ch it
appeared. He then delegated to Mr. Ticknor authority to reject any and
all paragraphs in which the bite of satire or the broadness of the
humor transgressed too far the bounds of a reasonable discretion. The
true nature of this, to my mind the most entertaining of all Field's
books, is reflected in its title page, frontispiece, emblem,
tail-piece, and the advertisements with which it concludes. The full
title reads:

CULTURE'S GARLAND

Being Memoranada of
The Gradual Rise of Literature, Art, Music,
And Society in Chicago, and Other
Western Ganglia

by
EUGENE FIELD

With an Introduction by Julian Hawthorne.

The frontispiece is a pen-and-ink sketch of "the Author at the Age of
30 (A.D. 1880)," such as Field frequently drew of himself; the symbolic
emblem, which takes the place of a dedication, was a string of link
sausages "in the similitude of a laurel wreath," representing "A
Chicago Literary Circle," and the tail-piece was a gallows, to mark
"The End."

Writing to a friend in Boston, in 1893, Field said that he thought "the
alleged advertisements at the end of the volume are its best feature."
These were introduced by a letter from one of Field's favorite
fictitious creations, "Felix Bosbyshell," to Messrs. Ticknor & Co.:

CHICAGO, June 26th, 1887.

Dear Sirs:--I am informed that one of the leading _litterateurs_
of this city is about to produce a book under your auspices.
Representing, as I do, the prominent advertising bureau of the West,
I desire to contribute one page of advertisements to this work, and
I am prepared to pay therefor cash rates. I enclose copy, and would
like to have the advertisements printed on the fly-leaf which will
face the _finis_ of the book in question.

Yours in the cause of literature,

FELIX J. BOSBYSHELL,
For Bosbyshell & Co.

This was accompanied by a Publisher's Note, which Field also supplied:

It is entirely foreign to our custom to accept advertisements for
our books; but we recognize the exceptional nature of the case
and the fine literary character and high tone of the Messrs.
Bosbyshells' offering, and we cheerfully give it place over leaf.

In his discriminating and felicitous introduction to his friend's
book, Julian Hawthorne said: "The present little volume comprises
mainly a bubbling forth of delightful badinage and mischievous
raillery, directed at some of the foibles and pretensions of his
enterprisin