The Hartley brothers

In Short

written as a sequel to her earlier biblical fiction for young readers, this 1890s juvenile adventure traces the harrowing journey of two English missionary brothers bound for India. When a brief shore leave in Egypt goes awry, the siblings, along with a bereaved widow, a foolish guardian, and a stubborn child, are abandoned in the desert and separated by Arab captors. Through thirst, betrayal, and physical hardship, the brothers hold fast to their Christian principles, ultimately reuniting and converting a guilt-ridden Persian nobleman before resuming their journey East. Its vivid desert scenes and high-minded earnestness give it lasting historical charm.

The Story

The narrative opens aboard the passenger ship Alligator, where brothers Harold and Robin Hartley are sailing toward India to serve as Christian missionaries. Harold is a gentle, composed clergyman, while the younger Robin is warm-hearted but prone to sudden bursts of temper. Among their fellow travellers are Mrs. Evendale, a quiet widow mourning her lost family; Miss Petty, an ill-tempered woman who complains constantly of life's unfairness; and Shelah O'More, Miss Petty's wild young charge, whom the old lady routinely locks in cabins and calls a "Lammikin."

During a stop at Alexandria, the passengers disembark before crossing to the Red Sea. While waiting for their next vessel, Shelah wanders off into the desert in search of ostrich eggs. Miss Petty, Mrs. Evendale, and the Hartley brothers run after her, only to be cut off from their ship by a sudden raid of mounted Bedouins. The small group is captured and forced into a grueling march across the scorching sands.

The heat and lack of water quickly take a toll. Mrs. Evendale collapses from fever and exhaustion; before she dies in the desert, Robin manages to give her a final draught of brackish water and comfort her last moments. In the chaos of the march, the captives are separated. Harold, Miss Petty, and Shelah are taken by one group of Bedouins, while Robin is left isolated and near death until he is rescued by Ali, a wealthy, melancholic Persian Amir traveling with his treacherous servant Hassan.

Ali is haunted by a dark secret: as a child, jealous of his newborn brother, he threw the baby into a deep well. Robin's selfless affection and cheerful faith intrigue the troubled nobleman, who vows to help Robin search for his lost brother. Hassan attempts to poison Robin and sabotage the journey, but his plot is foiled, and Hassan flees on Ali's prized horse. Ali and Robin pursue him, discovering that the horse has returned alone, its saddle stained with blood after Hassan met a fatal end in the wild.

Meanwhile, Harold, Miss Petty, and Shelah are carried to the city of Djauf, where they are sold into slavery. Harold is put to hard labor, but when a palace slave breaks his leg on the eve of a grand wedding, Harold's dignity and calm behavior lead to his being brought into the governor's household. Guided by Ali, Robin reaches Djauf just as the wedding cavalcade leaves the city. The two groups meet at a desert oasis, where the brothers are joyfully reunited. Transformed by Robin’s devotion and Harold’s witness, Ali embraces the Christian faith and uses his wealth to ransom the captives. Reunited and strengthened by their trials, the Hartley brothers finally set sail across the Red Sea toward their mission in India.

How It Unfolds

Starting for India Harold and Robin Hartley board the Alligator, clashing with the gruff Captain Gump and observing the chaotic antics of Miss Petty and her rebellious charge, Shelah.

Captured in the sands While searching for the runaway Shelah near the shore, the Hartley brothers, Mrs. Evendale, and Miss Petty are surrounded by a band of mounted Bedouins and carried off into the desert.

A solemn farewell Mrs. Evendale succumbs to fever and thirst during the march, leaving Robin to offer her a final drink of water before she dies peacefully in the wilderness.

The Amir's rescue Robin is separated from the others and left for dead, but he is rescued by Ali, a wealthy Persian noble who is drawn to the youth's cheerful, unselfish spirit.

A dark confession As they travel together, Ali reveals the source of his deep melancholy: in a fit of childhood jealousy, he drowned his infant brother in a well, a crime that has haunted his life ever since.

Foiling the traitor Ali's treacherous servant Hassan tries to poison Robin and steal Ali's favorite horse, but the horse returns alone covered in blood, leaving Hassan to his fate in the wilderness.

Enslaved in Djauf Harold, Miss Petty, and Shelah are brought to the city of Djauf and forced into servitude, where Harold's steady labor catches the eye of the local authorities.

Reunion at the oasis Robin and Ali reach Djauf just as a grand wedding procession leaves the city; at a nearby well, Robin and Harold unexpectedly find each other alive.

Setting sail for the East Ali buys the freedom of the captives, converts to Christianity, and joins the Hartley brothers as they finally board a ship to begin their missionary work in India.

The People

• Harold Hartley is an ordained clergyman heading to India as a missionary. Calm, educated, and deeply principled, he seeks opportunities to preach and remains composed under intense pressure. His steadfast faith sustains him through captivity and forced labor, ultimately earning the respect of his captors and guiding those around him.
• Robin Hartley is Harold's affectionate, impulsive younger brother. Though quick to flash into anger when insulted, he possesses an open, generous heart. His unselfish care for the dying Mrs. Evendale and his unyielding devotion to finding Harold soften the hardened heart of the Persian Amir.
• Ali (The Amir) is a wealthy Persian nobleman traveling through Arabia to escape his own conscience. Burdened by the horrific memory of killing his baby brother in childhood, he views the world with bitter cynicism until Robin's genuine love and willingness to suffer for others convince him of the reality of Christian grace.
• Miss Petty is an anxious, sharp-tongued Englishwoman serving as a guardian. She complains endlessly of her physical ailments, fears desert creatures, and views her hardships as unfair treatment from Providence, serving as a foil to the brothers' quiet endurance.
• Shelah O'More is a stubborn, noisy Irish child known as the "Lammikin." Her reckless curiosity repeatedly triggers disaster—including running into the desert after ostrich eggs—though her bright spirits survive the ordeal intact.

In Its Own Voice

"I've heard that one day when you found the idiot praying to a plaster-of-Paris figure, you kicked him as you would have kicked a dog."

Miss Petty brings up an old mistake on deck, provoking Robin's passionate regret over his past childish impatience toward a native convert.

"A deceitful joy," said Harold sadly; "you are looking on a mirage. What appears like water is only sand."

Harold warns the exhausted Miss Petty and Shelah when their desperate eyes mistake an optical illusion in the desert for an island-filled lake.

"The dark stagnant pool now reflects the blue sky, and from it, instead of the miasma of remorse, rises the exhalation of praise."

Ali expresses his spiritual transformation to the Hartley brothers after abandoning his bitter past and accepting their faith.

What It's Really About

Beneath its colorful Victorian travelogue, the book is an extended meditation on divine providence, guilt, and the practical meaning of Christian love. Written by a working missionary in India, the narrative argues that true faith is not a matter of empty ritual or moral superiority, but of active self-sacrifice and emotional honesty. The desert acts as a spiritual furnace where every character's inner life is tested: Miss Petty's self-righteous complaints reveal her spiritual emptiness, while Robin's willingness to put others before himself becomes the catalyst for Ali's redemption. The story presents guilt not as an inescapable curse, but as a burden that can be lifted through sincere repentance and unmerited grace.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in 19th-century juvenile fiction, evangelical history, or period adventure tales will find this brief novel a compelling artifact. Written under the pen name A.L.O.E. (A Lady of England) by Charlotte Maria Tucker, the prose carries the earnest, high-minded tone typical of Victorian religious literature for youth.

The reading experience is fast-paced and straightforward, built around dramatic set pieces—camel rides, poisonous plots, desert mirages, and Eastern fortresses—that keep the narrative moving briskly. Readers should be prepared, however, for period attitudes that reflect its era: non-Western cultures are often viewed through an intensely colonial and evangelical lens, and minor characters speak in exaggerated regional or cultural dialects.

What elevates the book above standard period tracts is its genuine emotional warmth and the surprisingly dark psychological edge of Ali's backstory. It offers a clear window into how 19th-century writers used high-stakes adventure to teach moral resilience, emotional maturity, and compassion to young audiences.