(1) Keep away from the Cities; (2) Keep away from the railroads; (3) Have nothing to do with money and carry no baggage; (4) Ask for dinner about quarter after eleven; (5) Ask for supper, lodging and breakfast about quarter of five; (6) Travel alone; (7) Be neat, deliberate, chaste and civil; (8) Preach the Gospel of Beauty. And without further parley, let us proceed to inculcate these, by illustration, precept and dogma. VACHEL LINDSAY. SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, November, 1916. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v THE DEDICATION AND PREFACE vii FOLLOW THIS THISTLEDOWN xi I. VAGRANT ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH COLUMBUS 3 THE MAN UNDER THE YOKE. BEING MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AS AN ABSOLUTELY PENNILESS PERSON, AND SHOWING THE GOOD FORTUNE OF THE PENNILESS 5 THE MAN WITH THE APPLE-GREEN EYES. A STORY COVERING A RIDE IN TWO FREIGHT-CABOOSES IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA. SHOWING HOW MY GOOD LUCK CAME AFTER I SPENT MY ALL UPON GINGER-SNAPS 14 INTERLUDE: THE WOULD-BE MERMAN 33 MACON. SHOWING MY FIRST RESPITE WITH A CIVILIZED FRIEND 35 THE FALLS OF TALLULAH. BEING THE STORY OF A WILD BATH IN A MOUNTAIN-TORRENT, AND A CONVERSATION WITH THE EARTH 38 THE GNOME. BEING THE STORY OF A GROTESQUE MOONSHINER, EATEN UP WITH DRINK 46 INTERLUDE: THE TRAMP’S REFUSAL 61 THE HOUSE OF THE LOOM. BEING THE STORY OF SEVEN ARISTOCRATS AND A SOAP-KETTLE. AN EMINENT INSTANCE OF THE GOOD FORTUNE OF THE DEVOTEE OF VOLUNTARY POVERTY 63 INTERLUDE: PHIDIAS 78 MAN, IN THE CITY OF COLLARS. SHOWING HOW AN UNEXPECTED SHOCK CAME TO A CIVILIZED PERSON. A NOT VERY TRAGIC RELAPSE INTO THE TOILS OF FINANCE 79 INTERLUDE: CONFUCIUS 87 THE OLD LADY AT THE TOP OF THE HILL. SHOWING HOW AN EMPRESS OF THE MOUNTAINS DESIRED ME AS HER GUEST 88 INTERLUDE: WITH A ROSE, TO BRUNHILDE 94 LADY IRON-HEELS. A STORY TOUCHING UPON THE ROMANCE OF A LONG-DEAD FLORIST,--ALSO THE CANTICLE OF THE ROSE 96 II. A MENDICANT PILGRIMAGE IN THE EAST IN LOST JERUSALEM 113 A TEMPLE MADE WITH HANDS 115