An aging R. M. Ballantyne

Attempting to find a cure for his mysterious ailment, now known as Meniere's Disease, R. M. Ballantyne traveled to Rome. Here he spent many months with his daughter, Jane, but to no avail. On February 8, 1894, he succumbed and breathed his last breath, 164 years ago today.

What was the disease that prostrated this literary giant? Well, Meniere's Disease is a rather mysterious illness which affects the fluid of the inner ear. An imbalance of fluids in these regions causes the rupture of a thin membrane, mixing two incompatible liquids. Common symptoms are extreme vertigo, dizziness, and hearing loss.

The contributing factors are still undiscovered by the medical field, but today, treatment can be attempted with reasonable assurance of success. In the 1800's, however, no cure had as yet been discovered, and for this cause R. M. Ballantyne died.

I am not medically inclined, to say the least, so to get a better sense of the disease I would recommend reading this article, from the University of Minnesota.

Robert Louis Stevenson contributed to the monument.

Thousands of grieving children across Britain immediately began a subscription to erect a suitable monument at his grave. Six hundred pounds were collected, mostly made up of small contributions from school children. Robert Louis Stevenson, who was a part of the representative committee for the subscription, advised in an open letter to spend but a small amount on the actual memorial, giving the rest to Ballantyne's widow and family. His advice was carried out, and only forty pounds were spent on a simple but tasteful monument, which was inscribed as follows:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF ROBERT MICHAEL BALLANTYNE, THE BOYS' STORY WRITER. Born at Edinburgh, April 24th, 1825--Died at Rome, February 8th, 1894. THIS STONE IS ERECTED BY FOUR GENERATIONS OF GRATEFUL FRIENDS IN SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND

R. M. Ballantyne was buried in the Cimitero protestante also known as the Protestant Cemetery of Rome. This cemetery was formed by the Roman Catholic powers in the 1700's. No "heretics," or Protestants, could be buried in Catholic "holy ground," but there bodies could also not be left to rot. Hence a separate burial ground, in which large numbers of traveling dignitaries, writers, philosophers, sculptors, painters, and representatives of many more distinguished trades have been buried here over the centuries.

Ballantyne's grave is close to the plots of English poets John Keats and Percy Shelley.

The English newspaper The Times gave this obituary of R. M. Ballantyne.

OBITUARY

Mr. Robert M. Ballantyne, the prolific and excellent writer of tales for boys, whose death we announced yesterday, was connected with the well-known family of the Ballantynes, Sir Author:Walter Scott's printers. He was born in Edinburgh in 1825. When a lad of 16 he went out to Canada, and spent six years there in service of the Hudson Bay Company. Having returned to Scotland in 1847, he published in the following year his first book, entitled "Hudson Bay, or Everyday Life in the Wilds of North America." In this he embodied the substance of his letters to his mother and of his journals written on the spot. He spent some time in the printing office of Messrs. Constable in Edinburgh, but he did not take kindly to the desk after his free and roving life in the West. At the same time his literary proclivities were asserting themselves strongly, and about the year 1856 he gave up business and adopted literature as his profession. Then began that series of adventure tales written about and for boys and girls which have brightened the loves of several generations of young folks, and which seemed ever fresh and never-failing in interest. "The Coral Island," "The World of Ice," "The Young Fur Traders," "Ungava," "The Dog Crusoe," and many more followed one another in quick succession. Every Christmas I saw at least one new story from his busy pen. For the material of several of his earlier stories he reverted to his Canadian experiences. He made it a rule, indeed, to write always, when he could, from his own experiences. Before he wrote "The Lighthouse" he lived for some time with the keepers on the Bell Rock. He prepared for "Deep Down" by a visit to the Cornish mines, for the "The Pirate City" by a winter in Algiers, and so in other cases. This method of preparation gave a realistic character to his work and a graphic force to his descriptions. There was a great deal of human nature in his creations, and all his books are pervaded by a sound and healthy tone which loses nothing from the vein of humour that runs through most of them. Down to 1887 Mr. Ballantyne had written 74 volumes containing 62 separate stories. He was also a clever artist, and often exhibited water-colours in the Royal Scottish Academy, for many years past he had resided at Harrow. A short time ago he fell into bad health, the result of overwork, and he had gone to Italy in search of relief and rest. He died in Rome.

And that was 164 years ago, today.

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. ~Teddy Roosevelt

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

In order to emphasize an accent, a careful use of the vernacular is desirable. This simply means incorporating slang into the dialogue, where appropriate. Combined, you get a full sense of the speaker's background, habits, and personality.

Say, for example, that you write a novel set in Victorian England. Your main character is a London coachman, carrying on a conversation with a friend. He inquires into the state of the weather in the following manner:

"Hello, Richard, how are you? What do you think of the weather today?"

That's the way to ask the question, certainly. However, consider the greater effectiveness of this next example:

" 'Ey, Dick, 'ow are ye? Whady'ee think o' the wither today?"

Which do you think gives a better feel for a London coachman? The one which uses good King's English, fit for a law school graduate, or the highly accented, man-on-the-street dialect used by the second example?

In my opinion, it is the "power of the apostrophe" which makes the difference. London coachmen had little respect for the "h" sound, omitting it where it was needed and including it where it was not. Erase the "h," include the apostrophe to show that we do know how to spell, and there you have it! Of course other sounds, not just the "h," must also be transfigured and manipulated to achieve the desired effect. However, this is a splendid writing tool if used wisely.

Using this tool of writing you can easily differentiate between a Irish soldier, a Southern plantation owner, and an Australian banker, giving your reader a colorful glimpse into the education and culture of your character. If you do use this tool, be very careful not to accent words so that they appear to be other words. This creates great confusion and can harm more than it can help. Both Henty and Ballantyne use dialogical accents very effectively, creating a feel of authenticity for their audience and making the reading experience much more enjoyable.

An' soo, oi gives 'e a gud day, an' 'opes to see 'e agin!

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

The "Scotch Thistle"

Imprinted on the cover of each Vision Forum reproduced "Ballantyne" book is a thistle. This, however, is no ordinary thistle. Instead, it is the beloved Scotch Thistle, the emblematic flower of Scotland. Why is this humble, weed-like flower beloved by the Scotch people? Read and find out!

Long ago, wild Norseman pillaged the coast of Scotland, spreading rapine and destruction among the scattered villages near the. Occasionally, whole armies of the wild pagans would invade the craggy Scottish countryside, giving battle to all they met.

One particular night, as legend would have it, the daring invaders hatched a plan to surprise a Scotch encampment, taking advantage of the darkness. The fierce warriors crept carefully forward, sure of an easy victory and much plunder. The grass was wet with dew as they neared the encampment. Each step brought them nearer to their unsuspecting victims.

All at once, one of the creeping soldiers pressed his foot down, expecting soft, cool grass to meet his tread, but instead a thistle pierced his skin. The spiky leaves cut into his foot, eliciting a shout of pain. With that shout, the Scottish soldiers sprung to their arms now aware of the invaders' proximity. Disheartened by the failure of their surprise, the barbarians could not defeat the awakened defenders, and the attempt failed.

While the legend could very well be false, there's a good possibility that at least the foundation was set in truth. In my opinion, it's a likely story. At any rate, the Scotch Thistle has been a national emblem since the 1200's, and has been found imprinted on coins since James III's reign in 1470.

The reason Vision Forum chose the thistle emblem is to represent the strong ties which R. M. Ballantyne felt towards his homeland of Scotland. The author was firm in his patriotism and love for the old times of Scotland as expressed by Burn's Auld Lang Syne:

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

For those more scientifically interested, the "official" name of the Scotch Thistle is Onopordum acanthium. It's a biennial, with spiky leaves, (which the Norseman found out to his regret.) Hurrah for Scotland, and the Scotch Thistle!

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

• March 4 - John Quincy Adams succeeds James Monroe as President of the United States.

• September 27 - The world's first modern railway, the Stockton and Darlington Railway, opens in England.

• October 5 - First Photograph ever taken.

• October 26 - The Erie Canal opens, providing passage from Albany, New York to Lake Erie.

• November 9 - A. P. Hill, future general for the Confederacy, is born.

• The first horse-drawn omnibuses established in London.

• The first roller skates are invented.

• Aluminum is discovered.

• Estimation: London becomes the largest city of the world, taking the lead from Beijing.

• The Panic of 1825 is the first modern stock market crash in London.

• Trade unions become tolerated in England.

I wonder what interesting occurrences this year will be pointed to by others in years to come.

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

"I count myself one of the number of those who write as they learn and learn as they write." ~Augustine

Ballantyne normally utilized animals as the main characters in his children's books such as The Kitten Pilgrims, The Robber Kitten, and My Doggie and I. The Kitten Pilgrims is a humorous adaptation of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress in which two kittens and a dog go on a journey and must fight horrible monsters such as the Worm Sloth, Peacock Pride, and Octopus Untruth.

The Kitten Pilgrims

It's fascinating to see the high level of vocabulary which young children formerly possessed during the Victorian era. The Kitten Pilgrims in particular is full of words such as "malignant", "elasticity", and "convolvulus." Being unfamiliar with this last word, I looked it up in the dictionary and found that it speaks of any flower in the morning glory family. Imagine coming across "convolvulus" in a children's book today!

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

So, what is the meaning of this relatively uncommon surname? Most etymological dictionaries that I perused did not cover the name "Ballantyne." By the way, etymological simply means the root, or origin of a word.

At last I found a record of the surname "Ballantyne" in an old book entitled An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names by a man named William Arthur. Apparently, "Ballantyne" is derived from an ancient geographical location in Scotland! The official definition is as follows:

Ballantyne: Local. A place of ancient pagan worship among the Celts, whose principal deity was Belen or Baal, the sun. To the honor of this deity, the Celts lighted fires on the 1st of May and Midsummer day.

Thankfully though, the story does not end here. God granted mercy and grace to these wicked pagans, bringing reformation, mercy and grace to these wicked pagans, bringing reformation to the family name.

Celts

In case you don't know much about the Celts, I'd like to give a little background on their origins and practices.

The Celts, which, by the way, is pronounced kelts, are a very ancient people group who spread across Europe. One group from Northern Italy actually defeated Roman legions, laid siege to Rome itself, and gained a heavy tribute in return for a cessation of hostilities against their Roman enemies.

Scotland and Ireland were inhabited by these extremely pagan barbarians, and, as mentioned in the definition, worshipped Baal, the sun. Christianity was brought to them from Ireland by the famous St. Columba, who settled on the island of Iona and preached the gospel.

Scottish Covenanters

In the 1600's, the Scottish Covenanters, descendants of those converted by the influence of Columba, were persecuted in a horrible era called the "Killing Times." These men and women were strong in the faith, and not at all like their pagan ancestors. They were unwilling to obey the unbiblical mandates of the King of England, and for this they were hunted, tortured, and executed.

Hunted and Harried

R. M. Ballantyne was directly descended from the Covenanters, and wrote Hunted and Harried which is a tale of these courageous ancestors. The book details the horrors to which the faithful Scots were exposed, and their firmness and resolution in the face of persecution. One of the few historical novels which Ballantyne wrote, he obviously thought it necessary to honor the heritage and bless the memory of these now-departed heroes.

RMB's first and middle names also have an interesting meaning. Robert, his first name, means "bright fame." I doubt that his parents could have guessed just how famous their son would become. His middle name, Michael, is taken from the Bible and means "Who is like the Lord?" A fitting name indeed for a famous Christian.

In my opinion, Robert Michael Ballantyne helped to redeem the connotation of his last name. The surname "Ballantyne" is no longer associated with pagan sacrifices. Instead, it is associated with a man who was a firm believer in the one true God, a man who earnestly desired to bring others to the knowledge of his God, and a man who spared no effort through his books in praising and proclaiming the true rule of our God.

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

Today we view R. M. Ballantyne's books as historical fiction, because to us, the periods he covers are in the past. However, when he wrote his classics, many of them took place concurrent with his life span. The boys of the Victorian era read about characters who lived at the same time as their own selves, and who experienced great adventures around the world. In my opinion, this aspect is lacking for Christian young men today.

Although there are a few "modern" or recent authors who produce wholesome fiction, most of the worthwhile authors of boys' adventure literature are dead. Am I saying that there's a problem with reading their books? No! However, I do believe that the men of this generation must rise up to take dominion over the literature of today. There are many vitally significant issues in our day which Ballantyne and others never dreamed would occupy our thoughts.

With this said, one Christain author has risen to the challenge. Just a few days ago I had the opportunity to read a newly-released novel called Glory, Duty and the Gold Dome by T. Nathaniel Darnell. This book covers a huge gamut of issues that are pressing today, delivered in an exciting and suspenseful style that would make Ballantyne and Henty proud.

Plot

Thomas Richards is not an average fourteen-old boy. He serves as the legislative aide to his father, Representative John Richards, who serves in the Georgia legislature. As a personal assistant, young Thomas handles details for his father and is familiar with the inner-workings of state government. His biggest job at the moment, however, is helping his father in his rapidly approaching election for Congress.

If John Richards can win the electoral race, he could move to Washington D. C., bringing with him the firm Biblical principles needed to govern a solid nation. The prospects are bright, and young Thomas is hopeful about the campaign. This, however, is soon to change when a fateful car accident plunges both into an issue of epic proportions, and life-threatening consequences.

Angela Bauer lives on her own, a sorrowful, bitter young lady, forsaken by her self-serving husband and expecting a child. She is surviving, but just barely, on her cashier's salary. A reckless decision leaves her stranded in an intersection, broadside to oncoming traffic. Unable to stop, another vehicle pounds into her car, smashing glass and bending metal. The shock knocks her senseless, and she sinks into a coma.

The other driver experiences only minor injuries, but as a friend of the family, John Richards races to the hospital to check on the young man's condition, and provide legal counsel to his father. In the same hospital rests Angela, unresponsive and comatose.

Terri Schiavo

John and Thomas learn of the girl's condition, and visit her room where they find her delinquent husband demanding life support to be removed! Although the hospital refuses to do so immediately, the issue quickly escalates to the courts in a battle similar to that of Terri Schiavo. A cold-hearted judge rules that she has no "quality of life," and must die in twenty days. It is now that John Richards makes a fateful decision. He must put aside his campaign for Congressional election, and focus his efforts on a different race - a race for Angela and her baby's life.

There are two options before him: either the legislature must vote that the court decision is unconstitutional, or the Governor must rule the same. John and Thomas have twenty days to convince an unwilling legislative body and a wary politician to overrule the previously unchallenged court.

Father and son meet opposition on every side, experiencing death threats, personal assaults, violent protestors, and shadowy villains. Meanwhile, they must discover more about Angela's husband, and what is so mysterious about his job. It's a wild, breath-taking ride with twists and turns on every side, and involves significant moral issues such as abortion, home schooling, governmental corruption, and personal defense.

I could tell you how the story ends, but I won't. You must find out for yourself by purchasing Glory, Duty and the Gold Dome from Vision Forum. I guarantee an unexpected ending!

Critique

The above is an overview of the plot, but that's not all that a book involves. The author, T. Nathaniel Darnell, incorporates many book-writing techniques, some tried and true, and some quite fresh and fascinating, to make this tale gripping.

Father and son discipleship is one of the main points of the novel. Throughout the story, Thomas and his father grow closer together, learning about each other. Darnell uses a unique but effective approach of narration, switching back and forth between the first-person narrative of father and son, allowing the reader to explore the intimate thoughts of each character.

The supporting characters are also colorful, producing an added depth to the story. My particular favorite is Clinty, another young legislative aide with a jovial personality and eccentric aspirations. Another is Rachel Richards, who fulfills the role of loving mother and wife.

I must confess that I'm wary of first-time book authors, who may have done well in shorter articles and editorials, but have not previously tackled such a large project. I was pleasantly surprised in this case by the splendid balance of detail, dialogue, and action. It is evident that Darnell has learned from generations of fiction authors, and has implemented their techniques. I give Glory, Duty and the Gold Dome my full support, and urge that everyone who reads this article will read the book.

For the glory of God, and the redemption of literature!

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

P. S. It might be helpful to have a quick summary of the above thoughts. If I were asked to write a book recommendation, I would say that Glory, Duty and the Gold Dome is a tale of father and son discipleship, which grapples with key moral issues and is packed with action and suspense."

Before I do this you must know that there are great differences of opinions upon these matters, and throughout the ages different terms have meant different things to different nations. Hopefully, however, at least these general classifications will be of help.

Sloop

The smallest vessel used in warfare was normally the sloop, which is often called a sloop-of-war to differentiate it from types not used in battle. The term embraces a number of ship types, because most combat vessels smaller than twenty guns were grouped together under the name of "sloop." Sometimes they had only one mast, but this was not uniformly the case. Their use was primarily for communications, intelligence, and other small work, not being large enough to take their place in a line of battle.

Two types of sloops are the "brig sloop" and the "ship sloop." The brig sloop contained two square-rigged masts, but still only one deck. The term "ship sloop" may be confusing, but it is due to the common practice of reserving the term "ship" to a vessel that has three masts or more. As you probably guessed, the ship sloop has at least three masts, and one deck.

Sloop-of-war, USS Constellation

Brig

Next in line is the brig, (a true brig, not a brig sloop,) containing two square-rigged masts, but still only one deck. The dividing line between sloops and brigs is very thin and hard to determine. Brigs were much more common to be used in actual battle operations, and were known for speed and maneuverability. Nowadays, the prisons aboard ships are called brigs, which may be confusing. It does not mean that a brig in the Age of Sail was a prison ship, although most prison ships were brigs. This is probably the case because the brig contains more room for prisoners than a sloop, without depriving the fleet of a really powerful fighting vessel.

The brig is a version of a brigantine, a slightly different craft, but not dissimilar enough to warrant a separate section in this article. A very famous brigantine is the Mary Celeste, which became a so-called "ghost ship" when it was discovered sailing towards Gibraltar with its entire crew missing, but no marks of bloodshed, mutiny, theft, or anything else. There are a number of very interesting hypothesis about the fate of the crew, but it remains one of the biggest maritime mysteries ever.

The brig, USS Niagra

Frigate

The Frigate is more powerful than a brig, being a two-decker, with at least three masts. The famous USS Constitution was a frigate. It's interesting to note that during the War of 1812, British frigates were ordered not to attack American frigates, unless they had a ratio of at least 2:1, because of our superior weight of metal. Frigates were very popular fighting ships, and used often in the Napoleonic Wars.

The frigate, USS Constitution

Ship-of-the-Line

This term is derived from the actions of these ships, which fought line against line, broadside to broadside. In this type of fighting, the goal was to have the heaviest metal and strongest ship. They would blast at each other until unable to return fire. Ships-of-the-line had multiple decks, two, three, sometimes even four, and many masts. They were the real "queens of the sea."

Ship-of-the-Line, HMS Victory

Throughout the ages there have been many other types of ships, and different classification systems, so I want to emphasize that this information is concerning the time period of the Napoleonic Era.

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John