Red, White and Blue

This periodical, published by A. M. Brown & Co. at 123 South Third Street, cost four cents per single copy. Volume 1 opens with "The Red, White and Blue," a patriotic song by J. S. Enyart celebrating the American flag across five verses. The issue's substantial serialized fiction is "The Substance and the Shadow," attributed to the author of "Guns and Tars" and "Dick Tarleton." Set in 1773 rural Kent, it concerns Dr. Titlowes, an absent-minded clergyman at Plaxted, and two smugglers—the calculating Jorrocks and younger Joe Kerl—who traffic in contraband goods and suspect coin. Their illicit operations face mounting tension as a new revenue lieutenant, Elvey, proves less amenable to bribes than his predecessor. Awaiting a cargo shipment near Folkestone, Jorrocks grows suspicious of a tall Irish woman named Katty who has been watching for arrivals, suspecting her of being an informant planted by Elvey. The narrative establishes intrigue between the smugglers' operations and the mysterious woman's presence.