Ralph Clavering

Lilly Vernon arrives at Clavering Hall after losing both parents during a famine in Ireland. Her cousin Ralph welcomes the prospect of a companion, but his quick temper and habit of ordering people about soon make life difficult. Neglected by his busy father and ailing mother, Ralph prefers riding to lessons. Lilly, meanwhile, keeps to the studies her parents encouraged, even when nobody insists that she work.

William Henry Giles Kingston's children's novel turns this contrast into a story about effort, consideration and the limits of boasting. Mischief in the household gives way to a more urgent test when the cousins find themselves in a boat carried towards dangerous rocks. Lilly's practical suggestion offers a way to keep trying as the current strengthens. Readers interested in older stories for children will find an openly instructive narrative in which everyday choices and outdoor danger bring questions of character into view.