Recollections / With Photogravure Portrait of the Author and a number of / Original Letters, of which one by George Meredith and / another by Robert Louis Stevenson are reproduced in / facsimile

A sequence of personal reminiscences traces the author's childhood in a semi-industrial Midland town, early apprenticeship in a printing office, and a first, sensory-saturated arrival in London. The narrative contrasts rural beauty with expanding industry, records encounters with prominent literary figures and public readings, and evokes memory through vividly associated smells and scenes. Later sections recount travels in Australia and New Zealand, observations on climate and local life, and meetings with other writers. The text is accompanied by original letters reproduced in facsimile and photographic illustrations that augment the firsthand reflections.