I Henry Kingsley 5 



the house, with the assistance, or at the instigation, 

 of George, wheeled Henry, when an infant, in a 

 garden barrow into a pond and abandoned him 

 there, from motives of jealousy : no harm, however, 

 was done, owing to the gardener, under Providence, 

 having a need of that barrow. Chastisement was 

 administered where deserved, and Henry Kingsley 

 grew up, and in due course went to Oxford, render- 

 ing his career there mainly remarkable by mad 

 pranks and distinction in the domain of athletics. 

 He was like his own creation Charles Ravenshoe. 

 His buoyant animal spirits and vivacious tempera- 

 ment compelled him to take part in all the reckless, 

 joyous life round him, and his ability made him a 

 leader therein. When the gold -digging fever was 

 raging Henry went to Australia. It is needless to 

 remark that he did not make a fortune there, but in 

 the course of five years as a stock-rider, miner, and 

 mounted policeman, he saw things Australian at 

 large as they were in those days. Then he returned 

 to England, tenderly nursed his father through his 

 last illness, made his name in literature by his 

 two great novels Geoffrey Hamlyn and Ravenshoe^ 

 plunged into a literary career and journalism as a 

 profession, married his cousin Miss Haslewood, 

 and in 1870 went, with his love of adventure 

 unabated, and joined the German army as war 

 correspondent. Henry Kingsley won no prizes at 

 Oxford save silver cups ; he found no fortune in 

 Australia ; all his life long he seemed to those who 



