SPRING DAYS

BY GEORGE MOORE




PREFACE



When Henry Vizetelly, that admirable scholar, historian, and
journalist, was sent to prison for publishing Zola's novels mine were
taken over by Walter Scott, and all were reprinted except "Spring
Days." This book was omitted from the list of my acknowledged works,
for public and private criticism had shown it no mercy; and I had lost
faith in it. All the welcome it had gotten were a few contemptuous
paragraphs scattered through the Press, and an insolent article in
_The Academy_, which I did not see, but of which I was notified by a
friend in the Strand at the corner of Wellington Street.

"Was the article a long one?"

"No, I don't think they thought your book worth slashing. All I can
tell you is that if any book of mine had been spoken of in that way I
should never write another."

I left my friend, hoping that the number of _The Academy_ would not
fall into the hands of the editor of the great London review, to whom I
had dedicated the book after a night spent listening to him quoting