couragement to the young author. Mr. McCarthy was now Parliamentary reporter for the Morning Star, of which now defunct newspaper he afterwards became the Foreign Editor. Mr. Lucas, John Bright's brother-in-law, was then editor, and when he died Mr. McCarthy was asked to take the editorship. "Paul Massie" and "The Waterdale Neighbours," Mr. McCarthy's two first novels, were produced during this time of newspaper work in London. "My Enemy's Daughter" was appearing in Belgravia, and simultaneously in America, when Mr. McCarthy went over to the States to commence his extensive wanderings there in 1868. This travelling throughout the States was principally undertaken by Mr. McCarthy for the purpose of studying American politics; and when in America he took an appointment on the Independent, with the feeling that this would bring him into intimate connection with the political life of the country. Although a classical student, and a great lover of literature, and especially of German literature, yet Mr. McCarthy had always a decided leaning towards political life. In America he carried on his study of politics and his active literary work side by side, writing stories and articles for the Galaxy and other American magazines; but he never settled down there, preferring to move about as much as possible, in order to see all that could be seen. Everywhere his wife and children accompanied him, and there are many romantic episodes for them to look back upon. They went over to San Francisco, when the rails of the Pacific Railroad were only just laid, in one of the first trains, when there was a spice of danger about the journey. The Indians used to come down and gather about the train to look at the new travellers, and all along the line the soldiery had their camp fires, adding to the picturesqueness of the scene. Before travelling over the plains, they stopped at Omaha, and from there went on to Salt Lake City, where Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy made the acquaintance of Brigham Young and his large family. In an article in the Galaxy, Mr. McCarthy gave his account of Salt Lake City and its strange inhabitants. From thence he went on to San Francisco, and that never-to-be-forgotten moment came, in the journey over the wild prairies, when the conductor appeared and said, "We have passed the last farmhouse." The little band of travellers were then alone in the great plains, but for the soldiers who were camped here and there to guard the lines. Everything was so new, so deliciously fresh, that it gave another life to the travellers from the old country. On across the plains they went, and just dipped their feet in the Pacific, seeing and loving everything upon its shore, and then returned back by the way they came, having accomplished their purpose of looking at San Francisco, and being among the first travellers upon the new line. They spent the winter in New York, and went back to London the following summer. |