The expenses of an increasing family made Mr. Barham once more attempt literary work--this time successfully; and he contributed light articles in rapid succession to _Blackwood_, _John Bull_, and _The Globe_. He also assisted in the completion of _Gorton's Biographical Dictionary_. "Cousin Nicholas" appeared in _Blackwood_ in 1878. It owed its publication to Mrs. Hughes, the mother of John Hughes, Esq.,--from whose account of Barham we have just quoted,--a most remarkable and highly-gifted woman, the friend and correspondent of Scott, Southey, etc. The MS. was in an unfinished state, having been laid by for some years, when Barham submitted it to this lady. So highly did she think of it, and so aware was she of the author's sensitive doubts, that she sent it off at once to Mr. Blackwood, who was greatly pleased with it, and at once inserted it in his magazine. The first Barham knew of the fate of his MSS. was the appearance of the introductory chapters in _Blackwood_. He was thus compelled to finish it, and worked up the catastrophe with great skill. Nor was this the only benefit he derived from this gifted friend. It was to her he was indebted for much of the material of the poems that have made his fame as a writer, though this was to come afterwards. In 1831, Sidney Smith was appointed one of the Canons of St. Paul's, and thus two of our famous wits became intimate. On October 2, 1831, Sidney Smith read himself in as Residentiary at St. Paul's. He told Barham that he had once nearly offended Sam Rogers by recommending him, when he sat for his picture, to be drawn saying his prayers--_with his face in his hat_. Mr. Barham was by no means an ardent politician, and he never used his pastoral influence on either side. For himself, he was a staunch Conservative, and never failed, in spite of any personal inconvenience, himself to record his vote. He told one amusing anecdote about an election. As he was landing from the steamer at Gravesend, where his vote was to be taken, it was raining heavily, and the passengers landing from the boat naturally put up their umbrellas. Partisans of both candidates lined the pier, watching eagerly to see what colours the arrivals wore. Barham, remembering a dead cat that had been thrown at him on a previous occasion, wore none; nevertheless he was detected. He heard the Tory partisans cry out, "Here comes one on our side." "You be blowed," said a voter in sky-blue ribbons, "I say he's our'n." "Be blowed yourself," was the reply; "don't you see the gemman's got a _silk umbrella_?" In 1837 appeared the famous "Ingoldsby Legends" in _Blackwood_. Of their production Mr. Hughes thus writes: "In my mother's presentation copy of the _Ingoldsby Legends_, written in Barham's own hand, occurs the following distich,-- To Mrs. Hughes, who made me do 'em, Quod placeo est--si placeo--tuum.