Bret Harte is best known for his stories about pioneering life in California. Harte moved to California in 1853 where he worked as a miner, journalist, teacher and messenger. Harte is also a poet and in this collection are A Greyport Legend, A Newport Romance, The Hawk's Nest, In the Mission Garden, The Old Major Explains, "Seventy-Nine", Truthful James's Answer to "Her Letter", Further Language from Truthful James, The Wonderful Spring of San Joaquin, On a Cone of the Big Trees, A Sanitary Message, The Copperhead, On a Pen of Thomas Starr King, Lone Mountain, California's Greeting to Seward, The Two Ships, The Goddess, Address, The Lost Galleon, The Second Review of the Grand Army, Before the Curtain, The Stage-Driver's Story, Aspiring Miss de Laine, California Madrigal, St. Thomas, Ballad of Mr. Cooke, Legends of the Rhine, Mrs. Judge Jenkins: Sequel to Maud Muller, Avitor, A White Pine Ballad, Little Red Riding-Hood, The Ritualist, A Moral Vindicator, and Songs without Sense.