Authors, English -- 19th century -- Biography; Jefferies, Richard, 1848-1887
This is really wonderful. This young man knows so little about the
writing of novels as to suppose that, because it is easy for him to
write two "Scarlet Shawls" a year, there can be no possible loss in
them! You see that he had everything to learn. You may also observe that
from the beginning he has never faltered in his one ambition. He will
succeed; and he will succeed in literature.
Terms are finally agreed upon, and "The Scarlet Shawl" is produced. Some
time afterwards he writes for a cheque, and receives an account, whether
accompanied by a cheque or not does not appear. But he submits the
account to a friend, who assures him that it is correct. Thus satisfied,
he finishes a second story, this time in three volumes. It was called
"Restless Human Hearts."
In the following year "Restless Human Hearts," in three volumes, was
brought out by the same firm. In the book of extracts, from which I have
already drawn, there are four or five reviews preserved. They are all of
the same opinion, and it is not a flattering opinion. The _Graphic_
admitted that there was one scene drawn with considerable power. One
need not dwell longer upon this work. Jefferies, in fact, was describing
a society of which he knew absolutely nothing, and was drawing on his
imagination for a picture which he tendered as one of contemporary
manners. At this juncture--nay, at every point--of his literary career,
he wanted someone to stand at his elbow and make him tear up
everything--everything--that pretended to describe a society of which he
knew nothing. The hero appears to have been a wicked nobleman. Heavens!
what did this young provincial journalist know of wicked noblemen? But
he had read about them, when he was a boy. He had read the sensational
romances in which the nobleman was, at that time, always represented as
desperately wicked. In these later days the nobleman of the penny
novelette is generally pictured as virtuous. Why and how this change of
view has been brought about it is impossible in this place to inquire;
but Jefferies belonged to the generation of wicked dukes and vicious
earls.
The terms upon which "Restless Human Hearts" was published do not appear
from the letters extant. Jefferies writes, however, a most sensible
letter on the subject. He refuses absolutely to pay any more for
publishing his own books. He says:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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