightful to her
that she does not see her treasure safe in
bed, after saying her prayers before she
goes, and she seems to think that in the
crowd that surrounded the little stranger,
the mother was looking to see who would
take her little one.
Mrs. Craik still preserves a quaint old
fashioned dress, with its body gathered
at the shoulders, to point at the waist.
When asked to sing she complies readily,
and gives an old-time ballad with a SIM
pie accompaniment. In 1854 the queen
bestowed on the gifted authoress liter
ary pension of sixty pounds per annum.
y. e. s. w., in Home Journal.