Middle Ages, an able work begun in 1861 and published in 1868. During a trip to the United States, in contrast with the earlier views of Charles Dickens and others, he found "the well-bred American is generally pleasanter than a well-bred Englishman.... I agree in an observation made to me by an Englishman that the American's great advantage over the Englishman is his greater modesty." On his return, he devoted himself to what he regarded "as the best piece of historical work I have done, my maps of England in the first 13 centuries." It was eventually published in 1870. In 1869, he became lecturer on modern history at Trinity College, Cambridge, but found the work unsatisfactory: His father had died some years before and he lost his mother in February 1871. Shortly afterwards, partly as a result of eyestrain and a lack of good students, he decided to return to Australia and combine a light literary life with farming. He arrived in South Australia in December 1871. Move to Australia Pearson enjoyed the next three years on his farm at Haverhill, revelled in the hot, dry conditions, which suited his constitution, and hoped to obtain a professorship in the new University of Adelaide. He married in December 1872 Edith Lucille, daughter of Philip Butler of Tickford Abbey, Buckinghamshire, and cousin of Sir Richard Butler; unfortunately, her health gave way and she became very ill and, greatly to their regret, they had to give up their bush home. Pearson then accepted a position as lecturer in history at the University of Melbourne. His salary was not high, and he decided to augment it by writing for the press. The Argus rejected his articles as being too radical, but The Age began to accept them, and he became a valued contributor. The university did not allow him to pick his own textbooks or plan his courses. On 4 June 1874, and he created a university debating club, which recruited Alexander Sutherland, Alfred Deakin, William Shiels, H. B. Higgins and Theodore Fink. Pearson found, however, that his position at the university was not satisfactory and decided to accept the position of headmaster of the newly -formed Presbyterian Ladies College at a much-increased salary. He was greatly interested in his new work, but after two and a half years, from 1875 to 1877, a section of the governing body objected to his views