Thislittlebookwaswrittenbeforeeither“JaneEyre”or“Shirley,”andyetnoindulgencecanbesolicitedforitonthepleaofafirstattempt.Afirstattemptitcertainlywasnot,asthepenwhichwroteithadbeenpreviouslywornagooddealinapracticeofsomeyears.IhadnotindeedpublishedanythingbeforeIcommenced“TheProfessor,”butinmanyacrudeeffort,destroyedalmostassoonascomposed,IhadgotoveranysuchtasteasImightoncehavehadforornamentedandredundantcomposition,andcometopreferwhatwasplainandhomely.AtthesametimeIhadadoptedasetofprinciplesonthesubjectofincident,&c.,suchaswouldbegenerallyapprovedintheory,buttheresultofwhich,whencarriedoutintopractice,oftenprocuresforanauthormoresurprisethanpleasure.
IsaidtomyselfthatmyheroshouldworkhiswaythroughlifeasIhadseenreallivingmenworktheirs—thatheshouldnevergetashillinghehadnotearned—thatnosuddenturnsshouldlifthiminamomenttowealthandhighstationthatwhateversmallcompetencyhemightgain,shouldbewonbythesweatofhisbrowthat,beforehecouldfindsomuchasanarbourtositdownin,heshouldmasteratleasthalftheascentof“theHillofDifficulty”thatheshouldnotevenmarryabeautifulgirloraladyofrank.AsAdam’ssonheshouldshareAdam’sdoom,anddrainthroughoutlifeamixedandmoderatecupofenjoyment.
Inthesequel,however,Ifindthatpublishersingeneralscarcelyapprovedofthissystem,butwouldhavelikedsomethingmoreimaginativeandpoetical—somethingmoreconson