After Lady Stephenson's death in 1 861, her daughters left the apartments in Hampton Court Palace, and Frederick Stephenson made his home when in England in his brother's house in London, to the great joy of its inmates. In 1868 he became Major-General and for some time remained unemployed, and took advantage of his leisure to travel on the Continent.
In the winter of 1 867-68 he took two of his nieces to Italy for three months, staying at Florence, Venice, Naples, and Rome for some time, and visiting many other interesting cities on the road. It is hard to say whether art or nature pleased him most in these travels. Everything beautiful appealed to him, and he always approached his subject with so much reverence and so keen a desire to learn all that was possible connected with it, that travelling with him was not only a pleasure but an education.
A j'-ear or two later he visited Spain, travelling with a friend, and thence brought back a store of knowledge and memories that he liked to talk of all the rest of his life. He also revisited Rome and Naples with his brother and others of the family.
During 1873-74 he was Acting Inspector-General of the Auxihary Forces, and in 1 876 was given the command of the Home District, " which," to quote the article in the Broad Arrow already referred to, " he held with pleasure and profit to those under his orders till July 1879, when he again reverted to the unemployed list, having been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General."
The same article says: —
" Sir Frederick Stephenson is one of the most striking existing illustrations of modesty and merit. In the Army, where one man's death or failure means another man's advancement, there is, as is inevitable, a great deal of jealousy and depreciation. Sir Frederick Stephenson, owing to his modesty, straightforw^ardness, amiability, and good manners, is a remarkable exception to the general rule, which is that success is tempered by detraction. He is undoubtedly one of the most popular — ^if not the most popular — men in the Army, and has not, we believe, an enemy in the world except perhaps the irrepressible Colonel Dawkins. Had he been a richer man he might have obtained promotion, and consequently opportunities of distinction earlier; had he practised, as have too many eminent persons in the present day, the art of self-advertisement, his achievements might have won for him a greater name. Yet he has much to console him in the conviction that he is universally respected and beloved, and that the Brigade of Guards point to him with pride as one of the most worthy and knightly of the illustrious list of distinguished officers which that nursery of distinguished officers has given to the service of their sovereign and country. He himself, we are sure, — so humble is his opinion of himself, — is convinced that he has only done his duty in a simple fashion, and that for so doing he has been rewarded even above his deserts."
The reference to Colonel Dawkins will not be understood to-day without some explanation. The facts were briefly as follows: —
Colonel Dawkins, who was also a Guardsman, was, for certain reasons, not looked on with favour at the Horse Guards, and after a court of inquiry had taken place, Colonel Dawkins chose to consider that Frederick Stephenson, who had taken part in the proceedings, had acted with prejudice and want of impartiality, and pestered him with offensive letters, trying in every way to fasten a quarrel on him. At last, not succeeding in getting any attention paid to him, he actually attempted to strike Stephenson as they met on the steps of a club in Pall Mall.
In former days such an insult could only have been met in one way, but Frederick Stephenson placed himself unreservedly in the hands of his friends Lord Abinger and General Gipps, and no such issue was permitted or advised. A civil action was instituted, and Colonel Dawkins made an apology, which, being accepted, the affair was closed.
In 1877 the London house was given up and his brother went to live in the country, while he for a time took lodgings in town; but his love of a " home " made this very uncongenial to him, and he finally took a house in St. George's Square, S.W., where he invited his sisters to join him, and the three who still survived did so.
It is doubtful if he would have taken this step had he known what was in store for him. In 1883, a few months after he had settled upon this house, the command of the troops in Egypt was offered him, and for a time he hesitated as to whether he could accept it. Strong pressure was, however, brought to bear on him, the Duke of Cambridge, then Commander-in-Chief, urging him to go, and he finally consented, and left England in May 1883.