Jerome K Jerome was born in 1859. He was an English humorist best known for this travelogue Three Men in A Boat. Jerome decided to try his hand at acting, under the stage name Harold Crichton. He joined a repertory troupe, which had little money. The actors often had to use their own money to purchase costumes. Essays in this collection include The Hero, The Villain, The Heroine, The Comic Man, The Lawyer, The Adventuress, The Servant Girl, The Child, The Comic Lovers, The Peasants, The Good Old Man, The Irishman, The Detective, and The sailor.