The Libraryby Andrew LangContents:PREFATORY NOTEAN APOLOGY FOR THE BOOK-HUNTERTHE LIBRARYTHE BOOKS OF THE COLLECTORILLUSTRATED BOOKSBooks, books again, and books once more!These are our theme, which some miscallMere madness, setting little storeBy copies either short or tall.But you, O slaves of shelf and stall!We rather write for you that holdPatched folios dear, and prize "the small,Rare volume, black with tarnished gold."A. D.PREFATORY NOTEThe pages in this volume on illuminated and other MSS. (with the exception of some anecdotes about Bussy Rabutin and Julie de Rambouillet) have been contributed by the Rev. W. J. Loftie, who has also written on early printed books (pp. 94-95). The pag　

Five Talesby John Galsworthy"Life calls the tune, we dance."CONTENTS:THE FIRST AND LASTA STOICTHE APPLE TREETHE JURYMANINDIAN SUMMER OF A FORSYTETHE FIRST AND LAST"So the last shall be first, and the first last."HOLY WRIT.It was a dark room at that hour of six in the evening, when just the single oil reading-lamp under its green shade let fall a dapple of light over the Turkey carpet; over the covers of books taken out of the bookshelves, and the open pages of the one selected; over the deep blue and gold of the coffee service on the little old stool with its Oriental embroidery. Very dark in the winter, with drawn curtains, many rows of leather-bound volumes, oak-panelled walls and ceilin　

Flip: A California Romanceby Bret HarteCHAPTER IJust where the track of the Los Gatos road streams on and upwardlike the sinuous trail of a fiery rocket until it is extinguishedin the blue shadows of the Coast Range, there is an embayed terracenear the summit, hedged by dwarf firs. At every bend of the heat-laden road the eye rested upon it wistfully; all along the flank ofthe mountain, which seemed to pant and quiver in the oven-like air,through rising dust, the slow creaking of dragging wheels, themonotonous cry of tired springs, and the muffled beat of plunginghoofs, it held out a promise of sheltered coolness and green...　

Beacon Lights of HistoryVolume III Part 2by John LordVolume III.Part IIRenaissance and Reformation.CONTENTS.DANTE.RISE OF MODERN POETRY.The antiquity of PoetryThe greatness of PoetsTheir influence on CivilizationThe true poet one of the rarest of menThe pre-eminence of Homer, Dante, Shakspeare, and GoetheCharacteristics of DanteHis precocityHis moral wisdom and great attainmentsHis terrible scorn and his isolationState of society when Dante was bornHis banishmentGuelphs and GhibellinesDante stimulated to his great task by an absorbing sentimentBeatrice...　

The American Claimantby Mark TwainEXPLANATORYThe Colonel Mulberry Sellers here re-introduced to the public is the sameperson who appeared as Eschol Sellers in the first edition of the taleentitled "The Gilded Age," years ago, and as Beriah Sellers in thesubsequent editions of the same book, and finally as Mulberry Sellers inthe drama played afterward by John T. Raymond.The name was changed from Eschol to Beriah to accommodate an EscholSellers who rose up out of the vasty deeps of uncharted space andpreferred his requestbacked by threat of a libel suitthen went hisway appeased, and came no more. In the play Beriah had to be dropped tosatisfy another member of the race, and Mulberry was subs　

Dona PerectaBy Benito Perez GaldosTranslated by Mary J. SerranoINTRODUCTIONThe very acute and lively Spanish critic who signs himself Clarin, and is known personally as Don Leopoldo Alas, says the present Spanish novel has no yesterday, but only a day-before-yesterday. It does not derive from the romantic novel which immediately preceded that: the novel, large or little, as it was with Cervantes, Hurtado de Mendoza, Quevedo, and the masters of picaresque fiction.Clarin dates its renascence from the political revolution of 1868, which gave Spanish literature the freedom necessary to the fiction that studies to reflect modern life, actual ideas, and current aspirations; and though its author　

CHAPTER VIPig and PepperFor a minute or two she stood looking at the house, andwondering what to do next, when suddenly a footman in livery camerunning out of the wood(she considered him to be a footmanbecause he was in livery: otherwise, judging by his face only,she would have called him a fish)and rapped loudly at the doorwith his knuckles. It was opened by another footman in livery,with a round face, and large eyes like a frog; and both footmen,Alice noticed, had powdered hair that curled all over theirheads. She felt very curious to know what it was all about, andcrept a little way out of the wood to listen....　

Villa Rubein and Other Storiesby John GalsworthyContents:Villa RubeinA Man of DevonA KnightSalvation of a ForsyteThe SilencePREFACEWriting not long ago to my oldest literary friend, I expressed in amoment of heedless sentiment the wish that we might have again one ofour talks of long-past days, over the purposes and methods of ourart. And my friend, wiser than I, as he has always been, repliedwith this doubting phrase "Could we recapture the zest of that oldtime?"I would not like to believe that our faith in the value ofimaginative art has diminished, that we think it less worth while to...　

MEN OF IRONMEN OF IRONby Ernie Howard Pyle1- Page 2-MEN OF IRONINTRODUCTIONThe year 1400 opened with more than usual peacefulness in England.Only a few months before, Richard IIweak, wicked, and treacheroushad been dethroned, and Henry IV declared King in his stead. But it wasonly a seeming peacefulness, lasting but for a little while; for though KingHenry proved himself a just and a merciful manas justice and mercywent with the men of iron of those daysand though he did not care to...　

HERMOD AND HADVOR [32][32] From the Icelandic.Once upon a time there were a King and a Queen who had an onlydaughter, called Hadvor, who was fair and beautiful, and being anonly child, was heir to the kingdom. The King and Queen had alsoa foster son, named Hermod, who was just about the same age asHadvor, and was good-looking, as well as clever at most things.Hermod and Hadvor often played together while they were children,and liked each other so much that while they were still youngthey secretly plighted their troth to each other.As time went on the Queen fell sick, and suspecting that it washer last illness, sent for the King to come to her. When he came...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE SHADOWby Hans Christian AndersenIN very hot climates, where the heat of the sun has great power,people are usually as brown as mahogany; and in the hottestcountries they are negroes, with black skins. A learned man oncetravelled into one of these warm climates, from the cold regions ofthe north, and thought he would roam about as he did at home; but hesoon had to change his opinion. He found that, like all sensiblepeople, he must remain in the house during the whole day, with everywindow and door closed, so that it looked as if all in the house...　

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP and Other Early Worksalso spelledLOVE AND FREINDSHIPA collection of juvenile writingsCONTENTSLove and FreindshipLesley CastleThe History of EnglandCollection of LettersScraps*LOVE AND FREINDSHIPTO MADAME LA COMTESSE DE FEUILLIDE THIS NOVEL IS INSCRIBED BY HER OBLIGED HUMBLE SERVANT THE AUTHOR."Deceived in Freindship and Betrayed in Love."LETTER the FIRST From ISABEL to LAURAHow often, in answer to my repeated intreaties that you would give my Daughter a regular detail of the Misfortunes and Adventures of your Life, have you said "No, my freind never will I comply with your request till I may be no longer in Danger of again experiencing such dreadful ones."...