THE NEW YORK 245320 ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS 1902 London: STEWART and MURRAY, Old Bailey. PREFACE. ALTHOUGH FRIENDSHIP'S OFFERING" is this year 66 an old friend with a new face," it is hoped that the more essential of the qualities which recommended it to the patronage of the public will be found unchanged. The increased size of the paper gives it more than heretofore the air of a drawing-room book, and was necessary in order to show to proper advantage the increased beauty of the Plates. These improvements, together with the greatly extended List of Embellishments, unattended by any enhancement of the price, will prove at least that the publishers do not look for success without making an adequate effort to deserve it. As for the intermingling of comic matter with the sentimental which has hitherto been the staple of the publications of the kind, it seemed to be called for by the changing taste of the time, a taste which the Editor has nothing to do with but to follow to the best of his ability. LEITCH RITCHIE. |