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the same as those expressed by Miss Barber ＇a schoolfellow of my wife’s who was more or less living with us at the time。 She is a sister of the late Marjorie Barber； “Michael Faireless；” the well…known author of “The Road…Mender；” etc。； and afterwards married my brother； John G。 Haggard； R。N。＇ in the letter that I forward you； because it puts the other side of the question very well。 I wrote and asked Jeaffreson what he meant when he said that I could succeed in literature； and if in his opinion I could hope to pete with men like Payn and Blackmore； and in the very nice letter that he sent me in answer he said that “unquestionably I could succeed to the point I indicated。” This is of course encouraging； but I am not so sure about it。
I am going to dine with him on the 10th； when I shall try to modify his views about changing the end of the book。 。 。 。
To this day I often wonder whether Jeaffreson was right in making me turn my story inside out and give it a happy ending。 My idea was to present the character of a woman already sweet and excellent in mind and body； and to show it being perfected by various mortal trials； till at length all frailties were burnt out of it by the fires of death。 In the second version I continued to carry out this scheme as well as I could； only the final fires through which the heroine had to pass were those of marriage to a not very interesting young man。 I have always found young men — and； if they are to fill the position of heroes； the novel…reader insists that they must be rather young — somewhat difficult to draw。 Young men； at any rate to the male eye； have a painful similarity to each other； whereas woman is of an infinite variety and therefore easier to depict。 With elderly men； such as old Allan Quatermain； to take an instance； the case is different。 With these I have had no trouble； perhaps because from my boyhood my great friends have always been men much older than myself； if I except the instances of Sheil or Brother Basil； and that other friend who died； of whom I have already written。 Now I am reaping the sad fruits of this idiosyncrasy； since nearly all of those to whom I was deeply attached have gone before me； although； thank Heaven！ a few still remain； such as Arthur Cochrane； Andrew Lang； and Charles Longman。
My criticism on “Dawn” considered as a whole — that is； so far as I recollect it； for I have not reread the book for many years — is that it ought to have been cut up into several stories。 However； it has pleased； and apparently still continues to please； a vast number of persons； and not long ago I was much amused to see in an article in The Times that at Pekin — or Hong…Kong — it is one of the favourite subjects of study among the Chinese students of English literature。 Perhaps an old aunt of mine； who still lives at the age of nearly a hundred； was right when she declared that the book was too full of “amateur villains。”
However； in due course it appeared in charming type； such as we do not get in novels nowadays； and three nice volumes bound in green； which I admire as I write。 Certain of the reviews of it still remain pasted in a book。 They were not very many nearly thirty years ago； or perhaps； as there were no Press…cutting agencies； one did not see them。 On the whole； however； they seem to have been fairly favourable。 Since 1883 I have read hundreds； if not thousands； of reviews of my books； good； bad； and indifferent； but I can safely say that few if any of them have pleased me more than that which appeared of “Dawn” in The Times。
“Dawn” ＇said The Times＇ is a novel of merit far above the average。 From the first page the story arrests the mind and arouses the expectation。 。 。 。 This is； we repeat； a striking and original novel； breathing an elevated if somewhat exaggerated tone。
I wonder who wrote that notice！ Be he living； which is scarcely probable； or dead； I offer him my gratitude。 And yet I know not whether I should be grateful to this kindly critic； since his words； more than any other circumstances； encouraged me to try another novel。
As regards “Dawn” itself； it was more or less of a failure — of course I mean at that time； for in after years it became extraordinarily successful。
One of the most appreciative and indeed enthusiastic readers of this tale at the time was old Mr。 Trubner； whose advice had encouraged me to make the attempt of its writing。 Indeed I was told by one of his relatives that he continued its perusal to within a few hours of his actual death。 Whether he finished it or not I cannot now remember。 Scoffers might say that it finished him。
The new novel upon which I embarked ultimately appeared under the title of “The Witch’s Head。” Failing to find any magazine that would undertake it serially； in the end I published it with Messrs。 Hurst and Blackett on practically the same terms as they had offered me for “Dawn。” Although； except for the African part； it is not in my opinion so good a story as “Dawn；” it was extremely well received and within certain limits very successful。 Indeed； some of the reviews were quite enthusiastic； although； as I may here remark； I was unacquainted with a single person who made a business of reviewing fiction； or indeed with anyone connected with the Press。 Never did a writer begin less equipped with friends who were likely to be able to do him a good turn。 All I could do was to cast my fictional bread upon the literary waters。
The notices of “The Witch’s Head” naturally delighted me； indeed； after the lapse of more than a quarter of a century they still make pleasant reading。 Also they caused the book to go quickly out of print and to be pirated in America。 But this success would not tempt my publishers to reissue it in a cheaper form； a venture that they thought too risky。 I hawked the work about and eventually found some other publishers — who have long since ceased to publish — who agreed to bring it and “Dawn” out each in a two…shilling edition； and nobly promised me one…third of the profits。 But in that generous agreement was a little clause that afterwards nearly proved my ruin。 It bound me to allow this firm to republish any other novel I might write during the five following years； in the same form and on the same terms。 To such a document as this in my ignorance — there was no Authors’ Society in those days — did I set my hand； with results that shall be told later。 These； however； did not alarm me at the time； if I really considered them； as； having then passed my final examination for the Bar without any assistance in the way of coaching； I determined to abandon the writing of fiction and devote myself entirely to my profession。
Three works had I produced； namely； one history and two long novels。 The history had cost me 50 pounds to publish； and for the two novels I had received exactly the same sum in all； in short； the returns were at that time nothing； and this for books that have since sold by the ten thousand copies； not to mention pirated editions。 Thus I find that； during six months of the present year； 4204 copies of “Dawn” and 5656 copies of “The Witch’s Head” were sold in a cheap edition； besides others at a higher price； which； as these works were written about twenty…eight years ago； is not a total to be despised。
To return： had it not been for a curious chance my literary efforts would have ended with the publication of “The Witch’s Head；” and probably by now my labours at the Bar in this or some other land would almost have obliterated them from my memory。 But； as it happened； I read in one of the weekly papers a notice of Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” so laudatory that I procured and studied that work； and was impelled by its perusal to try to write a book for boys。
Outside of this matter of my attempts at fiction I have little to add as to our life at Ditchingham before we migrated to London when I began to practise at the Bar。 We lived very quietly； for we were not well off； and an estate which used to produce sufficient to support a country place of the smaller sort and those who dwelt on it； began to show greatly lessened returns。 The bad years were upon us； and rents fell rapidly； moreover the repairs required were legion。