ABSTRACT
R.R. Bowker I was received in a pretty parlor by Mrs. Thomas Hardy, with her Kensington-stitch work, and her pet cat; she is an agreeable youngish English lady, immensely interested in her husband’s work, and we were at once good friends. Hardy presently came down, a quiet-mannered, pleasant, modest, little man, with sandyish short beard, entirely unaffected and direct, not at all spoiled by the reputation which Far from the Madding Crowd and its successors have won for him. He was originally an architect, and had little thought of writing novels. Told me he had the greatest difficulty in remembering the people and incidents of his own stories so that Mrs Hardy had to keep on the look-out for him. We three fell to discussing a title for a new story which he is writing. [...] Before I went, tea and cake were served. I came home, having made two pleasant friends, I think (p. 146).
