I cannot truthfully say that I enjoyed transcribing this book. That might be to say that Reverend Wilson would not approve of me, for I enjoy a beer or a glass of wine occasionally, but never to excess. But Wilson was, as ever, fulminating against the Demon Drink, that is to say, against the Demon that can take over people’s lives, and bring misery to their wives and children, for this does happen, even to this day.

There is a story behind all this, but the long sermons pervade, and do really make the book difficult to read. Perhaps you should read the book during some fasting and penitential period of the year, such as Advent or Lent, but then again it might bring on some other kind of sin, such as Sloth.

The first edition of this book is dated 1879. The edition used is dated 1898. The publisher was Thomas Nelson & Sons, Paternoster Row, London. The number of pages is 341.

When he wrote “Frank Oldfield” some ten years before this book, and won a literary prize with it, Wilson showed that he was an author who could write a good story round a moral theme, and hold his readers’ attention.

This is just such a book. You could look at it as no more than a very hard-hitting sermon on the theme of Selfishness, but it is well-written enough, with various episodes of selfishness leading to disaster, and unselfishness leading heavenwards.

It is not a long book, and it will not take you long to read this book, or listen to it. It is well-written, and it will surely make a good impression upon you, and give you food for thought.

The first edition of this book is dated 1880. The edition used is dated 1880. The publisher was Thomas Nelson and Sons, London, Edinburgh and New York. The number of pages is 172.

Wilson wrote several books around the end of the 1880s. He had won a prize some ten years previously for the best book assessed by The Band of Hope, a Society devoted to helping the young never to take up drinking. This present book gives you the impression that it might well have been another one written to be entered into the competition. Anyway, if it was, it didn’t win.

It’s quite a good story, but I think its trouble is, that it is neither a book that would appeal directly to teenagers, which one supposes was its target audience, nor yet to young adults. There is nothing like the amount of action we saw in “Frank Oldfield.”

it is rather a short book, but one of its crowning glories is the set of ten line drawings by “MDH”. These are really superb, full of action and life, particularly where there are children or horses. I wish all childrens’ books were as well illustrated.

The first edition of this book is dated 1880. The edition used is dated 1880. The publisher was S W Partridge and Co Ltd, Old Bailey, London. The number of pages is 138.

Preface

The Committee of the United Kingdom Band of Hope Union having offered prizes of One Hundred Pounds, and Fifty Pounds respectively, for the two best tales illustrative of Temperance in its relation to the young, the present tale, “Frank Oldfield,” was selected from eighty-four tales as the one entitled to the first prize. The second tale, “Tim Maloney,” was written by Miss M.A. Paull, of Plymouth, and will shortly be published. Appended is the report of the adjudicators:—

We the adjudicators appointed by the Committee of the United Kingdom Band of Hope Union, to decide upon the Prize Tales for which premiums of One Hundred Pounds, and Fifty Pounds, were offered by advertisement, hereby declare that we have selected the tale with the motto “Nothing extenuate, or set down aught in malice,” as that entitled to the First Prize of One Hundred Pounds; and the tale with the motto “Hope on, Hope ever,” as that entitled to the Second Prize of Fifty Pounds.

As witness our hands, Thomas Cash, T. Geo. Rooke, B.A., John Clifford, M.A., Ll.B., &c.

United Kingdom Band of Hope Union Office, 5 Red Lion Square, London. August 3, 1869.

This book was well-written, and generally exciting throughout, although one of the early chapters was a bit lacking in action (people seated round the dinner-table). The action was credible and well described. The whole thing rang very true, and for that reason might be read by someone wishing to gain more knowledge of life two-thirds of the way through the nineteenth century. The Reverend Wilson writes well, and it would be pleasant to seek out and read other books from his pen. N.H. (transcriber)

The first edition of this book is dated 1872. The edition used is dated 1872. The publisher was T. Nelson and Sons, London, Edinburgh and New York. The number of pages is 402.