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And again：
Unless they ＇i。e。 South African problems＇ are treated with more honest intelligence； and on a more settled plan than it has hitherto been thought necessary to apply to them； the British taxpayer will find that he has by no means heard the last of that country and its wars。
Some twenty years after I wrote these words England did have to face a Transvaal war on a ten times larger scale； and the British taxpayer did hear that he was called upon to pay a bill of some three hundred millions sterling。 Also about twenty thousand of our countrymen； among them a young nephew of my own； were summoned to lay down their lives on the African veld。 Such was the cost to the Empire of the reversal of Sir Theophilus Shepstone’s policy in the interests of an English political party。
Whilst we were at Norwood a little incident occurred which resulted in my being a writer of fiction。 At the church which my wife and I attended we saw sitting near us one Sunday a singularly beautiful and pure…faced young lady。 Afterwards we agreed that this semi…divine creature — on whom to the best of my knowledge I have never set eyes again from that day to this — ought to bee the heroine of a novel。 So then and there we took paper； and each of us began to write the said novel。 I think that after she had pleted two or three folio sheets my wife ceased from her fictional labours。 But； growing interested； I continued mine； which resulted in the story called “Dawn。”
Years afterwards； in 1894 indeed； on the occasion of the issue of one of the numerous editions of that tale； I inserted the following little dedication：
AFTER MANY YEARS
I dedicate this my first story
to
That Unknown Lady；
once seen； but unforgotten； the
mould and model of Angela；
the magic of whose face turned my mind
to the making of books。
Here I may as well tell the history of this book。 Some of it； or rather of the first draft of it； I think I wrote at Norwood。 Towards Christmas of 1882 my wife and I made up our minds to return to this house at Ditchingham； which was standing empty and furnished； while I pursued my studies at the Bar。 Hither we came accordingly a little while before the birth of my eldest daughter。 She was named Angela after the heroine of my novel； which shows that at this time it must either have been written or well advanced。
There appear to be three drafts of this work； the first of which （inplete） is named “Angela；” after the heroine； the second； five hundred and fifty…four closely written foolscap sheets long（！）； estimated； I observe； upon the title…page to print into about a thousand pages； called “There Remaih a Rest”； and the third； bound MS。 （unnamed）； four hundred and niy…three foolscap sheets。 The history of them is briefly as follows。 With pain and labour I wrote the work — five hundred and fifty…four foolscap sheets do take some labour in the actual matter of calligraphy； without considering the mental effort。 Then I sent the result to sundry publishers — who they were I entirely forget。 Evidently； however； Smith and Elder must have been one of them； as is shown by the allusion to James Payn in a letter from the late Mr。 Cordy Jeaffreson； which I shall presently quote。
These publishers； or their readers； had no great opinion of “Angela” or “There Remaih a Rest；” by whichever title it was then called。 After these rebuffs most people would have put that mighty mass of manuscript into the fire or an upstairs cupboard。 But I must have been a persistent young man thirty years or so ago； and I did not take this course。 On the contrary； I consulted Mr。 Trubner； with whom I had bee personally acquainted since the publication of “Cetewayo and his White Neighbours。” Indeed he and I struck up some kind of a friendship； as is shown by the fact that he gave me his photograph in a little olive…wood frame； which photograph has stood on a shelf in my room from that day to this。 It is a clever old face which is pictured there； and he was a clever old man。 He used to tell me anecdotes in his queer； half…German talk about the literary celebrities of bygone days； and I remember that his description of George Eliot was extremely epigrammatic and amusing。 This； however； I will not repeat。 He was good enough to take some interest in the story； and to suggest that it should be sent to the late Mr。 Cordy Jeaffreson for his opinion。 This was done； and on April 27； 1883； Jeaffreson sent me his opinion； which is so thorough and able that I erely omitting his detailed criticism of the work。
24 Carlton Road； Maida Vale； N。W。：
April 27； 1883。
Dear Sir； — I have read your story deliberately and read it with considerable interest； which would of course have been greater had I read it in type。
Payn was not wrong。 Your opening chapters have a superabundance of action； and several highly dramatic positions； but they lack dramatic interest； i。e。 the interest that es from an exhibition of the influence of character upon character。 Novels being what they are just now； it is small praise to say that Angela’s love…story is better than two…thirds of the stories that are published。 I could say much more in its favour。 Still I urge you not to publish it in its present rude form。 Indeed； the story has caused me to take so much interest in its writer that I could almost entreat you not to publish it。
I take it you are a young man。 You are certainly a novice in literature： and like most beginners in the really difficult art of novel…writing you have plied your pen under the notion that novels are dashed off。 Inferior novels are so written； but you have the making of a good novelist in you； if you are seriously bent on being one。 It would therefore be ill for you in several ways to make your debut with a tale that would do you injustice。 I don’t counsel you to try again with new materials。 I advise you to make your present essay； what it might be made； a work of art and a really good performance。
You have written it with your left hand without strenuous pains； you must rewrite it with your right hand； throwing all your force into it。 If you produce it in its present crude state you will do so only to regret in a few weeks you did not burn it。 If you rewrite it slowly with your right hand — suppressing much； expanding much； making every chapter a picture by itself； and polishing up every sentence so that each page bears testimony to the power of its producer — the story will be the beginning of such a literary career as I conceive you to be desirous of running。 Get the better of the mon notion that novels may be dashed off — by remembering how often Lord Lytton rewrote “Pelham；” thinking over every part of it； now pressing and now expanding the narrative； before he ventured to give it to the world。 Go to the Charles Dickens rooms in the S。 Kensington Museum and observe the erasures； the insertions； the amendments of every paragraph of his writing 。 。 。 。
Here follows a long and able criticism of the story。
Having read your MS。 I have packed it and will do anything you like with it — with the exception of sending it to a publisher in its present state。 You will succeed in literary enterprise if it will be your ambition to do so。
Your story disposes me to think you have that ambition。 It also causes me to hope that I may make the author’s acquaintance。 If you call on me when you are in town I shall be delighted to ask your pardon for writing to you with such unmannerly frankness and self…sufficiency。
Believe me to be； my dear sir；
Yours very sincerely；
John Cordy Jeaffreson。
What an extraordinarily kind heart must have been that of Mr。 Jeaffreson！ He was a very busy man； producing as he did works of fiction and of biography； in addition to his antiquarian labours that involved the deciphering of thousands of old documents； by means of all which toil he earned a moderate ine。 Yet he found time on behalf of an individual totally unknown to him； or to anybody else in this country； to labour through several hundred not too legible sheets of manuscript； and to write a masterly criticism of their contents。 Moreover； for all this trouble he refused to accept any reward。 Certainly it has been my fortune to make acquaintance with much malice in the world； but on the other hand I have met with signal kindness at the hands of those engaged in literary pursuits； and of such kindnesses I can recall no more striking example than this act of Mr。 Jeaffreson； of whom I shall always entertain the most affectionate memory。
Well； I took his advice。 From a tiny note on the first page of the manuscript it would seem that I began to rewrite “Dawn” or “Angela；” as it was then called； on May 15； 1883； and finished the last of the four hundred and niy…three foolscap sheets on September 5th of the same year。 That is； in just under four months； in addition to my legal studies and other occupations and the time taken in attending in London to eat my dinners at Lincoln’s Inn； I wrote nearly two hundred thousand words。 Nowadays the average length of a novel may be put at seventy…five thousand words； or even less； though mine are longer。 But in the early eighties； when stories were brought out in three volumes and readers had more patience than at present； it was otherwise。 I toiled at that