Year: 1877

Those who admire "JOhn Halifax
and its companion novels will be inter.
ested in knowing that their authoress
has quite a romantic history of her
own. She was born at Stoke-upon-
Trent, Staffordshire, in the year 1856
and was engaged to be married in her
youth to a gentleman whose business
made 1t necessary for him to leave
England. On his return from the voy-
age they were to be united. All pro-
missed 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 l." the success
full merchant. The vessel came into
sight, and on the deck stood the young
man, who appeared OveEjoyed to see
awaiting him the beloved of his heart
They exchanged greeting, and ming
ling with the crowd, he hurried to be
the first to land-but as he was on the
plank, his foot slipped, and he fell in
to thewater and was drowned before
her very eyes. For long time Miss
MulOck could mot occupy herself with
anything, but at last her friends in
duced her to write for consolation in
her great sorrow. and she sent ont
John Halifax" which established her
reputation 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 neigh
bOrhoOd, and she was active in admin
istering to the wounded, and one
young man was brought to her house,
and for months she nursed him and he
recovered, but lost one of his limbs,
and also his heart to his kind friend.
All his entreaties made no impression,
as Miss MulOck said she should never
marry, but he replied that if he waited
ten years she should be his wife, so
with the characteristic firmuess of q
woman, after 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 children is denied them, but PrOvi-
dence 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
basket of linen was beside it, which in
dicated that it was not of poor parent
age. She stopped to look at it and
then began to long to have it for her
own. She ran home to her husband
and told him, and made him, though
reluctant, accompany her back, to
where it still lay smiling and growing
and his heart was touched by the help.
less little child, and he was as
eager as his wife to take it. AS found
ling babes are not generally the most
coveted of possessions, there was no
opposition to their wishes, and they
carried the wee daughter home and
christened her Theodore. Mrs Craik is
devoted to her and no party of pleas
ure is 50 delightful that she does not
see her treasure safe in bed after say
ing her prayers before she goes, and
she seems to think that in the crowd
who 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 a point at
the waist. When asked to sing she
complies readily, and gives an old-time
ballad with a simple accompaniment.
In 1864 the queen bestowed on the
gifted authoress literary pension of
sixty pounds yer annum.-NeW York
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