Wandering Heath

E-text prepared by Lionel Sear
The stories in this volume made their first appearance in England as follows: The Roll-Call of the Reef in The Idler ; The Looe Die-hards in The Illustrated London News , where it was entitled The Power o' Music ; Jetsom and The Bishop of Eucalyptus in The Pall Mall Magazine ; Visitors at the Gunnel Rock in The Strand Magazine ; Flowing Source in The Woman at Home ; and the rest, with one exception, in the friendly pages of The Speaker .

What is the use of it? the Poet demanded peevishly—it was New Year's Day in the morning. People don't read my poetry when I have gone to the trouble of writing it!
The more shame to them, said his wife.
But, my dear, you know you never read it yourself.
Oh, that is altogether different. Besides you are improving, are you not? She asked it a trifle anxiously, but the question set him off at once.
In twenty years' time— he began eagerly.
—The boy will be at college. She laid down her needle and embroidery and, gazing into the fire, let her hands lie idle in her lap.
You might think of me.
I thought, she answered, you were doing that.
Of yourself, then.