Not That It Matters

A. A. Milne, the author of "Not That It Matters", told his friends that one of the essays in his volume was written while the editorial office of the periodical to which he contributes a regular article was feverishly calling for copy, telling him that he had just two hours to get his article in.

He was still without a subject, so he opened the dictionary, his eye fell upon the word "goldfish," and forthwith he wrote one of the most pleasing items in his book.

Mr. Milne, who was formerly assistant editor of "Punch," contributed to that weekly many verses and paragraphs about his experiences in the war. He has left "Punch," chiefly because he wearied of having to be "whimsical" once a week.

In this book he writes delightfully about a score of subjects... games, books, thermometers, snobbery, and the seasons.

A sentence in the daily paper gives him a text for an essay on natural science. This is the sentence: "The caterpillar of the puss-moth, not satisfied with Nature's provisions for its safety, makes faces at young birds, and is said to alarm them considerably."

In "A Household Book," Mr. Milne speaks well and wisely about Kenneth Grahame's most charming and least known book, "The Wind in the Willows."

No better book for vacation reading has been published than "Not That It Matters."