This edition is one the most complete Stevensonia collections. It contains a wealth of his essays, memories and records. The essays brought together under this title are chiefly Stevenson's reflections, ten years afterwards, on the experiences and friendships of his youth. They represent a proportion of his contributions of this kind to reviews and magazines, from 1882 to 1887.

Some of the essays are: The Foreigner at Home, Old Mortality, Pastoral, The Manse, Thomas Stevenson, Talk and Talkers, The Character of Dogs and A Penny Plain.