YOUTH AND EARLY WRITINGS 6i 



thirty miles, now he can scarcely take thirty steps ; his 

 eyes are too weak to write much ; he is terribly ennuye, 

 and asks for a book. The illness has swept away some 

 cobwebs from his brain ; he is going to be ' not a swell, 

 but stylish,' believing that people look more at the coat 

 than the man, knowing that ' this is the case with hats.' 

 He is losing his place on the North Wilts Herald because it 

 is now the busiest time of the year. A few days later he 

 is improving, but still weak and thin. ' I did too much 

 yesterday in the way of study — my head when I got to bed 

 seemed to swell big enough to fill the room.' A fortnight 

 later still he is suffering from over-exertion, but has been 

 better. At the end of the month he is ' still weak and 

 miserably thin ' ; the editor will give him a fortnight 

 if he cares to return as a reporter at twenty-four shillings 

 a week and live in Swindon. Most of that fortnight he 

 spent at Sydenham, and whilst there composed or copied 

 a sermon on Luke xii. 52, rhetorically showing that Christ 

 will not allow compromise of any kind. Back at Coate, 

 he writes that ' the red leaves of the maple and the yellow 

 leaves of the limes make a beautiful contrast with the oaks 

 and elms, as yet little affected by the frosts.' He is busily 

 reporting — at three meetings in one day, he mentions. 



In an undated letter from Coate, not long after this 

 illness, he writes to say that he has been ill of an eruptive 

 fever, and can only walk up and down in the sun behind 

 a good thick hedge. He does not want to go to Devon, 

 because he will be alone. May he stay at Shanklin Villa, 

 ' among the dear old scenes, in the dear old house, near 

 the dear old Crystal Palace, which is well sheltered ' ? He 

 had his way. In this letter he just mentions an essay 

 on ' Instinct ' which he is writing. A little afterwards, 

 in 1868 (Mr. Harrild having died), he writes to say that 

 he is happier with his aunt than at home, because she 

 enters into his prospects and is always kind ; he will work 

 hard to please her, or ' this fatal indolence ' will ruin him. 

 On Good Friday, 1868, he is still working at his essay on 

 ' Instinct,' and improving his handwriting. All that I 



