FICTION, EARLY AND LATE. 161 



seems fair, and one hopes that his publisher 

 recouped by this first edition his previous 

 losses. The reviewers were kinder to " World's 

 End." The Queen, the Graphic, and the 

 Spectator spoke of it with measured approba- 

 tion, but no enthusiasm. 



He writes again, offering a fourth novel, 

 called " The Dewy Morn;" but as no more 

 letters follow, it is probable that the work 

 was refused. This looks as if the success of 

 "World's End" was limited. "The Dewy 

 Morn," in the later style, was published in 

 1884 by Messrs. Chapman and Hall. 



The appearance of " World's End " marks 

 the conclusion of one period of his life. Hence- 

 forth Jefferies abandons his ill-starred attempts 

 to paint manners which he never saw, a society 

 to which he never belonged, and the life of people 

 concerning whom he knew nothing. He has at 

 last made the discovery that this kind of work 

 is absolutely futile. Yet he does not actually 

 realize the fact until he has made many failures, 

 and wasted a great deal of time, and is nearly 

 thirty years of age. Henceforth his tales, if we 

 are to call them tales, his papers, sketches, and 



11 



