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Editor's Statement

Allan's Wife

Allanswifegriffithcover

Allan's Wife tells how Quatermain met English squire turned missionary Thomas Carson and Stella in the South African wilderness. Quatermain falls in love with and marries Stella but their union ends tragically after Stella is kidnapped by her sister-servant, the Baboon-Woman Hendrika.

In December 1889, Spencer Blackett, London, published the earliest non-pirated version of AW in Allan's Wife & Other Tales. AW&OT compiles Haggard's new novella, AW, with several of Haggard’s previously serialized novellas including "Hunter Quatermain's Story" (published and illustrated in the charitable anthology In a Good Cause, 1885), "A Tale of Three Lions" (serialized and illustrated in Atalanta Magazine, October through December 1887), and "Long Odds" (serialized but unillustrated in Macmillan's Magazine, February 1886). Illustrators Charles Kerr and Maurice Greiffenhagen both contributed to AW’s 34 illustrations. Kerr executed three full-page illustrations, while Greiffenhagen contributed five. Interestingly, the majority of illustrations in this book are supplemental lithographic prints integrated into the text. AW&OT has twelve in-text illustrations, eight chapter-head illustrations, four chapter-end illustrations, twelve chapter-head embellishments, thirteen decorative first letters, and thirteen embellished chapter-ends. These illustrations were used in subsequent editions of AW&OT including the edition published by Griffith, Farran, Okeden, and Welsh, London, in 1891. The Silver Library edition from 1895 published by Longmans, Green, and Co., London, uses these illustrations, as does Canadian publisher William Bryce, Toronto, in the 1889 edition (although this edition is missing chapter beginning and end embellishments). Frank F. Lovell & Co., New York, published the 1st US Edition in 1889. In 1890 Tauchnitz of Leipzig published a copyright edition. Whatmore records a 16-page pamphlet produced in 1889 by Haggard's literary agent A. P. Watt containing extracts from AW. Macdonald & Co., London, published an edition of AW illustrated by Hookway Cowles in January 1951, 1st thus, with a 3rd imprint appearing in November 1963.

Further Reading


Haggard, H. Rider. “Hunter Quatermain’s Story.” In a Good Cause. Ed. Margaret S. Tyssen Amhearst. London: Wells, Gardner, Darton, & Co., 1885. 211-237.


Pocock, Tom. Rider Haggard and the Lost Empire. London: Weidenfeld and Nicoloson, 1993. 76.


Whatmore, D.E.. H Rider Haggard: A Bibliography. Westport, CT: Meckler Publishing Co., 1987. F11, 19-21.



Editions of Allan's Wife

Allanswifespencerblackettcover
Allan's Wife and Other Tales, 1st UK Edition. London: Spencer Blackett, 1889.
Allanswifegriffithcover
Griffith, Farran, Okeden, and Welsh. London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden, and Welsh, 1889.
Allanswifemacdonaldcover
Macdonald Illustrated Edition, 3rd imprint. London: Macdonald & Co, 1963.

Illustrations from Allan's Wife

Wespokegriffithfrontispiece
Contentsspencerlackett9
Northwardsgriffith41
Contentsspencerblackett10
Inevergriffith162
Hendrikaplotsgriffith156
Atfirstgriffith168
Theairgriffith176
Thefirefightgriffith26
Theend95
Stellagriffith96
Stellagriffith117
Seesirgriffith111
Itoldgriffith30
Onrushed50griffith
Contentsgriffith9
Furiousatgriffith197
Themagicgriffith185
Ilookedgriffith194
Forwardspedgriffith80
Itmaygriffith13
Indabazimbimygriffith32
Thebrutesgriffith195
Minemust40
Inallgriffith184
Allanswifemacdonalddustjacket
Andraisinggriffith62
Listofspencerblackett11
Wespokespencerlackettfrontispiece
Itoldspencerblackett30
Indabzimbimyspencerblackett32
Northwardsspencerblackett41
Onrushedspencerblackett50
Hewasspencerblackett25
Thefirespencerblackett26
Thezuluspencerblackett59
Earlydaysspencerblackett13
Minemustspencerblackett40
Ihavespencerblackett58
Idroppedspencerblackett62
Theendspencerblackett77
Ipreferspencerblackett95
Hendrikahendrikaspencerblackett117
Seethatspencerblackett119
Becarefulspencerblackett144
Letusspencerblackett145
Ilookedspencerblackett194
Whatwasgriffith273
Crouchedbyspencerblackett216
Thenshespencerblackett224
Nowthespencerblackett76
Forwardspedspencerblackett80
Thebaboonwomanspencerblackett118
Ineverspencerblackett162
Atfirstspencerblackett168
Atlastspencerblackett173
Thebrutesspencerblackett195
Furiousatspencerblackett197
Whathappenedspencerblackett200
Atlastspencerblackett212
Fifteenyearsspencerblackett213
Howlongspencerblackett131
Themarblespencerblackett132
Underherspencerblackett137
Hendrikaplotsspencerblackett156
Gonespencerblackett175
Theairspencerblackett176
Inallspencerblackett184
Themagicspencerblackett185
Wailingterriblyspencerblackett199
Shegavespencerblackett204
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