How well he fulfilled his arduous duty, under the circumstances, the reader of the Biographical Notes which follow will judge for himself. But we regard it as not improper for us to say, that in our opinion the Biographical Notes will be found a very interesting addition to "Knots Untied," not only by the insight they give the reader into the career of a man, who, filling an unpretentious sphere in life, so far as technical vocations are concerned, has made himself illustrious by deeds of good will; but also by their style, peculiar in some respects, and here and there marked by the utterance of brave thoughts regarding matters of so much vital interest to the laboring classes, the poor, who are the "chief constituency," in a humanitary sense, of Officer McWatters himself,—by his benefactions to whom he has mostly won that high popular esteem, which is so well recorded in the Biographical Notes.
It is due to the writer of the Biographical Notes to remark here that, in view of the very short period that was given him in which to prepare the same, he accomplished in their production, a task which would be notable, even without consideration of the peculiar difficulties which lay in his path. It is not an easy thing to search hurriedly through a thousand newspapers, for example, for material, and select and arrange the same acceptably. But upon this point, perhaps, we cannot do better than to append to this, our Introduction, a copy of the letter which accompanied the Biographical Notes, from the gentleman in question.
The Publishers.
New York, February 10, 1871.
To the Publishers of "Knots Untied":
Gentlemen: Concerning the biography of Officer McWatters, which you requested me to supply, I am compelled to say that I am unable to give you anything in the "form and order" which a biography should—that it may be whole and symmetrical—present to the reader. Officer McWatters belongs to the class of men who make history,—the actors and workers in life,—rather than those who merely write history, or who so order their lives, and keep diaries, that their biographers can readily follow them from the cradle to the tomb.
Officer McWatters is widely known in New York. Everybody recognizes him as an active philanthropist, of the practical school; yet but a few of all, if any, if called upon as I am, to make detail of the deeds of his life, could place his hand upon this or that, and say, "This is McWatters' work," without some investigation; and for the most part of what I have collected, I have been obliged to search the public journals.
I am indebted, also, for sundry facts, to several of Officer McWatters's personal acquaintances, and have also drawn upon my own memory somewhat for facts which have come to my knowledge during an acquaintanceship with Mr. McWatters of about sixteen years. But I have not attempted to put things in their order, to any great extent; for there is no such thing as a "course of events" (the "Declaration of Independence" to the contrary notwithstanding). Events are individuate, each a completion in itself, and the great deeds of any man's life are usually individual, and not dependently connected with each other.
But in the accompanying papers I send you such a hurriedly executed biographical sketch of Officer McWatters as the short time you have allowed me would permit, trusting that, notwithstanding all its literary imperfections, it will not, so far as it goes, be found wanting in due appreciation, at least, of the noble career of a faithful, true man, who has done, earnestly and with loving spirit, his share of good deeds; and who merits both the respect and affection of all who prize what is gentle, brave, honorable, and honest in life.
Very respectfully yours,