CHAPTER VII
The Novelist (1870-1898)
STILL remembering Meredith's admonition: "Less talk—more incident!" Hardy finished Desperate Remedies late in 1870. It was a tale of mystery, sensation, murder, conflagration, attempted rapine and miscellaneous thrills, artificial and unconvincing, relieved only by a few scenes from rural life, such as the cider-pressing episode. There was some difficulty about having it printed, but the author finally discovered that "Old Tinsley" of Tinsley Brothers would undertake its publication, provided that Hardy himself would agree to endow the work with an advance payment of £75. A record of this interesting transaction is contained in Hardy's letter to Tinsley, written from Bockhampton on December 20th.
Tinsley has been rather unfairly abused for his insistence on such a financial arrangement. It should be remembered that Hardy at this time, although over thirty years of age, had really very little evidence at hand to demonstrate his powers as a writer of prose. He himself did not acknowledge the novel. It appeared anonymously, and to all later editions he attached a very apologetic preface, making it apparent that he did not wish the book to be taken too seriously. Tinsley's conduct was further justified by the reception—lack of reception, rather—accorded the work.
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