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Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, PREFACE

PREFACE

TO

THE VERY DEAR AND WELL-BELOVED

FRIEND

OF MY PROSPEROUS AND EVIL DAYS—

TO THE FRIEND

WHO, THOUGH IN THE EARLY STAGES OF OUR ACQUAINTANCESHIP

DID OFTTIMES DISAGREE WITH ME, HAS SINCE

BECOME TO BE MY VERY WARMEST COMRADE—

TO THE FRIEND

WHO, HOWEVER OFTEN I MAY PUT HIM OUT, NEVER (NOW)

UPSETS ME IN REVENGE—

TO THE FRIEND

WHO, TREATED WITH MARKED COOLNESS BY ALL THE FEMALE

MEMBERS OF MY HOUSEHOLD, AND REGARDED WITH SUSPICION

BY MY VERY DOG, NEVERTHELESS SEEMS DAY BY

DAY TO BE MORE DRAWN BY ME, AND IN RETURN

TO MORE AND MORE IMPREGNATE ME WITH

THE ODOR OF HIS FRIENDSHIP—

TO THE FRIEND

WHO NEVER TELLS ME OF MY FAULTS, NEVER WANTS TO

BORROW MONEY, AND NEVER TALKS ABOUT HIMSELF—

TO THE COMPANION

OF MY IDLE HOURS, THE SOOTHER OF MY SORROWS,

THE CONFIDANT OF MY JOYS AND HOPES—

MY OLDEST AND STRONGEST

PIPE,

THIS LITTLE VOLUME

IS

GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY

DEDICATED.

One or two friends to whom I showed these papers in MS. having observed that they were not half bad, and some of my relations having promised to buy the book if it ever came out, I feel I have no right to longer delay its issue. But for this, as one may say, public demand, I perhaps should not have ventured to offer these mere "idle thoughts" of mine as mental food for the English-speaking peoples of the earth. What readers ask nowadays in a book is that it should improve, instruct, and elevate. This book wouldn't elevate a cow. I cannot conscientiously recommend it for any useful purposes whatever. All I can suggest is that when you get tired of reading "the best hundred books," you may take this up for half an hour. It will be a change.

PREFACE ПЕРЕДМОВА 前言

TO

THE VERY DEAR AND WELL-BELOVED DIE SEHR LIEBEN UND GUTE GELIEBTEN

FRIEND

OF MY PROSPEROUS AND EVIL DAYS— MEINER GLÜCKLICHEN UND BÖSEN TAGE –

TO THE FRIEND ZUM FREUND

WHO, THOUGH IN THE EARLY STAGES OF OUR ACQUAINTANCESHIP WHO, obwohl in den frühen Stadien unserer Bekanntschaft

DID OFTTIMES DISAGREE WITH ME, HAS SINCE HAT OFTTIMES NICHT MIT MIR EINVERSTANDEN, SEIT DEM

BECOME TO BE MY VERY WARMEST COMRADE—

TO THE FRIEND

WHO, HOWEVER OFTEN I MAY PUT HIM OUT, NEVER (NOW)

UPSETS ME IN REVENGE—

TO THE FRIEND

WHO, TREATED WITH MARKED COOLNESS BY ALL THE FEMALE

MEMBERS OF MY HOUSEHOLD, AND REGARDED WITH SUSPICION

BY MY VERY DOG, NEVERTHELESS SEEMS DAY BY

DAY TO BE MORE DRAWN BY ME, AND IN RETURN

TO MORE AND MORE IMPREGNATE ME WITH

THE ODOR OF HIS FRIENDSHIP—

TO THE FRIEND

WHO NEVER TELLS ME OF MY FAULTS, NEVER WANTS TO

BORROW MONEY, AND NEVER TALKS ABOUT HIMSELF—

TO THE COMPANION

OF MY IDLE HOURS, THE SOOTHER OF MY SORROWS,

THE CONFIDANT OF MY JOYS AND HOPES—

MY OLDEST AND STRONGEST

PIPE,

THIS LITTLE VOLUME

IS

GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY

DEDICATED.

One or two friends to whom I showed these papers in MS. having observed that they were not half bad, and some of my relations having promised to buy the book if it ever came out, I feel I have no right to longer delay its issue. But for this, as one may say, public demand, I perhaps should not have ventured to offer these mere "idle thoughts" of mine as mental food for the English-speaking peoples of the earth. What readers ask nowadays in a book is that it should improve, instruct, and elevate. This book wouldn't elevate a cow. I cannot conscientiously recommend it for any useful purposes whatever. All I can suggest is that when you get tired of reading "the best hundred books," you may take this up for half an hour. It will be a change.