 For the next twelve years he served on the staff of "The Morning Post", becoming its representative at St. Petersburg in 1850.In 1852 his first novel, "Harding, the Money-Spinner", appeared, serially, in the "London Journal", and in 1856, on the occasion of the coronation of Alexander II of Russia, he was again at St. Petersburg representing "The Morning Post".On this occasion he met Boucher de Perthes, in whose reminiscences Keon is pleasantly appreciated.