io6 THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



hand of enormous profits to be shared. Poor 

 wretches ! they never get any profits. No- 

 body ever buys any copies. There is never 

 for the unfortunate writer any gold or any 

 glory, but only sure, certain, and bitter dis- 

 appointment. 



As yet, Jefferies still clung to his old ideas, 

 and had learned none of the lessons which the 

 Times letters should have taught him. There- 

 fore he brought out three novels in succession 

 (see Chapter VI.), never getting any single 

 advantage or profit out of them except the 

 pain of shattered hopes, the loss of money, and 

 the most contemptuous notices in the reviews. 



We are in the year 1874. Apparently, 

 Jefferies has had his chance, and has thrown 

 it away. He is six-and-twenty years of age 

 it is youth, but this young man has only 

 twelve more years of life, and none of his work 

 has yet been done. Why why did no one 

 tear him away from his vain and futile efforts ? 

 See, he toils day after day, with an energy 

 which nothing can repress a resolution to 

 succeed which sustains him through all his 

 disappointments. He covers acres of paper, 



