60 THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



thing. The life of a country journalist is busy, 

 but it is in great measure an out-door life. 



Although Mr. Morris was his first literary 

 friend and adviser, Jefferies was never 

 attached to his paper as reporter. Perhaps 

 there was no vacancy at the time. He ob- 

 tained work on the North Wilts Herald, 

 and afterwards became in addition the 

 Swindon correspondent of the Wilts and 

 Gloucestershire Standard, published at Ciren- 

 cester. The editor of the North Wilts 

 Herald was a Mr. Piper, who died two years 

 ago. Of him Jefferies always spoke with the 

 greatest respect, calling him his old master. 

 But in what sense he himself was a pupil I 

 know not. Nor can I gather that Jefferies, 

 who acquired his literary style much later, and 

 after, as will be seen, the production of much 

 work which has deservedly fallen into oblivion, 

 learned anything as a writer from anybody. 

 In the line which he afterwards struck out for 

 himself that of observations of nature his 

 master, as regards the subject-matter, was his 

 father ; as regards his style he had no master. 



He filled these posts and occupied himself 



