Introductory Note.
“LITTLE VISITS” is not merely a story-book or a collection of
biographies and autobiographies. The life stories which it contains
are intensely interesting, many of them even dramatic. The
_autobiographies_—that is, the life stories of eminent men and women
told by themselves—are unique; no such collection is elsewhere in
existence. It is not, however, merely a book to be read once for the
stories and cast aside.
“LITTLE VISITS” is a collection of IDEAS, each stamped with the mint
mark of a great personality. It contains _symposiums_ by fifty-six
men and women—who by common consent are considered to have achieved
success—on the elements and methods of a successful career. To make
this wealth of ideas easily and quickly available as an aid to those of
all ages who aspire to achieve something beyond the ordinary in life,
we have prepared this Topical Index. It constitutes a _syllabus_ for
study of the great problems of human life and destiny.
Early advantages, luck, friends, influence, environment and
heredity—defects in which are adduced so often to justify
failure—receive little attention. The fact that opportunity exists
within the man himself; the possibility of self-culture by reading and
home study; the importance of choosing the right career; the methods
and the qualities which should be practised and cultivated; and the
ideals which should be sought for—these are the perennial seed thoughts
which should be planted in the minds and hearts of our own and coming
generations, and they constitute the contents of the present volumes.
The teachings of “LITTLE VISITS” are many-sided. Light is thrown upon
each problem from every angle. Many points of view are represented
by the various speakers. The words of each, weighted by the vast
achievements and well-known reputation of all, cannot fail to sink
deeply into the mind of every reader. Like begets like. The ideas of
great men are essentially great ideas, and in turn they will beget
greatness in the lives of all who adopt and follow them.
The attention of parents and teachers, and of the ambitious youth of
both sexes, is directed to the usefulness of this Topical Index (and
also of the Biographical Index which precedes it) in preparation for
the solemn responsibilities of guiding aright the lives which are
entrusted to their keeping and for self-guidance. The material here
indexed for convenient reference is absolutely invaluable for the
preparation of homilies, sermons, addresses and informal talks to the
young, or indeed to any audience. The spicy and pithy anecdotes and
incidents in the lives of eminent persons, each authenticated by the
fact that they are given in the speaker’s own language, are exceedingly
valuable for purposes of illustration. The book is especially
recommended as a source of material in the preparation of compositions,
themes and essays, and also for its cultural value, as _supplementary
reading_ for pupils in our common and high schools.