“Sure”, I broke in, heartsore at my gibe, “Sure, your French Revolution must live and the “Heroes and Hero Worship”, and “Latter Day Pamphlets” and, and—”
“Enough”, he cried, “You’re sure?”
“Quite, quite sure”, I repeated. Then he said, “You can be equally sure of your own place; for we can all reach the heights we are able to oversee.”
AFTERWORD TO THE FIRST
VOLUME OF MY LIFE’S STORY.
I had hardly written “Finis” at the end of this book when the faults in it, faults both of omission and commission, rose in swarms and robbed me of my joy in the work.
It will be six or seven years at least before I shall know whether the book is good and life-worthy or not and yet need drives me to publish it at once.
Did not Horace require nine years to judge his work?