Tales from "Blackwood," Volume 7

In Short

This volume brings together five distinct short stories published in the famed nineteenth-century Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. The collection charts a wide course through popular Victorian genres: a former British officer recounts his military adventures in the French light cavalry in Africa; a condemned man spends his terrifying final hours reflecting on pride and mortal judgment; an eccentric tutor becomes embroiled in high-society family secrets; a prosperous English shopkeeper receives an unexpected fortune from a mysterious guest; and a romantic rescue in Ireland leads into high-spirited Highland escapades. Its enduring appeal lies in its vivid period detail, shifting tones, and lively narrative variety.

The Story

The volume opens with the story of Frank Oakley, a young Englishman who, after a string of foolish youthful choices and financial missteps in England, flees to France and enlists in the light dragoons. Stationed in North Africa, Oakley sees real combat, earns the rank of sergeant, and wins the quiet affection of Bertha, the daughter of his commanding officer, Colonel de Bellechasse. However, their attachment is discovered by M. de Berg, a wealthy and high-ranking suitor favoured by the colonel. De Berg challenges Oakley to a duel in the wood of Vincennes, waiving military rank to fight him as an equal and forcing Oakley to confront the consequences of his concealed identity.

The narrative mood shifts dramatically in the second tale, a dark internal monologue surrounding a condemned murderer's final night in prison. The story opens with a stern sermon on human fragility, warning against the subtle sins of self-satisfaction and spiritual pride. Inside the cell, an observer watches in horror as the prisoner hears the heavy cart roll past the gates, signaling the immediate approach of execution. Overwhelmed by sheer animal terror, the man collapses into wild, violent convulsions, unable to face the reality of his imminent death.

The tone turns satirical and intricate in the third narrative, written from the perspective of Herbert Willis, a pious schoolmaster. Willis takes on the education of a nobleman’s son, contending with the domineering oversight of Lady Mallerden. What follows is a tangled domestic saga involving lost fortunes, hidden identities, and secret lineage. The plot culminates in a sudden midnight gathering illuminated by candles, where Willis watches his daughter Waller and the gentle Alice Snowton brought forward in a surprise wedding ceremony arranged to thwart a villainous viscount's schemes.

Lighthearted domestic comedy returns in the story of Jeremiah Wag, an honest, unassuming shopkeeper. A bizarre, wealthy old gentleman arrives at the local inn, buys half a dozen pieces of Irish linen without looking at them, hands over a massive fifty-pound note, and treats Jeremiah like a lifelong friend. On Christmas morning, the stranger vanishes, leaving behind a massive wooden crate packed with individual gifts for every member of the Wag family, transforming their fortunes overnight.

The collection concludes with two adventurous tales of romance and deception. In the first, a young traveler rescues a young woman and her injured father in Ulster, becoming entangled with fugitive Catholic rebels hiding in the mountains after the 1798 uprising. Violent storms, wild boat rides across churning estuaries, and secret courtships follow. In the final story, set in Scotland, a foolish English uncle named Ben-na-Groich is tricked by a mock-bandit threat into marrying off his niece, Jane Somers, to her aristocratic suitor, Lord Teysham. The uncle flees in terror, leaving Jane to enjoy a happy marriage while her gullible aunt spreads wild, absurd rumors about the lawlessness of the Scottish Highlands.

How It Unfolds

The soldier's return A gentleman sitting outside a Parisian coffee house is greeted by a handsome French dragoon sergeant, who turns out to be his old English acquaintance, Frank Oakley. Oakley explains how heavy gambling debts and foolish choices led him to flee England and join the French army to fight in Algeria.

The duel at Vincennes After winning military honors, Oakley falls in love with his commander's daughter, Bertha. When her aristocratic suitor M. de Berg discovers their secret romance, he generously waives their military ranks and challenges Oakley to a private duel to decide who is worthy of her hand.

The terror of the gallows Inside a cold prison cell, a visitor attempts to comfort a condemned murderer during his final hours. When the heavy execution cart rolls up to the prison gates, the prisoner succumbs to raw terror, writhing and choking in violent convulsions as he faces his fate.

The paper mitre Schoolmaster Herbert Willis accepts a high-paying tutoring post managed by the overbearing Lady Mallerden. His wife takes it as a divine omen of future glory when their young pupil playfully cuts a paper fool's-cap into the unmistakable shape of a bishop's mitre.

Midnight vows Willis is summoned to a bright inner library where Lady Mallerden has staged an abrupt wedding ceremony. She brings out Willis's daughter and young Alice Snowton to wed their suitors, foiling a corrupt nobleman's attempt to seize control of the family estate.

The Christmas surprise An eccentric old gentleman stops at a small-town inn, buys out shopkeeper Jeremiah Wag's linen stock, and disappears overnight. On Christmas morning, Jeremiah receives a massive box containing tailored presents for his entire family, cementing his sudden good fortune.

Escape through the gale A young man rescues a rebel leader and his daughter during the Irish Uprising of 1798. Trapped by pursuing soldiers and rough seas, they navigate a fragile boat through a raging spring tide and gale-force winds to reach safety.

The Highland hoax A pomposity-filled English uncle visiting Scotland is confronted by mock-brigands who threaten his life. To save himself, he eagerly agrees to give his niece Jane Somers in marriage to a local gentleman, completely unaware that the entire robbery was staged to secure her hand.

The People

• Frank Oakley wants to redeem his past financial follies and win the woman he loves; stood in the way by his low military rank as a sergeant, he ends up facing a high-born rival on equal terms in a duel.
• The Condemned Murderer wants desperately to escape the reality of his approaching execution; blocked by the physical reality of his prison cell and his own overwhelming terror, he ends up collapsing into violent, despairing convulsions.
• Herbert Willis wants to maintain his independence and raise his family right while navigating high-society employment; challenged by the overbearing Lady Mallerden, he ends up witnessing his daughter's unexpected entry into elite family circles.
• Jeremiah Wag wants only to run his modest shop and support his family; hindered by his own extreme bashfulness and lack of capital, he ends up showered with unexpected wealth and gifts by a quirky benefactor.
• Aleck Lowther wants to marry his sweetheart and support his fugitive friends in Ireland; hindered by political turmoil and injured comrades, he ends up safely wed amidst a joyful local celebration.
• Jane Somers wants to escape the control of her overbearing relatives and marry her suitor; blocked by her foolish uncle's authority, she ends up happily married after a clever hoax tricks her uncle into giving his consent.

In Its Own Voice

"A single instant informed me of the state of affairs; the half hour that has elapsed since then, has sufficed to mark out my line of conduct."

M. de Berg confronts Frank Oakley after discovering the secret romance between the sergeant and Bertha, challenging his lower-ranked rival to a duel of honor.

"He tried to bear it, and could not, and uttering a stifled noise, between a yell and a moan, he grasped his own neck: his face assumed a dark-red colour, and he fell into a state of stifled convulsion."

The narrator watches the tragic physical collapse of the condemned prisoner as the execution cart arrives outside the cell.

"There's ne'er a wabster o' the Langslap Moss wi' siccan a leg as that!--there's ne'er a ane o' a' the creeshy clan wha's shins arena bristled as red as a belly rasher!"

Mistress Margaret suspicious-mindedly inspects an unexpected guest hiding in her kitchen, recognizing immediately that his refined appearance does not match his disguise as a local weaver.

What It's Really About

The collection explores the contrast between outward social position and true inner character. Across its varied stories, high-born aristocrats often act with pettiness or foolishness, while humble shopkeepers, common soldiers, and quiet tutors demonstrate integrity, courage, and resilience.

Another central theme is the unpredictable nature of chance and human misdirection. Characters frequently find their lives upended by sudden turns of fortune—a chance meeting in Paris, an unexpected gift at Christmas, or a staged robbery in the Scottish hills. The book repeatedly questions whether individuals control their own destinies or are merely swept along by circumstance, pride, and the misperceptions of those around them.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers an engaging, unvarnished window into nineteenth-century popular storytelling. Readers who enjoy classic periodical fiction, historical adventure, and traditional British comedy will appreciate the swift pacing and rich variety of voices. The writing moves smoothly from the military battlefields of French North Africa to the atmospheric terror of a Victorian death house, and on to lively, dialect-filled romantic comedies in Ireland and Scotland.

Modern readers should be prepared for period-specific elements. Several stories rely on heavy regional dialects—particularly broad Scots—which require a bit of patience to decipher. Additionally, the text reflects nineteenth-century cultural attitudes, including casual nationalist stereotypes and traditional domestic tropes.

What lingers after reading is the collection's sheer narrative vitality. Whether depicting the terrifying silence of a prison cell or the chaotic uproar of a Highland scam, the stories capture human nature in all its absurdity, vulnerability, and resilience.