Nine Short Essays

"NINE SHORT ESSAYS" by Charles Dudley Warner is a compilation of thoughtful essays from the late 1800s that explores different elements of life, culture, and writing, presenting interesting views on what it means to be human and how Americans see the world. The book begins with "A Night in the Garden of the Tuileries," a story that places the reader in Paris under the Second Empire. A tired traveler dozes off in the Tuileries Garden, only to wake up alone and locked inside after nightfall, and as he worries about being discovered in a place filled with political tension, he thinks about the garden's loveliness, famous landmarks, and the great people who once walked there. Warner uses humor, observations about society, and vivid descriptions to draw readers into his thoughts on being alone and how people interact with history.