FOREWORD

This book is made up from my contributions to Punch—a casual selection from the four hundred or so which have appeared in the last nine years. It is offered to the American public as a sample of that Punch humour (and perhaps, therefore, British humour) which Americans so often profess not to understand. According to whether they like it or do not like it, I hope they will consider it a representative or an unrepresentative sample.

A.A.M.


CONTENTS

MARGERY
chapterpage
I.[Her Sock]13
II.[How We Play the Pianola]20
III.[The Knight of the Chimney-Piece]27
IV.[The Art of Conversation]32
V.[Afternoon Sleep]38
VI.[A Twice Told Tale]44
VII.[The Literary Art]50
VIII.[My Secretary]56
IX.[The Truth About Home Rails]62
LIFE'S LITTLE TRAGEDIES
X.[A Crown of Sorrows]71
XI.[The Lucky Month]76
XII.[The Rescue]83
XIII.[The Portuguese Cigar]90
XIV.[A Cold World]96
XV.[A Breath of Life]103
XVI.[The Doctor]113
XVII.[The Financier]120
XVIII.[The Things That Matter]126
THREE STORIES
XIX.[The Making of a Christmas Story]135
XX.[A Matter-of-Fact Fairy Tale]151
XXI.[The Seaside Novelette]166
OUT-OF-DOORS
XXII.[The First of Spring]181
XXIII.[The Coming of the Crocus]188
XXIV.[The Landscape Gardener]195
XXV.[Pat-Ball]202
XXVI.[Ten and Eight]208
XXVII.[An Inland Voyage]214
XXVIII.[One of Our Sufferers]221
XXIX.[Chum]228
XXX.["Under Entirely New Management"]234
XXXI.[A Farewell Tour]241
INDOORS
XXXII.[Physical Culture]251
XXXIII.[An Insurance Act]258
XXXIV.[Getting the Needle]264
XXXV.[Dressing Up]270
XXXVI.[The Complete Kitchen]276
XXXVII.[An Informal Evening]283
XXXVIII.[A Billiard Lesson]290
XXXIX.[Bachelor Relics]297
LITTLE PLAYS FOR AMATEURS
XL.["Fair Mistress Dorothy"]305
XLI.["A Slight Misunderstanding"]312
XLII.["Miss Prendergast"]319
XLIII.["At Dead of Night"]326
XLIV.["The Lost Heiress"]335
XLV.["The Literary Life"]340
SUCCESSFUL MEN
XLVI.[The Solicitor]349
XLVII.[The Painter]356
XLVIII.[The Barrister]363
XLIX.[The Civil Servant]370
L.[The Actor]377
LI.[The Collector]384
LII.[The Statesman]391
LIII.[The Magnate]400
LIV.[The Adventurer]407
LV.[The Explorer]414
LVI.[The Newspaper Proprietor]421


MARGERY


I. HER SOCK