•88 



Special Announcement. 



Thk readers of this number, with its pages upon pages of tribute from the 

 world and the great ones of the world, have gained some glimpses of the wonderful 

 life-work of Mr. W. T. Stead. They have realised to an extent greater than they had 

 before how he was the driving force of great movements, the moulder of momentous 

 events, not only in the history of this country, but of that of the world. They have 

 seen how this " great, good man " was revered, was loved, and how he was the friend 

 of all who needed help. No reader of these pages has laid them down without feeling, 

 consciously or unconsciously, how wonderful it would be to learn more of the personality 

 of Mr. Stead. The biography, they are convinced, of such a world figure must over- 

 shadow and outdo that of any other public man, since he was bounded by no known 

 limits in his interests, his sym[)athies, or his activities. But what biographv, however 

 well written, by even one who is the closest in sympathy with his subject, can illumine 

 the various events, the varying causes, with the enthusiasm and the inward seeing eye of 

 the doer ■ An autobiography of Mr. W. T. Stead I We can scarcely conceive of the 

 splendour, the human value of such a work. A life filled with energies devoted to 

 "getting things done" does not lend itself to autobiographical labours. But in the next 

 number of this magazine we will publish an Autobiographical Character Sketch of 

 Mr. VV. T. Stead, in which he deals with his life and its many phases and 

 achievements, with all the accustomed vigour. Through the whole of this remarkable 

 human document runs as a leit motif the dominating infiuence, the guiding force of his 

 life, thus binding phase to phase, epoch to epoch, and achievement to achievement. 

 'i'his Autobiographical Character Sketch was only finished a few days before 

 Mr. Stead sailed tor America, and is thus brought down to the last possible moment. 

 While not written for publication, this survey of a wonderful life gains rather than 

 loses, since the writer has felt more able to express his ideas freely and deal with men 

 and events as they really appeareil to him. How soul-searching and honest the 

 autobiography is, all may judge fron the following lines taken from it: — 



" I hope that you will not consider that this narrative is written in any 

 way in a boastful spirit. I am quite sure that its accuracy would be confirmed 

 both by friends and foes so far as relates to my public action in this matter. 

 I have endeavoured to set down the truth and to endeavour to let you sec 

 both the mischief that I have done and the good that I have tried to do." 



The MS. was not even read by Mr. Stead alter dictation, luikss he corrected it. 

 .IS was his intention, on board the Titanic. 



