fame as a doctor that he was summoned to see
a young Russian lady dying of fever, which, according to many, infected
him, and caused his own death. In his studies and in the care of his
tenants many peaceful years passed away. The man who afterwards became
known as the champion of 'prisoners and captives, and all who were
desolate and oppressed,' did not allow his own tenants to live in
unhealthy and uncomfortable cottages crowded together in tiny rooms with
water dropping on to their beds from the badly thatched roofs, like many
other landlords both in his day and ours. He opened schools for the
children, and drew up rules for them. The girls were taught reading and
needlework, the boys reading and a little arithmetic. Writing does not
seem to have been thought necessary, as none of the girls learned it,
and only a few of the boys--probably the cleverer ones. On Sundays they
were all expected to go to church or chapel, whichever their parents
preferred.

* * * * *

In spite of the generosity which made John Howard ready to give money or
time to any scheme that seemed likely to be of use to the poor, he was
not popular with his neighbours, and saw very little of them. They
thought him 'odd' because he did not care for races, or cock-fights, or
long dinners that lasted far into the night, where the gentlemen often
drank so much that they could not get home at all. Year by year Howard
was teaching himself to do without things, and by and by he was able to
live on green tea and a little bread and vegetables, with fruit now and
then as a great treat. No wonder he was considered eccentric by the
Bedfordshire country gentlemen!

* * * * *

But, in spite of his quiet ways, Howard had a passion for travelling,
and when a youth threw up the position of grocer's apprentice which his
father had obtained for him, and started for France and Italy.
Immediately after the death of his first wife he determined to go for a
change to Lisbon, then lying in ruins after the recent earthquake.
Before, however, his ship was out of the English Channel it was attacked
and overpowered by a French privateer, and both crew and passengers were
left without anything to eat or drink for nearly two days. They were
then taken to the prison at Brest, thrown into a dark and horribly dirty
dungeon, and apparently forgotten. Besides hunger and thirst, they went
through terrible pangs, fearing