A Footnote to Historyby Robert Louis StevensonPREFACEAN affair which might be deemed worthy of a note of a few lines inany general history has been here expanded to the size of a volumeor large pamphlet. The smallness of the scale, and the singularityof the manners and events and many of the characters, considered,it is hoped that, in spite of its outlandish subject, the sketchmay find readers. It has been a task of difficulty. Speed wasessential, or it might come too late to be of any service to adistracted country. Truth, in the midst of conflicting rumours andin the dearth of printed material, was often hard to ascertain, and...
Some Short Christmas StoriesSome Short ChristmasStoriesby Charles Dickens1- Page 2-Some Short Christmas StoriesA CHRISTMAS TREEI have been looking on, this evening, at a merry company of childrenassembled round that pretty German toy, a Christmas Tree. The tree wasplanted in the middle of a great round table, and towered high above theirheads. It was brilliantly lighted by a multitude of little tapers; and...
The Modern Regime, Volume 1 [Napoleon]The Origins of Contemporary France, Volume 5by Hippolyte A. TaineContents:PREFACEBOOK FIRST. Napoleon Bonaparte.Chapter I. Historical Importance of his Character and Genius.Chapter II. His Ideas, Passions and Intelligence.BOOK SECOND. Formation and Character of the New State.Chapter I. The Institution of Government.Chapter II. Use and Abuse of Government Services.Chapter III. The New Government Organization.BOOK THIRD. Object and Merits of the System....
The Voice of the CityThe Voice of the CityO Henry1- Page 2-The Voice of the CityTHE VOICE OF THE CITYTwenty-five years ago the school children used to chant their lessons.The manner of their delivery was a singsong recitative between theutterance of an Episcopal minister and the drone of a tired sawmill. I meanno disrespect. We must have lumber and sawdust.I remember one beautiful and instructive little lyric that emanated...
FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE RACESby Hans Christian AndersenA PRIZE, or rather two prizes, a great one and a small one, hadbeen awarded for the greatest swiftness in running,- not in a singlerace, but for the whole year."I obtained the first prize," said the hare. "Justice must stillbe carried out, even when one has relations and good friends among theprize committee; but that the snail should have received the secondprize, I consider almost an insult to myself""No," said the fence-rail, who had been a witness at thedistribution of prizes; "there should be some consideration for...
El Doradoby Baroness OrczyFOREWORDThere has of late years crept so much confusion into the mind ofthe student as well as of the general reader as to the identity ofthe Scarlet Pimpernel with that of the Gascon Royalist plotterknown to history as the Baron de Batz, that the time seemsopportune for setting all doubts on that subject at rest.The identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel is in no way whateverconnected with that of the Baron de Batz, and even superficialreflection will soon bring the mind to the conclusion that greatfundamental differences existed in these two men, in theirpersonality, in their character, and, above all, in their aims.According to one or two enthusiastic historians, the
The Religion of Babylonia and Assyriaby Theophilus G. PinchesCHAPTER IFOREWORDPosition, and Period.The religion of the Babylonians and Assyrians was the polytheistic faith professed by the peoples inhabiting the Tigris and Euphrates valleys from what may be regarded as the dawn of history until the Christian era began, or, at least, until the inhabitants were brought under the influence of Christianity. The chronological period covered may be roughly estimated at about 5000 years. The belief of the people, at the end of that time, being Babylonian heathenism leavened with Judaism, the country was probably ripe for the reception of the new faith. Christianity, however, by no means replaced t
On Books and the Housing of Themby William Ewart GladstoneIn the old age of his intellect (which atthis point seemed to taste a little ofdecrepitude), Strauss declared [1] that the doctrine ofimmortality has recently lost the assistanceof a passable argument, inasmuch as it hasbeen discovered that the stars are inhabited;for where, he asks, could room now be foundfor such a multitude of souls? Again, in viewof the current estimates of prospectivepopulation for this earth, some people have begun toentertain alarm for the probable condition ofEngland (if not Great Britain) when she gets(say) seventy millions that are allotted to heragainst six or eight hundred millions for the...
An Old Town By The SeaAn Old Town By The Seaby Thomas Bailey Aldrich1- Page 2-An Old Town By The SeaPISCATAQUA RIVERThou singest by the gleaming isles, By woods, and fields of corn,Thou singest, and the sunlight smiles Upon my birthday morn.But I within a city, I, So full of vague unrest, Would almost give mylife to lie An hour upon upon thy breast.To let the wherry listless go, And, wrapt in dreamy joy, Dip, and surgeidly to and fro, Like the red harbor-buoy;...
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...
Alcibiades IIby Platonic ImitatorTranslated by Benjamin JowettAPPENDIX II.The two dialogues which are translated in the second appendix are notmentioned by Aristotle, or by any early authority, and have no claim to beascribed to Plato. They are examples of Platonic dialogues to be assignedprobably to the second or third generation after Plato, when his writingswere well known at Athens and Alexandria. They exhibit considerableoriginality, and are remarkable for containing several thoughts of the sortwhich we suppose to be modern rather than ancient, and which therefore havea peculiar interest for us. The Second Alcibiades shows that the...
Vailima Lettersby Robert Louis StevensonCHAPTER IIN THE MOUNTAIN, APIA, SAMOA,MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND, 1890MY DEAR COLVIN, - This is a hard and interesting andbeautiful life that we lead now. Our place is in a deepcleft of Vaea Mountain, some six hundred feet above the sea,embowered in forest, which is our strangling enemy, and whichwe combat with axes and dollars. I went crazy over outdoorwork, and had at last to confine myself to the house, orliterature must have gone by the board. NOTHING is sointeresting as weeding, clearing, and path-making; theoversight of labourers becomes a disease; it is quite an...