Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/208

 Realizing at length that his talents did not lie in pastoral pursuits, H. H. left the bush for a journalistic career at Parramatta. As reporter, sub-editor, and editor, he gained considerable experience in various branches of his profession, and there is no doubt that had he confined his activities to journalism he would still have succeeded in making a name. His tastes and character led him to seek a permanent home among the haunts of men rather than in the solitudes of the bush. A certain gregariousness, a restlessness, a love of emulation made him better suited for town life. Never did he regret, nor could he forget his experiences in the bush, but from thenceforth citizen-life was to be his choice. From Parramatta he migrated to Sydney where, as it has before been mentioned, he was fortunate enough to be associated with Mr Samuel Bennett, and as a result came into contact with the leading men of the Colonies. Among his early literary friends were Brunton Stephens, poet and wit, and Rolf Boldrewood, famous as the author of "Robbery under Arms."

It is sometimes interesting to trace the influences that mould the mind and character of a young man. The "Grand Old Man" of Australia, Sir Henry Parkes, was one of those to whose teaching H. H. owed much of his imperialism and his broad outlook. When H. H. went to England a correspondence was kept up from which the following letter, written from Sydney, in 1889, has been chosen:

I should be very ungrateful if I did not thank you very warmly for the trouble you took to bring the Western Australia proceedings before Mr Buckle.