INTRODUCTION by Irving Howe 1
THE TALES AND THE PERSONSTHE BOOK OF THE GROTESQUE 3
HANDS—concerning Wing Biddlebaum 7
PAPER PILLS—concerning Doctor Reefy 14
MOTHER—concerning Elizabeth Willard 18
THE PHILOSOPHER—concerning Doctor Parcival 27
NOBODY KNOWS—concerning Louise Trunnion 34
GODLINESS,a Tale in Four Parts 38
Part Ⅰ—concerning Jesse Bentley 38
Part Ⅱ—also concerning Jesse Bentley 46
Part Ⅲ：Surrender—concerning Louise Bentley 56
Part Ⅳ：Terror—concerning David Hardy 64
A MAN OF IDEAS—concerning Joe Welling 70
ADVENTURE—concerning Alice Hindman 78
RESPECTABILITY—concerning Wash Williams 86
THE THINKER—concerning Seth Richmond 92
TANDY—concerning Tandy Hard 105
THE STRENGTH OF GOD—concerning the Reverend Curtis Hartman 108
THE TEACHER—concerning Kate Swift 116
LONELINESS—concerning Enoch Robinson 124
AN AWAKENING—concerning Belle Carpenter 134
"QUEER—"concerning Elmer Cowley 144
THE UNTOLD LIE—concerning Ray Pearson 154
DRINK—concerning Tom Foster 161
DEATH—concerning Doctor Reefy and Elizabeth Willard 170
SOPHISTICATION—concerning Helen White 181
DEPARTURE—concerning George Willard 190