The Note Books Of Samuel Butler

of a Homo Uniiis Libri 167

can clutch at as believing it to be a straight tip from a business
point of view. Heaven forbid that I should blame them for
doing exactly what I should do myself in their place, but,
things being as they are, they are no use to me. They have
no confidence in me and they must have this or they will do
nothing for me beyond keeping my books on their shelves.

Perhaps it is better that I should not have a chance of be-
coming a hack-writer, for I should grasp it at once if it were
offered me.