“The Survivor’s Story” is one of eight short stories which were published in the first Christmas number of “Old and New.”
Of the other stories I think no explanation is needed, but such as was given at the time of their publication and is reprinted with each of them here.
EDWARD E. HALE. ROXBURY,
July 6, 1899.
CONTENTS
[THE BRICK MOON]
[CRUSOE IN NEW YORK]
[BREAD ON THE WATERS]
[THE LOST PALACE]
[99 LINWOOD STREET]
[IDEALS]
[ONE CENT]
[THANKSGIVING AT THE POLLS]
[THE SURVIVOR’S STORY]
[THE INSPECTOR OF GAS-METERS’ STORY]
THE BRICK MOON
[From the papers of Captain FREDERIC INGHAM.]
I
PREPARATION
I HAVE no sort of objection now to telling the whole story. The subscribers, of course, have a right to know what became of their money. The astronomers may as well know all about it, before they announce any more asteroids with an enormous movement in declination. And experimenters on the longitude may as well know, so that they may act advisedly in attempting another brick moon or in refusing to do so.
It all began more than thirty years ago, when we were in college; as most good things begin. We were studying in the book which has gray sides and a green back, and is called “Cambridge Astronomy” because it is translated from the French. We came across this business of the longitude, and, as we talked, in the gloom and glamour of the old South Middle dining-hall, we had going the usual number of students’ stories about rewards offered by the Board of Longitude for discoveries in that matter,—stories, all of which, so far as I know, are lies. Like all boys, we had tried our hands at perpetual motion. For me, I was sure I could square the circle, if they would give me chalk enough. But as to this business of the longitude, it was reserved for Q.[1] to make the happy hit and to explain it to the rest of us.