There lies before me a roll containing certain newspaper extracts pasted on paper and sewed together. They are cuttings from the _North Wilts Herald_, and contain a romance, entitled "A Strange Story," written "expressly" for that paper, and signed "Geoffrey." That Geoffrey--let us reveal a long-buried secret--was none other than Richard Jefferies himself. The "Strange Story" was published on June 30, 1866. It is blood-curdling; it is, in fact, the work of a boy. Between July 21 and August 4 of the same year, a second tale appeared by the same author; it is called "Henrique Beaumont." There is a murder in it, and, of course, a murderer. Lightning--sign of Heaven's wrath--reveals that the murderer's face, after the deed, is as pale as death. A third tale is called "Who Will Win? or, American Adventure." There is fighting in it, with negroes, hairbreadth escapes, and such things, in breathless succession. A fourth and last tale is called "Masked." These boyish efforts are only mentioned here to show in what direction the lad's thoughts were running. Considered as a lad's productions, they require no comment. At the outset, Jefferies proposed fiction to himself as the most desirable form of literature, and the most likely form with which to court success. Almost to the end he continued to keep this ambition before himself. The list of his serious attempts at fiction is respectable as regards number. It includes the following: "The Scarlet Shawl," one vol., 1874. "Restless Human Hearts," three vols., 1875. "World's End," three vols., 1877. "Green Fern Farm," three vols., 1880. "The Dewy Morn," two vols., 1884. "Amaryllis at the Fair," one vol., 1887. To these may be added--but they must be treated separately--"Wood Magic," a fable, 1881, and "Bevis," three vols., 1882. Perhaps "After London" may also be accounted a work of fiction. * * * * * "The Scarlet Shawl" was published in July, 1874, in one volume. As the work is stated on the title-page to have advanced to a second edition, one of two things is certain--namely, either the book appealed to a large number of readers, or the editions were very small indeed. I incline, myself, to the latter opinion.