actical. His salary at Fisher Unwin's had
been negligible and he was not making much yet by the journalism
which was now his only source of income. The repeated promise to
"write to Nutt" is very characteristic. For Nutt was the manager of
the solitary publisher who was at the moment prepared to put a book
of Gilbert's on the market at his own risk!

Although they did not manage to get married this year, by the end of
it he was becoming well known. The articles, in the _Speaker_
especially, were attracting attention and _Greybeards at Play_ had a
considerable success. This, the first of Gilbert's books to be
published, is a curiosity. It is made up of three incredibly witty
satirical poems--"The Oneness of the Philosopher with Nature," "The
Dangers Attending Altruism on the High Seas" and "The Disastrous
Spread of Aestheticism in All Classes." The illustrations drawn by
himself are as witty as the verses. By the beginning of 1901 his work
was being sought for by other Liberal periodicals and he was writing
regularly for the _Daily News_. The following letter to Frances bears
the postmark Feb. 8, 1901.

Somewhere in the Arabian Nights or some such place there is a story
of a man who was Emperor of the Indies for one day. I am rather in
the position of that person: for I am Editor of the _Speaker_ for one
day. Hammond is unwell and Hirst has gone to dine with John Morley,
so the latter asked me to see the paper through for this number.
Hence this notepaper and the great hurry and brevity which I fear
must characterise this letter.

There are a few minor amusing things, however, that I have a moment
to mention.

(1) The "Daily News" have sent me a huge mass of books to review,
which block up the front hall. A study of Swinburne--a book on
Kipling--the last Richard le Gallienne--all very interesting. See if
I don't do some whacking articles, all about the stars and the moon
and the creation of Adam and that sort of thing. I really think I
could work a revolution in Daily paper--writing by the introduction
of poetical prose.

(2) Among other books that I have to review came, all unsolicited,
a book by your old friend Schofield. Ha! Ha! Ha! It's about the
Formation of Character, or some of those low and beastly amusements.
I think of introducing parts of my Comic Opera of the P.N.E.U. into
the articles.

(3) Another rather funny thing is the way in whic