by Charles M. Sheldon
PREFACE
AUTHOR'S FORWARD
The story "In His Steps" was written in
1896, and it was read a chapter at a time to my young people, Sunday evenings
in the Central Congregational Church, Topeka, Kansas. While it was being read
it was being published in the Chicago Advance, a religious weekly, as a serial.
The publisher did not know the conditions of the copyright law, and he filed
only one copy of the advance each week with the department, instead of two,
which the law required. On that account the copyright was defective, and the
story was thrown into the "public domain" when the Advance Company put it out
in a ten cent paper edition. Owing to the fact that no one had any legal
ownership in the book, sixteen different publishers in America and fifty in
Europe and Australia put out the book in various editions from an English penny
to eight shillings. Mr. Bowden, the London publisher, sold over 3,000,000
copies of the penny edition on the streets of London. The book has been
translated into twenty-one languages, including a Russian publication which was
banned by the Soviet. A Turkish Translation in Arabic is permitted circulation
by the government and is being read all over Turkey.
The Story has been made into the drama form and is being used by groups of
young church people and by college students. And while conditions have changed
in the years since the story was written, the principle of human conduct
remains the same. I do not need to say that I am very thankful that owing to
the defective copyright the book has had a larger reading on account of the
great number of publishers. I find readers in every part of the world where I
go. And I am informed by the Publishers' Weekly that the book has had more
circulation than any other book except the Bible. If that is true, no one is
more grateful than I am, as it confirms the faith I have always held that no
subject is more interesting and vital to the human race than religion.
May I be allowed to add a word of appreciation for the courtesy of the
publishers of this authorized edition who through these years recognized the
moral rights of the author and have kindly permitted him a share in the
financial sales of the book. I hope for this edition a hearty and kindly
welcome from the readers, old and young, who believe that in the end of human
history Jesus will be the standard of human conduct for the entire human race.
Charles M. Sheldon
Topeka, Kansas, 1935