INTRODUCTION 
In coming before the public with a newly made 
edition of my writings, what can I say to my reader 
at this stage of our acquaintance that will lead to 
a better understanding between us? Probably no- 
thing. We understand each other very well already. 
I have offered myself as his guide to certain matters 
out of doors, and to a few matters indoors, and he 
has accepted me upon my own terms, and has, on 
the whole, been better pleased with me than I had 
any reason to expect. For this I am duly grateful ; 
why say more? Yet, now that I am upon my feet, 
so to speak, and palaver is the order, I will keep on 
a few minutes longer. 
It is now nearly a quarter of a century since my 
first book, “‘ Wake-Robin,” was published. I have 
lived nearly as many years in the world as I had 
lived when I wrote its principal chapters. Other 
volumes have followed, and still others. When 
asked how many there are, I often have to stop 
and count them up. I suppose the mother of a 
large family does not have to count up her children 
to say how many there are. She sees their faces 
all before her. It is said of certain savage tribes 
