Except for the fact that it is issued in three volumes,this book may be properly called an omnibus.It contains special articles,letters,prefaces,little essays,poems interpreted,and essays concerning the study of English.Most of the things included have been first published in The Chung Hwa English Weekly,under the headings "Talks on Things","This and That","Thoughts and Impressions","The Open Classroom","Chats on Writing English",and "Helps to the Study of English".The "Thoughts and Impressions" series and three other essays originally appeared under a pseudonym.
It is a matter of regret that I did not make a duplicate of my first letter to Mr H.W.Fowler,and therefore cannot include it in this book.The one printed herein,as is mentioned in "To the Memory of Mr H.W.Fowler",was written a fortnight after his death.
The essays concerning the study of English must not be regarded as a systematic treatment of the subject.Many of the points touched upon are more fully dealt with in my How to Master English Without a Teacher.
The following publishers have kindly permitted the inclusion of the pieces the titles of which follow their names in brackets:The China Journal("On the Europeanization of the Chinese Language" and "Some Fragments of Pai Chü-i's Poetry concerning Women"); The English Weekly("Letter to Mr H.W.Fowler" and "Letter to Mr A.J.Fowler" [dated March 23,1934]); The Ching Wen Book Company("Preface to ‘The Diary of a Student’","Preface to ‘The Peacock Flies South-East’",and "Preface to ‘A Chinese Schoolboy Visits England’").
Hertz C.K.Kê
December,1936