The Project Gutenberg eBook, Romance of California Life, by John Habberton

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Title: Romance of California Life

Author: John Habberton

Release Date: October 22, 2004 [eBook #13832]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROMANCE OF CALIFORNIA LIFE***

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ROMANCE OF CALIFORNIA LIFE

Illustrated by Pacific Slope Stories,
Thrilling, Pathetic and Humorous

by

JOHN HABBERTON

Author Of "Helen's Babies"

1880

[Illustration: FRONTISPIECE]

INTRODUCTION

Many of the sketches contained in "Some Folks" were written by me during
the past five years, and some of them published by Mr. Leslie in his
_Illustrated Newspaper_ and his _Chimney Corner_, from which journals
they have been collected by friends who believe that in these stories is
displayed better workmanship than I have since done. For myself, I can
claim for them only an unusual degree of that unliterary and unpopular
quality called truthfulness. Although at present mildly tolerated in the
East, I was "brought up" in the West, and have written largely from
recollection of "some folks" I have known, veritable men and women,
scenes and incidents, and otherwise through the memories of Western
friends of good eyesight and hearing powers.

Should any one accuse me of having imitated Bret Harte's style, I shall
accept the accusation as a compliment, for I know of no other American
story writer so worthy to be taken as a teacher by men who acceptably
tell the stories of new countries. For occasionally introducing
characters and motives that would not be considered disgraceful in
virtuous communities, I can only plead in excuse the fact that, even in
the New West, some folks will occasionally be uniformly thoughtful,
respectable and honest, just as individuals sometimes are in the East.

JOHN HABBERTON.

NEW YORK, July 1st, 1877.

To FRANK LESLIE,

Who, while other publishers were advising the writer of these sketches
to write, supplied the author with encouragement in the shape of a
publishing medi