ass frtn00 of tbe 1Rofc, IRffle, ant) Gun 



recommend him. My friend engaged him, and had an 

 excellent servant, for such was John's power of adapting 

 himself to circumstances that nothing ever came amiss 

 to him. But the dark day was coming on ; and in the 

 midst of his affectionate service, beloved from the head 

 of the house to the youngest child, trusted and never 

 found wanting, always ready and always willing, this 

 fine, noble fellow died. I heard of his sickness too late 

 to see him alive on earth, but I trust that master and 

 man may hereafter meet as brothers in Heaven." 



It was in November, 1855, as soon as the fall of 

 Sebastopol had closed the door to adventure in the 

 Crimea that Oswell sailed for South America. On 

 board the mail-steamer he met his future wife, Miss 

 Rivaz, who was going out to her sister Lady Lees, 

 the wife of the Chief Justice of the Bahamas. After 

 wandering through Chili, the West Indies, and the 

 United States, he came home, renewed his acquaintance 

 with Miss Agnes Rivaz, who had also returned, and they 

 were married. From that time he settled down to the 

 quiet life of an English country gentleman, built himself 

 a house (Hillside) at Groombridge, near Tunbridge Wells, 

 which he filled with his African trophies, and found a 

 sphere for his energy in his parish and neighbourhood. 

 Every neighbour who needed him became his special care. 

 " To the poor," Judge Hughes tells us, " he was not a 

 mere benefactor, but each man's, and woman's, and 

 child's personal friend." His Indian experience here 

 came into play. Every little ailment or accident was 

 a certain summons to " the Master," as he was generally 

 called ; and if remonstrated with he would smile and 



