▁and ▁cultural ▁life , ▁studying ▁art , ▁visit ing ▁the ▁National ▁Gallery , ▁att ending ▁the ▁theatre ▁and ▁writing ▁pro se ▁and ▁poetry . ▁His ▁first ▁published ▁story , ▁" How ▁I ▁Bu ilt ▁Mys elf ▁a ▁House ", ▁appeared ▁in ▁Chamber ' s ▁Journal ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁Here ▁he ▁wrote ▁his ▁first ― but ▁never ▁published ― nov el , ▁The ▁Po or ▁Man ▁and ▁the ▁Lady , ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁poem ▁" A ▁Young ▁Man ' s ▁Ex h ort ation ," ▁from ▁which ▁Graham ▁Gre ene ▁took ▁an ▁ep ig raph ▁for ▁his ▁own ▁novel ▁The ▁Com ed ians . ▁Arthur ▁Mach en ▁( 1 8 6 3 – 1 9 4 7 ), ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁many ▁super natural ▁and ▁fant astic ▁fict ions , ▁lived ▁at ▁ 2 3 ▁Clar end on ▁Road , ▁Not ting ▁Hill ▁Gate , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ; ▁he ▁writes ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁here ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir s ▁Far ▁Off ▁Things ▁( 1 9 2 2 ) ▁and ▁Things ▁Near ▁and ▁Far ▁( 1 9 2 3 ). ▁His ▁myst ical ▁work ▁The ▁Hill ▁of ▁Dream s ▁( 1 9 0 7 , ▁though ▁written ▁ten ▁years ▁earlier ) ▁has ▁scenes ▁set ▁in ▁Not ting ▁Hill ; ▁it ▁is ▁here ▁that ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁Luci an ▁Taylor ▁enc oun ters ▁the ▁beautiful ▁bronze - ha ired ▁prost itute ▁who ▁will ▁later ▁conn ive ▁at ▁his ▁death .