CHAPTER IV. 



GLEAMS OF LIGHT. 



WITH the year 1871 the early struggles of the 

 young writer came to an end. He had now 

 secured his position, such as it was, on the 

 local press As there are no further sugges- 

 tions of parental opposition, we may suppose 

 that this had now ceased. Parental opposition 

 generally gives way when the lad shows that 

 by following his own path he can maintain 

 himself. This Richard could now do. He 

 continued, however, to live at Coate, partly, 

 no doubt, for economy, and partly for conveni- 

 ence. His old friends point out the short cut 

 across the fields by which he was accustomed 

 to walk from Coate to the office of the paper. 

 Local enthusiasm, however, is proverbially 

 feeble in the case of the native prophet. 



