The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sunny Side, by A. A. Milne

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Title: The Sunny Side

Author: A. A. Milne

Release Date: September 12, 2004 [EBook #13441]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE SUNNY SIDE

BY A. A. MILNE

Author of "If I May," "The Dover Road," "Mr. Pim Passes By," etc.

1922

TO OWEN SEAMAN

AFFECTIONATELY IN MEMORY OF NINE HAPPY YEARS AT THE "PUNCH" OFFICE

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION

I. ORANGES AND LEMONS

II. MEN OF LETTERS

III. SUMMER DAYS

IV. WAR-TIME

V. HOME NOTES

VI. A FEW GUESTS

VII. AND OTHERS

INTRODUCTION

My publisher wants me to apologize for--"introduce" was the kindly word
he used--this collection of articles and verses from _Punch_. I do so
with pleasure.

_Among the many interests of a long and varied career_--

No, I don't think I shall begin like that.

_It was early in 1871_--

Nor like that.

Really it is very difficult, you know. I wrote these things for a number
of years, and--well, here they are. But just to say "Here they are" is to
be too informal for my publisher. He wants, not a casual introduction,
but a presentation. Let me tell you a little story instead.

When war broke out, I had published three of these books in England, the
gleanings of nine years' regular work for _Punch_. There are, I
understand, a few Americans who read _Punch_, and it was suggested to me
that a suitable collection of articles from these three books might have
some sort of American sale. So I made such a collection, leaving out the
more topical and allusive sketches, and including those with a more
general appeal. I called the result "Happy Days"--an attractive title,
you will agree--and in 1915 a New York publisher was found for it.

This is a funny story; at least it appeals to _me_; so I won't remind
myself of the number of copies which we sold. That wa