The Argosy

About this issue

This volume of The Argosy, edited by Mrs. Henry Wood, centers on the serialized novel The White Witch, illustrated by M. Ellen Edwards. Chapters XIX–XXXVII track the complications surrounding Godfrey Mayne, who encounters troubling hints about his stepmother Mrs. Mayne's past connection to Sir William Hunt. When Godfrey meets Mary Dixon, Mrs. Mayne's daughter, he becomes convinced of her innocence while suspecting her mother harbors dangerous secrets. Tensions escalate through detective involvement, police inquiries, an accident, and illness before concluding with Godfrey's wedding. The volume includes diverse contributions: Charles W. Wood's geographical article "The Channel Islands" (concluded) with illustrations; shorter fiction by named authors including E. Owens Blackburne, Minnie Douglas, and Constance M'Ewen; biographical essays on Jonathan Swift and Mary Russell Mitford by Alice King; and travel pieces on Egypt and Exmoor. Poetry by contributors including E. Nesbit appears throughout. The miscellaneous pieces blend domestic fiction, essays, and verse typical of Victorian periodical literature.