A lady in one of the New England States in the East, who proudly boasted of her forefathers crossing the Atlantic in the "Mayflower," objected in my presence to rocking an empty cradle because it would bring misfortune to the house.

As late as December, 1910, I saw persons within Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts, watching patiently for the resurrection of Mrs. Baker Eddy, the head of Christian Science. These and many of her followers firmly believed she would reappear and deliver a message from the dead to the living. However, the learned lady is still sleeping in silence. What would the English press say if this happened in Ireland?

With regard to Irish kings, they were not inferior to the latter-day kings of England. King John of England in 1204 imprisoned Jews, plucked out their teeth and eyes and slaughtered them. He was excommunicated by the Pope. King Henry VIII murdered four of his wives and ripped one of them open on child's birth to have a son succeed him to the throne. Englishmen ought to read the sad story of the Tower of London before opening their lips on ancient Irish kings.

Then, as to morals, the author believes Ireland will be found as clean from the scarlet plague of the "red-light district" as any country in the world. Look at the British soldiers who boasted that they were going to "defend the Catholic nuns in Belgium from the Huns," destroying the women of their own land by the thousands before leaving for the front!

Now, as to curious customs, you will find boys and girls "courting" in Ireland, "bundling" in Wales, "spooning" until midnight in the United States, and for three long years a young man with window bars between him and his sweetheart is "playing the bear" in Mexico, before he is admitted into her room, even in presence of members of her family. In England, every third county has had a different custom, and many of them are considered pretty objectionable.

The original intention of the author was to have his work printed in Ireland, for Irish readers, but that horrible war in Europe, which has caused the most widespread pain, misery and suffering ever inflicted upon the human race, made him change his plans, and print the book in the United States, but the cost will be much more and the price of each copy proportionately higher.

By the campfires of California, and in the sandy desert of Nevada, over five thousand miles away from his native land, this book has been written by the author during his spare hours. Therefore, the writer knows that faults will be found with the work, and errors discovered therein. However, he is confident that it is free from serious errors. Apart from the honest critic, of course, there will appear the natural-born "fault-finder." To men of the latter disposition the writer has no apology to offer, and it is his intention to take no notice of anything said or written by such persons, further than to express his regret that they did not undertake the work themselves, and, whenever his rights shall expire, they will have an opportunity to improve, alter, or amend his plans—probably about forty-four years' time.

This work is not expected to satisfy all classes. The author has no intention whatsoever of giving offense to any person, religion, race or nationality, but it is to be feared that in his effort to establish truth and equity passages may appear herein which will displease some individuals. If so, the writer very much regrets it, but at the same time the reader should remember that it is his duty to record those regrettable events and set them in a true light for the judges of the future world.

In style and arrangement of this book there is a slight departure from the plans of his previous works, namely, that each subject set forth herein will be found in alphabetical order. This he trusts will prove satisfactory to the reader.

AUTHOR.