ook the MS. to England, but she could
not get either Bentley or Smith Elder, or Macmillan to accept it.

On the death of Mr. John Howard Clark, which took place at this time,
Mr. John Harvey Finlayson was left to edit The Register, and I became a
regular outside contributor to The Register and The Observer. He
desired to keep up and if possible improve the literary side of the
papers, and felt that the loss of Mr. Clark might be in some measure
made up if I give myself wholeheartedly to the work. Leading articles
were to be written at my own risk. If they suited the policy of the
paper they would be accepted, otherwise not. What a glorious opening
for my ambition and for my literary proclivities came to me in July,
1878, when I was in my fifty-third year! Many leading articles were
rejected, but not one literary or social article. Generally these last
appeared in both daily and weekly papers. I recollect the second
original social article I wrote was on "Equality as an influence on
society and manners," suggested by Matthew Arnold. The much-travelled
Smythe, then, I think, touring with Charles Clark, wrote to Mr.
Finlayson from Wallaroo thus:--"In this dead-alive place, where one
might fire a mitrailleuse down the principal street without hurting
anybody, I read this delightful article in yesterday's Register. When
we come again to Adelaide, and we collect a few choice spirits, be sure
to invite the writer of this article to join us." I felt as if the
round woman had got at last into the round hole which fitted her; and
in my little study, with my books and my pigeon holes, and my dear old
mother sitting with her knitting on her rocking chair at the low
window, I had the knowledge that she was interested in all I did. I
generally read the MS to her before it went to the office. What is more
remarkable, perhaps, is that the excellent maid who was with us for 12
years, picked out everything of mine that was in the papers and read
it. A series of papers called "Some Social Aspects of Early Colonial
Life" I contributed under the pseudonym of "A Colonist of 1839." From
1878 till 1893, when I went round the world via America, I held the
position of outside contributor on the oldest newspaper in the State,
and for these 14 years I had great latitude. My friend Dr. Garran, then
editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, accepted reviews and articles from
me. Sometimes I reviewed the same books for both, but I wrote the
articles diffe