Sherlock Holmes

Observations: This is the first of Doyle’s second dozen stories for
The Strand, for which he was paid £1,000 in total. He would
return to Dartmoor in The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Verdict: Atmospherically written, although the plot itself is
rather on the dull side. 3/5
16) The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
UK: The Strand Magazine (January 1893, SP); USA: Harper’s
Weekly (14 January 1893,WHH)
The Case: A middle-aged spinster receives two severed ears in
the post…
Characters: Susan Cushing, Inspector Lestrade, doctor, Sarah
Cushing, Mary Cushing, Jim Browner, Algar, Inspector Montgomery,
Alec Fairbairn.
Locations: 221B Baker Street; Cross Street, Croydon; New
Street, Wallington; police station, Croydon; Albert Dock,
Liverpool; Shadwell police station; Liverpool; New Brighton, Liverpool.
Recorded Cases: A Study in Scarlet,The Sign of Four.
Unrecorded Case: Aldridge who helped in the affair of the bogus
laundry.
Holmes: Purchased a Stradivarius for the bargain price of 55
shillings at a Jewish pawnbroker’s in Tottenham Court Road.
Knows lots of anecdotes about Paganini. Has written two short
monographs in an edition of the Anthropological Review on pecu-
liarities of the human ear. Reads Poe (cf. A Study in Scarlet).
Quotable Quote: ‘What is the meaning of it, Watson?… What
object is served by this circle of misery and violence and fear?
It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by
S H E R L O C K H O L M E S
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chance, which is unthinkable.’
Problems: ‘Brain fever’ (a catch-all for nervous trouble, shock
etc.) is used to create an artificial hiatus and allow Holmes to
investigate. Watson was only ten at the time of the American
Civil War, so is unlikely to feel strongly about it.
Observations: Doyle did not include this story in the book
version of The Memoirs for two reasons – he considered it too
shocking, and it exposed the seamier side of infidelity. (Royal
infidelity was tolerated as a literary cliché, but the common
variety was frowned upon.) 24 years later it was included in
the penultimate collection His Last Bow. But Doyle transferred
the story’s opening ‘mind-reading’ scene, with minor changes,
to The Resident Patient (replacing its original introduction) when
it was issued in The Memoirs (1894).
Verdict: An engrossing mystery solved by a logical process of
deduction. The actual murder is very atmospherically
described. 5/5
17) The Adventure of the Yellow Face
UK: The Strand Magazine (February 1893, SP); USA: Harper’s
Weekly (11 February 1893,WHH)
The Case: A husband is concerned that his wife is seeing
someone else… 
Characters: Page-boy, Grant Munro, Effie Munro, Lucy Hebron,
Scotchwoman, John Hebron.
Locations: Regent’s or Hyde Park, London; 221B Baker Street;
house and cottage in Norbury; Crystal Palace; Atlanta, Georgia.
Recorded Case:The Second Stain.
Holmes: Is a fine boxer but seldom takes exercise for its own
sake. Still uses cocaine occasionally. Believes pipes, watches and
shoelaces show a person’s individuality.
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Elementary: Deduces a man’s character and habits from his pipe.
Quotable Quote: ‘Watson… if it should ever strike you that I am
getting a little overconfident in my powers, or giving less pains
to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper “Norbury” in my ear,
and I shall be infinitely obliged to you.’ (Norbury being the
place where he got things wrong.)