Project Gutenberg's Select Conversations with an Uncle, by H. G. Wells

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Select Conversations with an Uncle

Author: H. G. Wells

Release Date: July 21, 2009 [EBook #29472]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SELECT CONVERSATIONS WITH AN UNCLE ***

Produced by Al Haines

THE MAYFAIR SET

III

CONVERSATIONS

WITH AN

UNCLE

[Illustration: Title page]

SELECT

CONVERSATIONS

WITH

AN UNCLE

(now extinct)

and two other

reminiscences by

H. G. WELLS

LONDON:

JOHN LANE

NEW YORK

THE MERRIAM COMPANY

1895

_Copyrighted in the United States._

_All rights reserved._

_Second Edition_

TO

MY DEAREST

AND BEST FRIEND

R. A. C.

PREFATORY

He was, I remember, short, but by no means conspicuously short, and of
a bright, almost juvenile, complexion, very active in his movements and
garrulous--or at least very talkative. His judgments were copious and
frequent in the old days, and some at least I found entertaining. At
times his fluency was really remarkable. He had a low opinion of
eminent people--a thing I have been careful to suppress, and his
dissertations had ever an irresponsible gaiety of manner that may have
blinded me to their true want of merit. That, I say, was in the old
days, before his abrupt extinction, before the cares of this world
suddenly sprang upon, and choked him. I would listen to him,
cheerfully, and afterwards I would go away and make articles out of him
for the _Pall Mall Gazette_, so adding a certain material advantage to
my mental and moral benefit. But all that has gone now, to my infinite
regret; and sorrowing, I have arranged this unworthy little tribute to
his memory, this poor dozen of casual monologues that were so
preserved. The merits of the monument are his entirely; its faults
entirely my own.

CONTENTS

SELECT CONVERSATIONS--

OF CONVERSATION AND THE ANATOMY OF FASHION

THE THEORY OF THE PERPETUAL DISCOMFORT OF HUMANITY

THE USE OF IDEALS

THE ART OF BEING PHOTOGRAPHED

BAGSHOT'S MURAL DECORATIONS

ON SOCIAL MUSIC

THE JOY