One the only picture she painted of it is in are of one gaily standing before au easel with | been half a foot's length of thigh. a palette of brilliant hues, the other subject I looked for among her work in drawing also, but with dull, chalky tints, vain. And I am happy to think that and bowing a shrouded head over her arm as she remembers; "The Prodigal Son" in the gloaming among his pigs under a lurid sky; that most beautiful Stairs of Life," of which so much has been written, and in which one finds such characteristics of BurneJones two young children together as lovers; lower down the husband and wife still hand in hand, but she immersed in her little ones, he in his books and scrolls; lower still Charon's boat and the scene of the embarkation of the devoted souls, together again in an embrace as of old, divinely sweet and tender. But beyond and above all others to me were three paintings of a subject she had greatly in her hearta modern "Nativity,' ," in which the place of the Virgin of Italian art is supplied by a poor widow in a barn, the white rim of her cap making a halo round her head against the snow. It is an open building, and the "snow lies white" for background, seen through the barn stanchions. The child is a very Christ-child. There are poor people and shepherds bringing loaves and wine. The whole thing was suggested to her vivid imagining by a few lines in a Times leader." In discussing the attitude of one of the kneeling figures she complained of her lack of models; "I can't invent that knee," she said. I went and knelt down a little distance from her. "Oh! why can't you kneel there for half an hour?" she cried, and it was wonderful what an alteration she made in about five minutes, taking off boldly what would, in a human being, have "I “I had a glimpse out of a carriage window of those women," she said slowly, as if she were trying again to realize the scene, when I told her about my purchase of the picture ; was driving to Ford one winter evening; I saw just that, out of the carriage window; there was no composition about it that I knew; it was exactly what I saw, only how beautiful it was!" Yes, and how beautiful was the way in which she saw it! so very glad it's got to you," she said; "No, I never tried it again, that was beyond me." And then she began showing me the photographs of the -children of the Bible Ford frescoes "I'm 1 "Christmas must have its offering as on its first day, and as the old painters drew it. Don't we see even the poor shepherds bringing their lambs and their poultry, and the kings bringing which she naturally regarded as her life-work, but which in that reduced size and colorless medium interested me much less, and two of which in Lady Brownlow's exhibition, fated to be so soon after, made no special effect. Little did she anticipate, or I, as I sat with her there, how soon these drawings that I had so longed to see, and saw now so privately, would be exhibited to an admiring public, as they were shortly after, first at Lady Brownlow's to whom the majority of their gold, incense, and spices to a humble family in a stable? That is a picture for all time; the them was bequeathed—and afterwards Great Original is rehearsed every year at our doors, not in shows and mysteries, but in sober at the Royal Academy. To both these realities. The Lord of the season always sends exhibitions I lent my three examples his representatives to receive our homage and our of her work, and going through the offerings." Of this drawing, she said in a letter to rooms in Carlton House Terrace, Mrs. Boyle: "It is with snow, and the whiteness crowded day after day with wondering of the snow is utterly distressing to me." own house I am SO and reverent crowds, I thought how | forged letter into its pages. strange it was that the paper and the pleased to have your true appreciation of paints had been so much more durable Highcliffe. I only wish I could have than the hand that plied them. Of caught Ella Boyle, and promise it the next her human self there remained only time. the immense plaits of hair with which the life-size oval portrait-head by Sir Edwin Landseer is framed hair which was cut off years before after an accident, of a golden auburn.1 66 Alas! to meet the creator of "Days and Hours in my Garden," of "Ros Rosarum," and the "Heavenly Birthdays," under the auspices of the painter of the Stairs of Life," was "too much My recollection of the end of the day good" denied me here. There is someis blurred. I remember an almost thing mournful in that last passage of physical fatigue, a sense of widened the letter every time I read it. Human fancy and expanded thought; that promises-and do they stretch hands happy wonder dashed with fear. on and reach into eternity? "Shall I be able to remember this?" As we rose she pushed the beautiful "Nativity" drawing aside. We parted like old friends; it was dark, and I made my way along the cliff from evergreen alley to down, by the light from the sea. Some days afterwards I received a note from her, bidding me to accept the drawing I had liked this very "Modern Christmas; "" after asking where I would wish it sent, she wrote: I cannot think it is good. The Times (whose sins are many) never wrote a truer or more useful sentence than those few words about Christmas. I much regret I have not the date (it was long ago) long before it (the Times) stooped to putting a Note. Since this short paper has been put into proof, I have found a letter written to me many years ago by Lady Waterford, which I append, as it is interesting for many reasons; it is dated May 27, but the year is not inscribed 1; it explains itself. were. I assure you I have never forgotten your kind visit in London, and had been asking about you, but could not learn where you I shall like so very much to know young Mr. Addison, and my best plan will be to ask him to come here to Highcliffe. I see he has a picture in the R. A., "Baffled," which in my hasty visit to the R. A. I cannot recall. I am much obliged to you for telling me of Mr. Addison. I trust you are really better now, and I can very truly sympathize in the great loss you have sustained in the death of Mrs. Sartoris. being a little afraid of her, which prevented complete enjoyment of her company. She was so delightful, that one felt one owed more than one had to pay for her conversation and charm. I wonder if Mr. Addison can claim to be of the family of the AddiI shall look with great respect on him for it, were it only for "The Lord my pasture shall prepare," etc. son ? 1 Many times since Lady Waterford's death II should like to have known her better, have revisited the little church at Highcliffe, because I had not got past the state of where is a large window, the Apostles listening to Christ, which she painted in days rather before the renaissance of glass painting. Here too are the four beautiful memorial tablets, of alabaster, carved and blazoned, which she erected to the memory of Lord and Lady Stuart de Rothesay and the Cannings. The fourth she left ready for her own record, and it is now inscribed, "The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God." The verses on the other tablets are, (1) for Lady Stuart, "The law of kindness was on her lips" (another text about love); (2) for Lord Stuart, "Hear thou from heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hearest forgive;" (3) for the Cannings, "I will ransom them from the power of death, I will redeem them from the grave." It is only this morning that I have been at church there, and when the rural dean preached about the alabaster box of spikenard very precious-I looked up at the alabaster tablets and thought what good work she had wrought, and how she had done what she could, and nothing could "trouble her" more. All these graceful human reverences that some call" waste," are they not like the very precious ointment box broken for the Divine? March 18, 1894. W. M. H. The introduction, however, which I was anxious to make to her, never took place. WILLIAM M. HARDINGE. From The Gentleman's Magazine. except that he can- with similar other ways, is most intelligibly trans- | in criminal cases lated by the word "provincial," so not hang a European that these Indian courts may be roughly powers of supervision and appeal over said to have their counterpart in the the magistrates. He is always a coveCounty and Magistrates' Courts of nanted civilian, who has gone through Englaud. For several years after we the grades of assistant and joint magishad assumed responsibility for the ad- trates, at which latter stage he has had ministration of the law in our Indian to choose between a judicial or an Empire, the old Mussulman names of executive career, the two bifurcating "Amin,' "" "Sadrála," "Nizámat Adá- into, one, a district and sessions judge, lat," “Diwáni Adálat," "Sadar Nizá- the other, a collector and district magmat Adálat," and "Sadar Diwáni istrate. As the counterpart of the barAdálat " were retained, until the acts risters and solicitors of the English of the Indian Council reconstituted courts, there are advocates, pleaders, the courts - which now are known by and "Muktars." The advocate, who the names of High Courts, District is always a barrister, is known to the and Sessions Courts, Small Cause mass of natives by the appellation of Courts, Subordinate Judge's, Munsiff's, "ballister sáhib," or "counsly sáhib.' District Magistrate's, Joint Magis- He is a very important man in the trate's, Assistant Magistrate's, and eyes of his client. The climate preHonorary Magistrate's. The High cludes the possibility of his impressing Court is not "Mafassal," except so far the public by that factitious addition to as it is the Supreme Court of Appeal his diguity, a wig; and in many parts in Bengal; and the other tribunals of the "Mafassal " the gown and bands have distributed amongst them all, and more than all, the judicial work, both civil and criminal, that our County Courts, Recorders, Quarter and Petty Sessions perform in this country. It is not my purpose to give a full account of these courts, with their large staffs of subordinate officials, and all the minute details of their procedure. It will be sufficient to mention that one judge unites the civil jurisdiction of a District Court and the criminal jurisdiction of a Sessions Court, whilst under him are the civil courts of subordinate judges and munsiffs, and the criminal courts of the various magistrates I have already named. This enumeration is not exhaustive, as there are also dispensed with. In fact it has been within my experience that these sedate and learned gentlemen have so forgotten both the dignity of the court and the profession as to appear in a jaunty, light lounging coat, or even in the brilliant stripes and white flannel of a lawn-tennis suit. But, in spite of these disadvantages, he is considered a necessity in all big cases, or where the litigant, anxious about the result of his case, is not too penurious or avaricious to pay his price. He is supposed to have, in an especial manner, the ear of the bench, both in court, and sometimes, I regret to say, out of it. By a delusion, which is still common enough amongst the natives, he is believed to other courts in non-regulation have opportunities of putting in a provinces, and in odd corners, so to word for his client at odd and, what I speak, of the empire; but they may be may call, uncanonical moments. He considered as quite exceptional, and is credited with being on those easy need no other mention in a description terms with the European dispensers of so concise as this must be. The dis- the law, that during a comfortable chat trict and sessions judge is, with but over a cheroot at the billiard-table, or one or two exceptions, a European. at the convenient intervals that may He has an original civil jurisdiction, occur between the games of lawn tennis broadly speaking, unlimited, with a or racquets, without any breach of prosupervision and appellate powers over priety, he may metaphorically" buttonthe subordinate judge and munsiff; hole" them, or give the conversation and he has a like unlimited jurisdiction a turn upon the merits of his case are though, for the sake of appearances, | is not done by the members of the the whole matter is afterwards formally higher brauch. They mostly speak argued through, as if the court had English well and fluently, having been never heard anything at all about it. Of course, if there be an advocate on both sides, this power may be partially or wholly neutralized. By the still more unenlightened clients, who suppose that Every door is barred with gold, and opens but to golden keys, who is a gentleman and will take the perhaps well educated at the Calcutta University, from which many have obtained degrees; and, when successful in their profession, acquire a social status and a respect from both their fellow-countrymen and Europeans that very few native advocates in the "Mafassal 99 ever obtain. There may be a sort of clique amongst them, more he is credited with a still more effective understood than expressed perhaps, power; or, to put it in a more vulgar when the first European advocate or form, he is able to " grease the wheels pleader appears on the scene, but it is of justice" with a little "palm oil." not the determined boycottism that we It may be considered impertinent to find in our own country amongst the remark even that the practices sug- highly respectable businesses of life; gested exist merely in the imaginations and then native gentlemen are particuof the grossly ignorant, but neverthe-larly approachable and courteous, and less it is a fact that the idea is a possi- ever ready to be friendly to any one bility, if not more, in the minds of many whose limited experience of life has taught them that every one has his price. Besides these fictitious claims upon the public confidence, he is more justly considered to have the ear of the judge in court-sometimes from his superior abilities and education, sometimes from his European pluck and energy, sometimes from his better social position, or sometimes from all combined. It may be that when the magistrate is considered weak, and the advocate is one with a talent for bully-gland, but he bears some resemblance ing, there is a demand for his services; but this has, to a certain extent, reacted, and with some very young civilian magistrates there is a tendency to be prejudiced against the party that retains an advocate. The pleader combines the work of both barrister and solicitor. He is mostly a native, often a Bengali, and generally a smart, able practitioner. They are to be met almost in crowds at every local bar where there is work to be had. They are keen and often successful competitors with advocates in the struggle for clients, having the advantages of a more familiar acquaintance with the native languages, which are the languages of the courts - where there are no interpreters-and being free to do work which by etiquette or procedure a race now to the old pettifogging, ignorant attor- 12 is, in short, the legal agent or servant of those wealthy natives, of whom it may be literally said that the business of their lives is the endless litigation they have in the courts, men who are never free from legal contention of some sort. Sometimes when he instructs advocates or pleaders he assumes a knowledge which he does not possess, and those gentlemen find, to their disgust, that what they relied upon as facts are pure fictions. haps, when it happens to be a very there may not be some very honorable simple one - is so thoroughly rooted in exceptions among the class. He has the imaginations and habits of native often the sole conduct of the case in litigants, that the "Muktar" would the preliminary stages, and, as often as stand little chance of getting on in his not, the advocate or pleader finds his profession if he neglected or was above services have been called in when this mischievous trick; and the idea of some hideous blunder has completely winning a case by telling the simple, or almost destroyed the chances of sucshort, unvarnished truth has yet got to cess. He has, as a rule, the first word be realized by the public. The conse- with the client, and has the general quence is that a magistrate has some- conduct of the legal business, whether times to decide in favor of a litigant contentious or not, of certain regular who, with every one of his witnesses, clients, for whom he also registers dochas perjured himself. Some magis-uments, and gives all the information trates say that they can readily detect he can at the various stages of progress when a witness is speaking untruth, through which the business goes. He but though I believe this to be to a great extent true, it helps little to the arriving at a just decision, to the unmasking of the whole deceit, or the discovery of the true state of facts. The "Muktar" often conducts the case himself in the Magistrates' Courts. His chief aim there is to impress the client with his energy and zeal; and consequently every technical objection, however microscopic, is raised, and the patience of the magistrate is frequently strained beyond judicial endurance. In cross-examination his efforts are chiefly directed to making the witness contradict himself — which, as I have already observed, is not always of much importance in influencing the decision of the bench—and it generally ends, after many irrelevant questions, by his being summarily told to stop and sit down. In most instances the "Muktar" chooses the advocate or pleader for his client, and he is not always above doing a little smart practice for himself at that time. He will sometimes, when his client is not able to look after him, pretend to have retained an advocate for a certain fee, while all the time he has retained a junior pleader on a much smaller fee, pocketing the difference himself. Or he will, having retained the advocate at a fixed fee, debit his confiding client with just double the amount, so that he gets Sometimes a good "haul" out of the case. In many instances, though, he is wretchedly paid, taking just what he can get. Nor do I mean to imply that The interiors of the courts afford little to describe. The judge or magistrate sits on a daïs with a table in front of him, while just beneath sit the advocates or pleaders. Behind them sit the "Muktars," and behind them stand the public, whilst the parties and witnesses are examined in much the same position as you find in most English courts. Some of the Magistrate's Courts, though, are simply execrable. The advocates or pleaders are elbowed and crushed by an odoriferous crowd pressing to the front, and a badly placed punkah gives its partial breezes to the bench alone. Perhaps, too, the daïs is very high, and it is only by an occasional stand on tiptoe by a moderately tall man that a view of the magisterial countenance can be obtained. Little episodes of an exciting or amusing character sometimes happen. I remember, once, an elephant was being sold by auction in execution of a decree, and, for some reason or other, it had not its proper "mahout," or driver, on its back. The sale was tak |