Mr Dalton's legatee a very nice woman Author:Elizabeth Stone Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. Me, Meredith's gloomy forebodings were too soon realized. The. newly appointed Rector, energetic in his habits, and in the prime of his years, req... more »uired no assistance in the care of his new parish—and in six weeks,—the time now recognized as sufficient for any arrangements a displaced curate can have to make, being a few days longer than the warning granted to a dishonest footman or a drunken cook—in six weeks Henry Meredith and his wife wereon their road to London, -where they established themselves in respectable lodgings, until he should succeed in obtaining some appointment. They were friendless and well nigh moneyless ; but they were rich in affection and in hope, the ardour of which was as yet unchilled by worldly experience. Though too well acquainted with the realities of life to give a thought to the exploded fable of London's golden pavement, Meredith, conscious of ability, of talent, of industry, did yet hope that "in the metropolis he should find a field for his exertions to which in a secluded country place he could hardly look. He knew not that talent tenfold more original and elevated than his is hidden, lost, buried irrecoverably there, merely for want of that opening which an influential introduction may command, or a happy accident give, but without which, genius is unavailing, and labour is vain. Poets may talk of many a " mute inglorious Milton" or " village Hampden " lost in the obscurityof humble life, but it is probable that their whole aggregate might be outnumbered by those who, with abilities to elevate their species, and ennoble themselves, and in the great arena of talent, London, have sunk unappreciated, unknown, the victims of disappointment and neglect, merely for want of an opening in the vast maze of literary life through which they m...« less