The two stories by Mr. Crawford, presented in this volume, have been inprint before, having been originally written for two Christmas annualswhich were issued some years back. With the belief that the stories are,however, still unknown to the larger portion of Mr. Crawford's public,and in the opinion that they are well worthy of preservation in morepermanent form, the publishers have decided to reprint them as theinitial volume of the "Autonym" library.
Small works by representative writers, whose contributions will beartheir signatures.
32mo, limp cloth, each 50 cents.
The Autonym Library is published in co-operation with Mr. T. FisherUnwin, of London.
I. The Upper Berth, by F. Marion Crawford.
II. By Reef and Palm, by Louis Becke. With Introduction by the Earl ofPembroke.
This will be followed by volumes by S. R. Crockett, and others.
Somebody asked for the cigars. We had talked long, and the conversationwas beginning to languish; the tobacco smoke had got into the heavycurtains, the wine had got into those brains which were liable to becomeheavy, and it was already perfectly evident that, unless somebody didsomething to rouse our oppressed spirits, the meeting would soon come toits natural conclusion, and we, the guests, would speedily go home tobed, and most certainly to sleep. No one had said anything very[Pg 4]remarkable; it may be that no one had anything very remarkable to say.Jones had given us every particular of his last hunting adventure inYorkshire. Mr. Tompkins, of Boston, had explained at elaborate lengththose working principles, by the due and careful maintenance of whichthe Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fé Railroad not only extended itsterritory, increased its departmental influence, and transported livestock without starving them to death before the day of actual delivery,but, also, had for years succeeded in deceiving those passengers whobought its tickets into the fallacious belief that the corporationaforesaid was really able to transport human life without destroying it.Signor Tombola had endeavoured to persuade us,[Pg 5] by arguments which wetook no trouble to oppose, that the unity of his country in no wayresembled the average modern torpedo, carefully planned, constructedwith all the skill of the greatest European arsenals, but, whenconstructed, destined to be directed by feeble hands into a region whereit must undoubtedly explode, unseen, unfeared, and unheard, into theillimitable wastes of political chaos.
It is unnecessary to go into further details. The conversation hadassumed proportions which would have bored Prometheus on his rock, whichwould have driven Tantalus to distraction, and which would have impelledIxion to seek relaxation in the simple but instructive dialogues of HerrOllendorff, rather than submit to the greater evil of listening to ourtalk.[Pg 6] We had sat at table for hours; we were bored, we were tired, andnobody showed signs of moving.
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