COUNTRY LIFE
A Rural Pioneer
In the search for anniversaries—which is a popular amusement—it is surprising that little attention has been paid to- the death of Richard Jefferies, which befell fifty years ago. The date of his contribution to the literature of the country scene is of some historical importance. At the time when he was at his best, a young horticulturist made a round of all the chief newspapers in London with the object of persuading the editors to pay some attention to gardening, and he presented an article indicating the attraction of the subject. His idea was ridiculed and his contribution rejected with good humour as the absurd freak of a specialist. There was one exception. The editor of the Star thought the idea bold and strange, but liked it. The article was accepted ; and within some twelve months similar articles were appearing in almost every London newspaper. This form of country literature had arrived and established a permanent place in journalism.
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