Chapter I: Foreword

These little records of some excursions made by what Mr. James called "a visiting mind" first saw the light of public countenance in the pages of various publications. "On Going to Art Exhibitions" has been much expanded since its appearance in _Vanity Fair_. In _The Unpopular Review_ the original title of "That Reviewer 'Cuss'" was brought into harmony with the dignity of its setting by being changed to "The Hack Reviewer." "A Clerk May Look at a Celebrity" was printed in the New York _Times_ under the head "Glimpses of Celebrities." This paper has been included in this collection at the request of several distinguished gentlemen who have been so unfortunate as to lose their newspaper clippings of the article. That several of the personages figuring in this and one or two other of these papers have passed away since these papers were written seems to be thought an additional reason for reprinting these essays here. _The Bellman_ fell for "Caun't Speak the Language"; the New York _Tribune_, "Humours of the Bookshop"; _The Independent_, "Reading After Thirty," "You Are an American" appeared in the New York _Sun_; where the head "An American Reviewer in London" was substituted for the title of "Literary Levities in London." The following papers were contributed to the New York _Evening Post_: "The Fish Reporter," "On Going a Journey," "A Roundabout Paper," "Henry James, Himself," "Memories of a Manuscript," "Why Men Can't Read Novels by Women," "The Dessert of Life," "Hunting Lodgings," "My Friend, the Policeman," "Help Wanted," "Human Municipal Documents," "As to People," "A Town Constitutional," and "On Wearing a Hat." "On Carrying a Cane" appeared in _The Bookman_. I thank the editors of the publications named for permission to reprint these papers here. R. C. H.

New York, 1918.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE: ON CARRYING A CANE

I THE FISH REPORTER
II ON GOING A JOURNEY
III GOING TO ART EXHIBITIONS
IV A ROUNDABOUT PAPER
V THAT REVIEWER "CUSS"
VI LITERARY LEVITIES IN LONDON
VII HENRY JAMES, HIMSELF
VIII MEMORIES OF A MANUSCRIPT
IX "YOU ARE AN AMERICAN"
X WHY MEN CAN'T READ NOVELS BY WOMEN
XI THE DESSERT OF LIFE
XII A CLERK MAY LOOK AT A CELEBRITY
XIII CAUN'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE
XIV HUNTING LODGINGS
XV MY FRIEND, THE POLICEMAN
XVI HELP WANTED--MALE, FEMALE
XVII HUMAN MUNICIPAL DOCUMENTS
XVIII AS TO PEOPLE
XIX HUMOURS OF THE BOOK SHOP
XX THE DECEASED
XXI A TOWN CONSTITUTIONAL
XXII READING AFTER THIRTY

EPILOGUE: ON WEARING A HAT

WALKING-STICK PAPERS