Dear Bug Team!
I think there is a "doc bug" in the docstring of `load-path'.
The "News" (`C-h n') say:
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
* Lisp and internal changes in XEmacs 21.4
[...]
Several bugs in locate-file have been fixed, most notably its failure
to call expand-file-name on elements of PATH-LIST. Because of that
elements of load-path of the form "~/..." used to not work.
locate-file is now guaranteed to expand files during its course of
operation.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
But the docstring of the variable `load-path' (still) says:
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
Note that the elements of this list *may not* begin with "~", so you must
call `expand-file-name' on them before adding them to this list.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
I tested it, entries in load-path that start with `~' work. So I think
the quoted paragraph of the docstring is hyperfluid.
Please excuse me if you already fixed this, my XEmacsen are not
really up-to-date.