What I Remember, Volume 1

The author presents a collection of personal reminiscences covering early schooling, university years, tours in Europe and America, and domestic life, arranged as episodic chapters and extracts from old diaries. He observes social and technological transformations—railways, telegraphy, policing, postal changes, urban redevelopment and garish advertising—and contrasts past and present manners, shops, and cityscapes. Travel sketches record scenes from Paris, Bruges, and Austria, while later chapters include vivid local anecdotes, reflections on commerce and taste, and curious accounts of mesmeric experiences. The tone is recollective and observational rather than strictly chronological, combining small domestic memories with broader cultural commentary.