By the time that Smith returned to England from the East, war had been declared with Afghanistan, and Parliament was summoned to meet on 5th December. For the fourth time during 1878 the Government were to be arraigned on a motion of censure—this time moved by Mr Whitbread—and the House was to be called on to declare that it disapproved of the policy which had led to hostilities; for the fourth time the attack was to be repulsed: the Government obtained a majority of 101 in a House of 555 members.

During the holidays an event took place which was the cause of much rejoicing in the family at Greenlands. On January 2, Miss Leach, the daughter of Mrs Smith by her former marriage, was wedded to Captain W. Codrington, R.N.

Smith's only son, Frederick, who had lately gone to school, was home at this time for the Christmas holidays, and told a funny little story about his experience. The boys had asked him if his father was the man who had the bookstalls, to which he answered, “Yes.” Then they asked him if he did anything else. “Oh yes,” replied Frederick, “he's First Lord of the Admiralty! “—a statement which was received with shouts of incredulous derision.

Although the shadow of war no longer lay upon the land (for the affair in Afghanistan, though serious and deplorable enough, was very light compared with the mighty conflict into which Britain had so nearly been drawn in the year that was past), the gloom of commercial o depression, which had set in with the crash of the City of Glasgow Bank in September, weighed heavily on all classes.