t　very　few　people　buy　them　in　these　days。　So　far　as　I　am　aware；　remunerative　books　may　be　divided　roughly　into　three　classes：　（1）　School　or　technical　works；　which　must　be　purchased　by　scholars　preparing　for　examinations；　or　for　the　purposes　of　their　profession；　（2）　religious　works；　purchased　by　scholars　preparing　themselves　for　a　prosperous　career　in　another　world；　and　（3）　works　of　fiction；　purchased　—　or　rather　borrowed　from　libraries　（if　they　cost　more　than　fourpence…halfpenny1）　—　by　persons　wishing　to　be　amused。　It　has　been　my　lot　to　cater　for　the　last　of　these　three　classes；　and　as　there　is　other　work　which　I　should　have　much　preferred　to　do；　I　will　not　pretend　that　I　have　found；　or　find；　the　occupation　altogether　congenial；　perhaps　because　at　the　bottom　of　my　heart　I　share　some　of　the　British　contempt　for　the　craft　of　story…writing。

1　Written　in　1911。　—　Ed。

I　remember　a　few　years　ago　discussing　this　matter　fully　with　my　friend　Mr。　Rudyard　Kipling；　a　most　eminent　practitioner　of　that　craft；　and　finding　that　our　views　upon　it　were　very　similar；　if　not　identical。　He　pointed　out；　I　recollect；　that　all　fiction　is　in　its　essence　an　appeal　to　the　emotions；　and　that　this　is　not　the　highest　class　of　appeal。　Here；　however；　we　have　a　subject　that　might　be　argued　interminably　and　from　many　points　of　view；　especially　when　we　bear　in　mind　that　there　are　various　classes　of　imaginative　literature。　So　far　as　I　am　concerned　the　issue　is　that　though　I　feel　myself　more　strongl