THE COLLECTED WORKS OF AMBROSE BIERCE VOLUME XI [Illustration: N] THE COLLECTED WORKS OF AMBROSE BIERCE VOLUME XI ANTEPENULTIMATA [Illustration] NEW YORK & WASHINGTON THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1912 _FREDERICK_ _POLLEY_ COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY The Neale Publishing Company PUBLISHERS’ NOTE The greater part of the contents of this volume is published in admirable form by A. M. Robertson, of San Francisco, with the title _The Shadow on the Dial and Other Essays_. When the prospectus of Mr. Bierce’s _Collected Works_ was issued by our house in 1908 no allowance was made for this matter, but through the generosity of Mr. Robertson, and of Mr. S. O. Howes, the book’s compiler and editor, we are now able to include it in our scheme, with revisions and additions by the author. For this courtesy we are greatly indebted to Messrs. Robertson and Howes. THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY. April, 1912. CONTENTS THE SHADOW ON THE DIAL CIVILIZATION THE GAME OF POLITICS A POSSIBLE BENEFACTOR WARLIKE AMERICA SOME FEATURES OF THE LAW ARBITRATION THE GIFT O’ GAB NATURA BENIGNA INDUSTRIAL DISCONTENT WRITERS OF DIALECT CRIME AND ITS CORRECTIVES ON KNOWING ONE’S BUSINESS A TRADE OF REFUGE THE DEATH PENALTY RELIGION IMMORTALITY A ROLLING CONTINENT CHARITY EMANCIPATED WOMAN THE OPPOSING SEX A MAD WORLD THE AMERICAN SYCOPHANT DOG THE ANCESTRAL BOND THE RIGHT TO WORK TAKING ONESELF OFF A MONUMENT TO ADAM HYPNOTISM AT THE DRAIN OF THE WASH-BASIN GODS IN CHICAGO FOR LAST WORDS THE CHAIR OF LITTLE EASE A GHOST IN THE UNMAKING THE TURN OF THE TIDE FAT BABIES AND FATE CERTAIN AREAS OF OUR SEAMY SIDE FOR BREVITY AND CLARITY GENIUS AS A PROVOCATION A BIVOUAC OF THE DEAD ANTEPENULTIMATA THE SHADOW ON THE DIAL I