urreptitious edition of it has appeared in this country, the
author has felt himself privileged to re-write it and make such changes
in it and additions to it as his own judgment has suggested without the
prompting of voluntary assistants, and even to negotiate with a
publisher for the issue of an edition on his own account.

I have called this work the best of Max O'Rell's books, and I think the
reader will approve the judgment. Here, as in all that this author has
written, there is a biting wit, which saturates the serious substance as
good, sharp vinegar pervades a pickle; but here, as elsewhere, the main
purpose is earnest, and the wit is but an aid to its accomplishment. A
very wise and distinguished educator has declared that "the whole theory
of education is to be extracted from these humorous sketches," and the
story goes--whether Max O'Rell will vouch for its accuracy or not, I do
not venture to say--that the head boy of St. Paul's School in London,
after hearing the sketches read in public, said: "We boys enjoyed the
lecture immensely, but _that fellow knows too much about us_."

With a tremor of apprehension, we reflect that Max O'Rell's period of
observation among ourselves will presently end, and that when he comes
to record the result in his peculiar fashion, we are likely to echo that
school-boy's plaint. But at any rate we shall know our own features
better after we have contemplated them in his mirror; and, meantime,
those of us who have enjoyed his acquaintance are disposed earnestly to
hope that a guest whom we have learned to esteem so warmly may not think
quite so ill of the American character as the barbaric condition of our
laws respecting literary property would warrant.

GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON.

NEW YORK, February, 1888.

INTRODUCTION.

_A Word to the Reader and another to the Critic._

To write a book in a foreign tongue is risky, and I had better at once
ask for indulgence.

The many scenes and reminiscences belong to England, and, if translated
into French, the anecdotes and conversations would lose much of whatever
flavour and interest there may be in them.

This is my reason for not having written this book in French. Let my
reason be also my apology.

* * * * *

If any of my readers should feel inclined to think my review of British
school-boys somewhat critical, let them take it for granted that when I
was a boy I was everything