People, Places, and Things, by the Author of 'Lost Sir Massingberd'. (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1865. Excerpt: ... A DULL DAY ON EXMOOR. "VTR. ALBERT SMITH, in the course of his entertain--"--ment at the Egyptian Hall, was accustomed to preface that admirable monologue of the Engineer of the Austrian Lloyd's, with this remark, " He told me the stupidest story that I ever heard in all my life, and now, ladies and gentlemen, I am going to tell it to you." Thus I, having passed through and mercifully got out of Thursday, the twentyeighth day of August--the dullest day by far in the white annals of my summer life--am about to communicate that experience. The companions of my misfortune were two--Lieutenant Kidd Shinar, of her Majesty's Foot, and Olive Thompson, Esquire, of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, and, by practice, an amateur painter of landscapes. The place where we three were then and are now residing is eminently congenial to all delineators of scenery. Upon the red rocks by the sea, on little islands in the wooded streams, and upon the sides of our purple hills, there are pitched countless tents, under the shelter of which the purveyors to the water-colour exhibitions are seen during this season at their pleasant toil. When they are not thus actively employed under canvas, they saunter loosely about the village in intellectual gin-punch-and-Shelley-looking groups, with short pipes, flannel shirts, sketch-book, and moustachios. Our young ladies peep from under their slouch hats as they go by, upon the deathless works of these distinguished youths with admiration, and "Oh I should dearly love to be a painter's wife " they confess at nightly toilettes to their bosom friends. The parents of these young people, however, entertain very different views upon this subject, and regard our artists, as a general rule, as a less respectable order of painters a...