96 THE LIFE OF RICHARD JEFFERIES 



There is also a ' laid ' for ' lay ' in this most vulnerable 

 book. 



It was doubtless rash of this young provincial journalist 

 to spend his time in violent efforts to understand people 

 whom he had not seen and did not really care about ; 

 but it is clear that, though he failed and wrote some 

 inept things, and was guilty of a flimsy cynicism and 

 assumption of worldliness, he was seeking to satisfy a need 

 for another life than was being lived around him, and that 

 he satisfied part of his hunger for beauty by painting this 

 alien life and indulging in these coloured images. 



' The Scarlet Shawl ' was published in 1874, and in 

 July of that year, at Chisledon Church, he married Miss 

 Jessie Baden, of Day House Farm. For a few months 

 they lived with his father and mother at Coate Farm. 

 Early in 1875 they moved to Victoria Street, Swindon, 

 where his house is now distinguished by a mural tablet. 

 There his first child was born. He tells us himself that 

 living in Swindon was unpleasant, because his work was 

 wearisome and his daily pilgrimages had to be sus- 

 pended. But there he still thought his old thoughts, 

 which could take flight from a birch-tree visible from his 

 window ' across the glow of sunset.' 



* Restless Human Hearts,' his next published novel, 

 was finished before October 9, 1874 ; for on that day he 

 told Messrs. Tinsley that the manuscript was at their 

 disposal. He has also, he goes on to say, ' a book of 

 adventure on a novel plan ' already finished ; * it describes 

 the rise to power of an intelligent man in a half-civilized 

 country, and is called " The Rise of Maximus " '; but this 

 was never published, and nothing is known of it. ' Rest- 

 less Human Hearts ' appeared in 1875, and in that year 

 he mentions two other books that were never published — 

 ' In Summer Time ' (a novel), and ' The New Pilgrim's 

 Progress ; or, A Christian's Painful Progress from the 

 Town of Middle Class to the Golden City.' This was 

 also the year of ' Suez-cide ; or, How Miss Britannia 

 Bought a Dirty Puddle and lost her Sugar Plums.' He 



