PREFACE . abused by every malicious and carpicg one. As this may be his last work, and it is time, perhaps, to say, what he has always felt, but neglected to say, ileprecatol. ily, upon this point, he will venture to quote the most recent of these fault-finding passages of criticism, with a word of reply to it. Thus says the Kern York Quarterly Reriew of July, 1854, in a most liberal and friendly criticism, written, the author understands, by a clergyman who is a stranger to him - l Mr. illis is perhaps most distinguished as a m-riter of light, brilliant and dashing sketches, contributed to the magazines. His collected papers of this kind amount to three thick volumes. Notwithstanding their apparent absence of hard work, they have no doubt been carefully eliminated. In style they are original, artistic, and follow no previous model. He has that one merit-that his style is his own. There are elements in a11 his sketches, n-hicb, if combined in one well-compacted design, might make a sparkling novel, and Mr. Willis m-onld better have consulted his own fame had he seized upon the retirement of fire years afforded him at Glenmary, to have wrought out some M-orks of more enduring character, where that which seems light and flippant, when we have too much of it, and liable, like loose leaves, to Be blown away, might have been securely boucd up in some ilesign much safer than board covers. The mere collection and collocution of papers which have served the purposes of ephemeral magazines, into books and volumes, may enhance their chance for time-. but not for eternity. There is an opportunity for Mr. Willis to do at Idlemild what he has lleglccted to accomplish at Glenmary. IIe has seen enough of the m-orld to afford him ample material let him combine the qualities which sparkle along his works so that they may flash in one setting. This is good advice P R E F A C E . vii but it is to be observed that those who bind themselves dom to the craving demands of the periodical press, soon jog along like patient horses in the traces, and forego the ambitioii and aspiration of authors. It would be better to yun some of the Home Journal metal into bullet-moulds, clip orer an aspiring gray eagle as it is t, respassing upon his air-territory over the bounds of Idlewild, pluck a feather, nib it to a sharp point, and go to work at that novel in two vol mcs, C ., c...