"I am sure it will be interesting to all Marlburians to know that an Old Marlburian, Edward Matthew Hale, who entered the school in 1866, and left in 1869, was present with the Russian Army as one of the Artists to the "Illustrated London News" for several months last year.

"Hale reached Bucharest on the 25th of April, and travelled over Roumania, waiting for the Russians to cross the Danube. He was there an eye-witness of the river engagement at Simnitza, when the Russians crossed the Danube, towards the end of June. After this, he was attached to the Cavalry Division of the 8th Army Corps. His next important move was to accompany General Gourko in his celebrated raid through the Shipka Pass to EskiSaghra, from which point the Russians were obliged to retreat. This was in September, and it became with Hale a case of "Cedant arma togae," and he returned to more peaceful avocations at his studio in Newman St. During the five months he was with the Russians, many of his sketches were printed in the " Illustrated," where his name has no doubt been recognized by some of his Marlborough contemporaries.

"I enclose extracts reprinted from the "Times." In one, mention is made by Col. Brackenbury, R.A., of Hale's self-denying kindness to the wounded, and the the other is a letter written by Hale to his father, which was printed in the "Times."

"Of the hundred and more artists and newspaper correspondents with the Russians, three, of whom Hale is one, have been awarded by the Czar the Cross of St. Stanislaus, the other two being Archibald Forbes, the special correspondent to the Daily

News, and Dr. Carrick. In the case of Hale and Dr. Carrick, it is awarded for services to the Russian wonnded, especially for the action described in the extract from the Times of the 15th of August..

"An article written by Hale, and headed

Through the Balkans with General Gourko,' appears in this, the February number of the Corn

hill Magazine,' and gives a very good idea of the hardships which special correspondents have to face in a campaign."

Our correspondent is also good enough to enclose the extracts from the Times, which he alludes to above. The first is Col. Brackenbury's mention of Hale, from the Times of the 15th of August:

"You can bear no more to read nor I to write of such fiendish cruelty. Turn the page, and hear how Mr. Hale, the artist of the Illustrated London News, saved his last dreg of brandy, though sorely in need of it, saying, in public school phrase, some poor devil might want it'; he also volunteered to fetch water from a distant well, because the road was so exposed to fire that the Russian soldiers there dared not go; but the English lad, for he looks little more, went and brought the water to the wounded." There then follows a detailed account of the battle of Yeni Saghra, which was published in the Times of the 21st of August. It is so interesting, and it would be so much spoilt by clipping, that we make no apology whatever for publishing it in full. It must be remembered that the letter is written by Hale himself, and that the experiences throughout are his

own:

"I have a little time to write you a few lines to show you I am well and alive, but when I tell you that for the last ten days I have not stopped long enough in any place to have more than a few hours to work at my sketches, you will understand my silence. For six days I have not had my clothes off, and have been in the open air without even a tent at night, and next to nothing to eat except bread which we had to break with a stone. On Sunday morning last week Rose (the Correspondent for the Scotsman) and Dr. Garrick, a St. Petersburg doctor, and I started at four in the morning with General Gourko and his flying column from Kezanlik. We were the only Correspondents with this advanced force, much to our delight, and I had a clear field for the first time. Our object was to cross the lower Balkans and occupy Yeni Saghra and Eski Saghra, meeting another column on our way, Well, we rode on through burning villages through the long hot day with the Staff, and were very well received, as they were very well satisfied to see us accompany them on this adventurous expedition.

"The way lay through a lovely valley, rich with maize and corn, and for the most part beside a wery pleasant little river,

the Tandja; stopping beside it for a couple of hours to bivonac in the heat of the day; then on and on into the night till the poor Infantry men could go no farther, and we stopped at 1 a.m. at the village of Balabanli. Almost asleep in our saddles, we gladly tied our horses to a tree, and after robbing a cornfield for our horses we lay down and woke again at 4. Three hours' sleep after 18 hours' march was hard lines, but off we went. Then I got separated by trying a short cut to save my dear horse, and got fixed in a thick wood, but luckily a few reconnoitring Cossacks came up and gave me a lead, and as my horse would sooner die than be left behind, we tore through the brushwood at a breakneck pace, and came out on the hills above Yeni Saghra to see the place in flames; this was serious, as we had hoped to find a resting-place. We soon drove the Turks out,, and as I and my companions could stand our hunger and fatigue with patience no longer, stormed a deserted village, catching our dinner, a turkey and two fat geese, plums and flour. Here was a feast! We soon entered a Turkish house, and Terence, my faithful servant and cook, made us a soup fit for the Lord Mayor, and baked the flour into bread; dough though it was it was, better than the dry rusks we had hitherto eaten, and after a smoke and sleep we resumed our way to overtake the column, though rather regretting our greediness, as the neighbourhood might still contain parties of Turks or the dreadful Bashi-Bazonks. When we got to the town of Yeni Bazar we found it a heap of ruins and dead, the trenches filled with dead Turks and the railway station full of burning trucks of ammunition, which was going off in all directions. Here I got my first spoil, a nearly new Remington rifle picked up from a dead Turk, and ammunition to match. The roads were filled with Bulgarians, who returned to divide the spoil like jackals, waiting till the Russian lion had satisfied himself. There was no use waiting there, and after a sketch and feeding my poor horse on some corn, which I found in the Turkish camp and guarded till he was stuffed, we rode on and on after Gourko till 10 that night, the poor soldiers dropping out on the road in the direction of Eski Saghra. The road was filled with the household goods of the flying Turk, and Terence was an amusing sight, with beauti. ful tin pans shining like silver, and bits of stuff with which I vainly hoped to decorate my studio, and a parasol which he would stick to. These, however, the poor fellow had to drop with sheer fatigue, when the exuberance of his spirits flagged and he had to hold himself on his horse. Another bivouac in the open, this time no moon, and a chill night wind, as the nights can be very cold in spite of the hot burning days:

"Well, at six in the morning we moved off, and as Carrick and I rode on ahead we were startled by a white puff from a thick wood across the plain, and the shriek of a shell as it fell harmless across the chaussée ahead of us, then a galloping Cossack from the advanced guard, who cocked his gun as we approached; but thanks to Carrick, who speaks Russian like a native, he understood we were not Turks. As neither of us adopts the uniform some Correspondents think it necessary to put on, I was in a brown suit and a small

This little

round cap, and Carrick in a glengarry cap. danger over, and hearing the Turks were ahead, we rode on to a mound with an advancing battery of Cossack artillery, and climbed the mound as they unlimbered. Here we were in a splendid position to see all, and as we lay down were quite safe from the shells which they poured about the roads. We saw the Turks apparently retire, and a shell from our battery pitch in their very midst as they went along the road. By this time the Staff appeared, and seeing an important move. ment on the left wing we galloped out from our mound in front of the Staff, and got a mound all to ourselves, in the very midst of the operations. We repented our rashness, though only for a moment, when we found it impossible to stand on the hill for the shells which whizzed and shrieked and burst around us; they were trying to prevent our troops advancing by this way to attack their right wing. No use, however, the Russian stands fire too well, and soon we were relieved by the advance of the Tiraillurs, who advanced as coolly as if they were at a review; the officers in the front, our friends went into the shell-strewn plain and advanced on the Turks by the wood. Then came the most fearful fire I ever heard at a review, and as the Russian attaché said afterwards he had never heard anything like it himself, I was not overrating it. The noise was incessant and the smoke dense. Where we lay we were happily out of the line of fire and just out of range, only an occassional bullet falling with harmless thud as it reached the ground spent. We were not long quiet, however, for the Russian infantry were obliged to retire from this deadly reception, as they could see no foe, all being hidden by the trees. Again they and the 33rd Regiment went in, and carried the wood in a splendid manner. Meanwhile, the poor wounded fellows who could walk or crawl, or be lifted by their less severely wounded companions, sought refuge with us; and refuge, indeed, it must have been, after the frightful fire they had experienced. shells, however, did not cease, and as Dr. Carrick took out his case and appointed me his assistant, put sketch book away for sponge and water and bandages, and hard work we had. The first we attended was our captain, with a ball through his chest, helped out of the battle by a man with a shattered arm, and a man with a wound in his foot. Poor fellows! their devotion to their officer was noble and touching, and glad I was to be of some use. Of course my bandages and instruments were in Kezanlik, when I wanted them; but I was obliged to take no more than my horse could easily carry-viz., a rug and waterproof. They still We the poor wounded fellows, and were far from help. The artillery between us and the Turks fell short of ammunition and retired. What a moment! Here were helpless men, whom it was impossible and almost cowardly to leave to the mercy of the Turks, and yet self-preservation would cross one's mind from one's inability to help them in case of an advance of the Turkish right. Some buried their heads in the ground, and others one could see quite dazed, and since they were shot, indifferent to what happened The captain ordered them not to show themselves, and as we

came,

The

could not bear to see their suspense, I, in my brown suit quite invisible, crept through the parched grass till I could watch the operations again. I lay still and called down to them that there was no danger, till, to our relief, another battery galloped up and dashed forward about 400 yards, and wheeling round opened a heavy fire on the Turks. Then the Infantry went in and won the day on our left wing, and all was over for us. The last shell fell and left us in peace with our charge. Hearing there were doctors behind our mound, a man came galloping up on what I at once recognized as our Colonel's horse, and said there were wounded men in the wood to our left. So we did all we could for our little hospital, and rode away. We found the poor Colonel with a shattered leg and several others in a bad way; we sent off for assistance, and soon to our relief, a party of ambulance men with litters appeared and we abandoned our charge. Carrick was tired out, and I got a wounded officer on my horse and kept him steady. We had eaten nothing since the night before and it was now 3 o'clock. We thought of our lunch on the day before, and the good Terence had saved the remains of the Goose and the dough, though starving himself. We retired to a wood, and flung ourselves down and slept, and in our sleep our horses strayed. When I awoke, oh! awful moment, we found ourselves away from the main body, miles from a town, no horses, and dead tired, and the Turks in force not far from us, for we had to advance to see our wounded friends. Terence, however, got hold of some unwilling Bulgarians and a stray Cossack, and Carrick and I ran opposite ways; no horses. We met disconsolate and tired, and determined to make the best of it, we lighted a fire and made some tea, lighting our fire with a cartridge, as we had no matches: then I walked over to the poor wounded men left here far away from the retreating army, for the Turks were too strong for the Russians to hold the position, and the Russians were forced to retire. We were between the two armies, and we well knew the treatment of the Turks to prisoners and wounded. Here I get a pipeful of tobacco from the good Colonel, who in his pain remembered I had none when on the mound and felt at his side for his own bag; I don't think I ever saw so touch. ing a piece of gentlemanly gratitude for slight services, and I never enjoyed a pipe more ; but better was in store. I saw the faithful Terence and the Bulgarians with the three truants, and with delight I embrace my horse and felt rich again, and rewarded the poor fellows handsomely. The three horses had gone for a walk in the wood; the bushes closing behind them had effectually concealed their retreat.

could leave no dead behind unburied for fear of the Turks mutilating them; not that it much mattered, but they insisted on Christian burial. At last we moved in pitch darkness very slowly and wearily, until we came up with a picket of Hussars that had cut their way through the Circassians in the after part of the battle. Here Carrick and I determined to stay and lie down. In the morning we awoke, and I found we had in the darkness lain down close to the dead-a horrible moment; but I am now so accustomed to horrors, I did not take much notice. In the morning we all moved on, and I found my friend Rose at Head-quarters, much to my delight, as I had been uneasy about him without necessity."

WE extract from the Kapunda Herald, for Dec. 25th, 1877, a pleasant testimony to the character and attainments of an O.M., who is still something more than a name to many of us,-R. E. N Twopeny.

It appears that he was chosen to go to the Paris Exhibition as secretary to Mr. Boothly, the Executive Commissioner.

After mentioning this fact, the Herald goes on to say-" Mr. Ernest Twopeny has made his name famous here by the great interest he has taken in football. Coming from Marlborough school, where football was an absorbing institution, he on his arrival here sought to instil into the minds of our colonial young men a love for the dangerous old game.

"He has succeeded, and to his efforts mainly I trace many a broken shin, and many a tumble caused by what he is pleased to style "The dear old pastime.” But this is merely an aside, and is simply mentioned to illustrate the enthusiasm and thoroughly jolly character of Mr. Boothly's secretary and interpreter, whose knowledge of French is equal to that of any Frenchman; for he lived in France many years, and is besides of French extraction. He is a genial, gentlemanly young fellow, and the colony will lose nothing by having him at the South Australian Court at the forthcoming Paris Exhibition."

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Marlburian.

Dear Sir,-Now that we have at last got our new organ, the next important steps towards the beautifying of our chapel is, in my opinion, a surpliced choir; most of our great public schools have one, and it is a pity that Marlborough should be behind them in this respect. I know that there is still a

deficit on the organ to be made up, but surely this is no reason why this matter should not be taken into consideration, while that is being paid off. The two main objections appear to me to be these (1) that the vestry accommodation would be insufficient for the Surplices: (2) that the cost is too great.

In answer to the first, I beg to suggest that the surplices might be kept at the Lodge, where there is plenty of room for them, and that the choir might put them on there, and come into chapel after the masters. With regard to the second, I can only say that at Stratford on Avon School, which has recently set up a surpliced choir, the parents of each chorister were requested to supply either a surplice or a cassock, and the remainder was paid off by school subscription. The same plan might answer well at Marlborough: the tradesmen, whose price lists I enclose, are some of the best. Hoping that this suggestion may find favour,

I am, Sir,
Yours truly,

A FORMER MEMBER OF THE CHOIR. [The inquiring reader may see the Price lists on application to the New Court Study. ED. M.]

To the Editor of the Marlburian.

DEAR SIR,-I was very glad to see in the last number of the Marlburian that some one had ventured to suggest the institution of a Strangers' Race. I would make two suggestions with regard to this race:

1. That this race be confined to O.M.'s so as to exclude all professionals, one or more of whom would probably come down every year and spoil the race by frightening others

away.

2. That the length of this race be altered every year, say half-a-mile one year, two miles the next year, 100 yards the next, and so on; so that those O.M.'s who prefer a longer race might come down one year, and those who prefer a shorter one another year.

I would also venture to suggest that the races round the Eleven should be run the opposite way to which they are run now, i.e., with the right inwards, as is done at the Univer sities; because when a fellow has got accustomed to ranning one way, he finds it rather difficult at first to run the other way. Hoping these suggestions will not prove altogether useless,

I am, dear Sir, yours, &c.,

R. E. F.

To the Editor of the Marlburian. SIR-There is one sentence in A.K.B.'s le ter in your last number which I think anyone who has had any experience of "Big Game," will allow to be indubitably correct, viz., "That most of our Football accidents are caused by our playing on a slope." Assuming therefore this assertion to be undeniable, two questions arise; 1st-Are the accidents sufficiently numerous or sufficiently severe to need a remedy. 2nd-If they are, what shall the remedy be? Now assuming again an

affirmative answer to the first question, it appears to me that there are two remedial courses open to us. The first is to play on the XI. as A.K.B. proposes, and against which he says the objections are twofold. Now in my opinion there is more enjoyment to be derived from a good game of cricket than there is from a good game of football, (possibly because the former is generally played in better weather, possibly for divers other reasons, which might provoke argument, and so I will not mention), therefore I do not think that the rights of cricketers ought to be disturbed for the sake of football, but I quite agree with A.K.B. that no possible damage could be done to the cricket ground by playing football on it, on fine days at any rate, during the winter term. It is played on hundreds of cricket grounds, and I may mention the grounds of Trinity and Jesus Colleges, Cambridge, and Kennington Oval, as the first that occur to me, and it is a very common practice indeed. My own impression certainly was that the XI. ground would be too small, as of course a considerable margin would have to be left between touch line and the banks, but A.K B. has doubtless considered the subject so I will make no further comment. The second course which may perhaps be considered impracticable is to level big game either by raising it or lowering it to a flat. It would of course involve considerable expense, though I am unable to form an estimate of the probable cost, but it would give us a splendid, football ground, and two excellent house grounds for cricket, and surely if it would be a permanent benefit to the School, Marlburians could be found who would come forward and do it. Should this course be deemed utterly impracticable, I would strongly urge the advisability of adopting A.K.B.'s proposal of playing on the XI.

I am, Sir, yours truly,

J. M. C.

PENNY READING, FEB. 16th, 1878.

ON Saturday evening a well-filled room rewarded the efforts which the Penny Reading Committee had made to compile an attractive programme. Gloomy rumours had, as usual, been circulated about the way in which the part songs were 66 going;" but we have heard similar reports so often, that we have ceased to pay much attention to them, and the début of two new vocalists, who had previously gained some local reputation, was sufficient to counterbalance these reports and to "draw" a good house.

The proceedings began with a Pianoforte Duet (Brinley's Richards' Albert Edward March), very fairly played by Kite and Luard, though not very effective in the remoter parts of the room. This was followed by a part-song not unknown to Marlborough audiences, Bailey's Annie Lee. The trebles had

been weakened by misfortunes, but the three who were present did their very best all through the evening, and succeeded in shewing that the unavoida ble absences, though they might be regretted, were not irreparable. The singing was not quite in tune, especially in the rather difficult treble part; but it was quite as good as most of the singing which we have heard at Penny Readings lately.

C. R. Fowler, who next came on the platform, read an Ingoldsby Legend, "The Knight and the Lady," or "a Legend of the Reign of Queen Anne." The reading was scarcely as successful as might have been expected; the reader seemed afraid of trespassing too long on the attention of his hearers, and consequently scarcely brought out either the pathos of the serio-comic stanzas, or the humour of the rhymes, while the piece itself suffered from the "cuts" to which it had been unsparingly subjected. "The Bells of St. Michael's Tower" is a new setting by Sir R. P. Stewart (in 5 parts) of an old favourite glee in three parts. In its new dress it has lost nothing of its melodious charm, though perhaps a little of its humour has vanished, and it has gained very much in fulness and musical depth. It is by no means an easy bit of music to sing; and though the performance was not absolutely perfect, it was very praiseworthy and very effective, and fully deserved the encore which demanded its repetition. It was a misfortune, that-considering the importance of the work which was allotted to themthe two somewhat diminutive altos were not brought out into greater prominence: the double bass part rather overweighted them. Petrie's Violin Solo was an unqualified and well-deserved success. Never, at any of these meetings, has an instrumental piece received so enthusiastic and unanimous an encore as did the Airs from Donizetti's "Fille du Regiment," when interpreted through Petrie's agile fingers and skilful bow. On his recall, he played with much taste an Intermezzo."

A portion of a scene from Sheridan's "Rivals" was next given by C. R. Fowler and A. W. Arkle. Both son and father were very praiseworthy impersonations but Fowler's part, being more pronounced and effective, won for him the lion's share of the applause which followed the performance. "The Story of the Nightingale," as rendered by T. D. C. Firminger, did not hit the mood of the audience.

The singer has a full, round bass voice, and will probably prove a valuable addition to our list of available soloists, if he will make himself thoroughly conversant with the song which he is intending to sing. The Part Song,-Young's "Gaily through the Greenwood,"-which was next sung, does not call for much notice. It is not difficult or elaborate, but was pleasing and very fairly rendered. Next in order was a "Serenade," arranged for Piano and Violins; the piece was tuneful and pretty. We are glad to see that Petrie's example is leading others to cultivate his instrument; but we ought to be able to count our violinists by tens instead of by units. A. W. Arkle achieved a decided success in Molloy's "Little Tin Soldier." The song is by no means difficult or exacting, nor really worthy of the composer; but Arkle delivered it with some expression and plenty of spirit and confidence, and brought down the roof with rounds of applause. Kite's accompaniment was in this case decidedly worthy of special praise indeed, since we last heard him, he seems to have improved considerably in the very difficult but too much neglected art of accompanying. The entertainment was brought to a most successful close by Filby's Lion and Four Wolves, a humorous part-song. The singing was not quite in tune and the two-headed Lion was overweighted by the chorus of Wolves; but the piece was given with so much vigour and good-will that a delighted audience went away happy at its repetition and at being able to shew by their loyal vociferation of "God Save the Queen," that the forest-king, whose conduct was complained of, could not in their opinion have possibly been the remotest kin to the British Lion. Appended is a programme :