How did George Meredith support his family during the years when his novels were not popular?

During the years when his novels failed to provide sufficient income, George Meredith supported his family through various forms of professional writing and editorial work. When his early literary efforts—including poetry and his first fantasy novel—did not achieve financial success, he was forced to accept employment as a reader of manuscripts for a publisher. Additionally, he worked as a writer of editorials and news items for a provincial newspaper.1

Later, between 1865 and 1885, he continued the "drudgery" of reading manuscripts for publishers while substituting his newspaper work with weekly readings provided to an elderly, wealthy widow. He also occasionally took on journalistic assignments, such as when he was sent by The Morning Post to report on the Italian campaign during the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. Throughout these periods, his own creative writing had to be completed during his limited spare time.21