Cornelius O'Dowd upon men and women and other things in general

Front matter

CORNEL

UPON

MEN AND WOMEN

I. Select Library Of Fiction

i t t

VOL.

196 Ravenshoe Henry Kings/ey.

197 Hillyars and Burtons

Henry Kings/ey.

198 Silcote of Silcotes

Henry Kingsley.

199 Leighton Court

Henry Kingsley.

200 Austin Elliot Henry Kings/ey.

201 Like Father, Like Son Author of " Gwendoline' s Harvest.'''

202 A Bad Beginning

K. T. Macquoid.

204 Semi-Attached Couple

Lady Eden.

205 Semi-Detached House

Lady Eden.

206 Woman's Devotion

Author of "Margaret and Her Bridesmaids^'

207 Box for the Season

Author of" Charlie Thornhill."

VOL.

208 Buried in the Deep

Mrs. Cashel Hoey.

209 Clara Holmwood

Mrs. Trollope.

210 Castaway Edmund Yates.

212 Aunt Margaret's Trouble.

Author of" Veronica."

214 Ladies of Bever Hollow.

Author of " Mary Vovoeil."

215 Madeline Miss Kavanagh.

226 Not Wooed, but Won Author of "Lost Sir Massingberd."

227 That Boy of Norcott's

Charles Lever.

Charles Lever.

230 Bernard Marsh

HALF-A-CROWN VOLUMES,

Picture Boards j 3.?. 6d. Cloth extra.

18 ChailesO'Malley Charles Lever. 20 The Daltons Charles Lever.

23 Knight of Gwynne

Charles Lever, 25 Dodd Family Abroad

Charles Lever. 28 Tom Burke Charles Lever.

30 Davenport Dunn Charles Lever. 33 Roiand Cashel Charles Lever. 42 Martins of Cro' Martin

Charles Lever.

54 Maurice Tiernay Charles Lever.

55 Doctor Thorne Anthony Trollope.

231 Charley Nugent Author

100 The Bertrams AnthonyTroltope. 116 Orley Farm Anthony Trollope. 120 Can you Forgive Her?

Anthony Trollope.

186 Phineas Finn Anthony Trollope.

187 He Knew He Was Right Anthony Trollope.

203 Ralph the Heir Anthony Trollope. 211 Sir Brook Fossbrooke

Charles Lever. 213 Bramleighs Charles Lever.

225 Tony Butler Charles Lever. 228 Lord Kilgobbin Charles Lever.

of" St. Aubyns of St. Aubyn."

ft London : CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, Piccadilly.

V

CORNELIUS O'DOWD.

UPON

MEN AND WOMEN

AND

OTHER THINGS IN GENERAL

I care not a fig

For Tory or Wig,

But sit in a bowl and kick round me.

LONDON:

CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY

NOTICE

Amiable and Accomplished Reader, —

As I have very little to say for myself that is not said in some of my opening pages, there is no need that I should delay you on the threshold.

You will learn, if you take the trouble, by what course of events I came to my present pursuit, converting myself into what a candid, but not complimentary, friend has called " a diverting Vagabond."

The fact was, I gave the world every reasonable opportunity of knowing that they had a remarkable man amongst them, but, with a stupidity all their own, they wouldn't see it ; so that when the solicitor who once gave me a brief died — I believe it was a softening of the brain — I burned my wig and retired from. the profession.

Now, let people say what they may, it is by no means easy to invent a new line of life ; and even if you should, there are scores of people ready to start up and seize on your discovery ; and as I write these lines I am by no means sure that to-morrow will not see some other Cornelius O'Dowd inviting the public to a vi Notice.

feast of wisdom and life-knowledge, with perhaps a larger stock than my own of " things not generally known." I will disparage no man's wares. There is, I feel assured, a market for us all. My rivals, or my imitators, whichever you like to call them, may prove superior to me ; they may be more ingenious, more various, more witty, or more profound ; but take my word for it, bland Reader, there is always something in the original tap, whether the liquor be Harvey sauce or L.L. whisky, and such is mine. You are, in coming to me, frequenting the old house ; and if I could only descend to it, I could print you more testimonials to success than Mr. Morrison's of the pills, or the other man of cod-liver oil, but I scorn to give the names, imparted as they were in secret gratitude. One only trick of the trade I will condescend to — it is to assure you that you had need to beware of counterfeits, and that no O'Dowderies are genuine except signed by me,

(tfTluitno " i)*Vo-cL,

My heart is broke with requests for my autograph. Will a sympathizing public accept the above? — which, of course, will be immediately photographed.

Contents

PAGE

Myself i

Something about Solferino and Ships . . . .42 The Stranger at the Croce di Malta . . .49