"It is Never Too Late to Mend, a Matter-of-Fact Romance,"
published in 1856, is, like "Hard Cash," a story with a
purpose, the object in this instance being to illustrate the
abuses of prison discipline in England and Australia. Many of
the passages describing Australian life are exceptionally
vivid and imaginative, and exhibit Charles Reade, if not in
the front rank of novelists of his day, at least occupying a
high position.


_I.--In Berkshire_


George Fielding, assisted by his brother William, tilled The Grove--as
nasty a little farm as any in Berkshire. It was four hundred acres, all
arable, and most of it poor, sour land. A bad bargain, and the farmer
being sober, intelligent, proud, sensitive, and unlucky, is the more to
be pitied.

Susanna Merton was beautiful and good; George Fielding and she were
acknowledged lovers, but latterly old Merton had seemed cool whenever
his daughter mentioned the young man's name.

William Fielding, George's brother, was in love with his brother's
sweetheart, but he never looked at her except by stealth; he knew he had
no business to love her.

While George Fielding had been going steadily down-hill, till even the
bank declined to give him credit, Mr. Meadows, who had been a carter,