All those minute circumstances belonging to private life and domestic character, all that gives verisimilitude to a narrative, and individuality to the persons introduced, is still known and remembered in Scotland; whereas in England, civilisation has been so long complete, that our ideas of our ancestors are only to be gleaned from musty records and chronicles, the
authors of which seem perversely to have conspired to suppress in their narratives all interesting details, in order to find room for flowers of monkish eloquence, or trite reflections upon morals.
There will be no lack of fairy-tale
authors in the future, I am sure.
In conformity with the Act of Congress of the United States entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the
authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times herein mentioned." And also to an Act, entitled, "an Act, supplementary to an Act, for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the
authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times herein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." JAMES DILL, Clerk of the Southern District of New-York
The first purposes of every such book must be to outline the development of the literature with due regard to national life, and to give appreciative interpretation of the work of the most important
authors. I have written the present volume because I have found no other that, to my mind, combines satisfactory accomplishment of these ends with a selection of
authors sufficiently limited for clearness and with adequate accuracy and fulness of details, biographical and other.
In reality, true nature is as difficult to be met with in
authors, as the Bayonne ham, or Bologna sausage, is to be found in the shops.
But pictures are not enough although most
authors draw so badly that if one of them happens to have the genius for line that Mr.
The
author is very sensible that, had he confined himself to the latter, always the most effective, as it is the most valuable, mode of conveying knowledge of this nature, he would have made a far better book.
Nevertheless, they were reissued in a volume the year after they first appeared, in 1895, and they had a pleasing share of such favor as their
author's books have enjoyed.
The interval, with the exception of the last few months, has been chiefly spent by the
author tossing about on the wide ocean.
Author of Father Goose-His Book; The Wizard of Oz; The Magical Monarch of Mo; The Enchanted Isle of Yew; The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus; Dot and Tot of Merryland etc.
*The
author of the diary and the diary itself are, of course, imaginary.
AN
Author saw a Labourer hammering stones into the pavement of a street, and approaching him said: