The Song Book of Quong Lee of Limehouseby Thomas BurkeBuying and SellingThroughout the day I sit behind the counter of my shopAnd the odours of my country are all about meAreca nut, and betel leaf, and manioc,Lychee and suey sen,Li-un and dried seaweed,Tchah and sam-shu;And these carry my mind to half-forgotten daysWhen tales were plentiful and care was hard to hold.All day I sell for trifling sums the wares of my own land,And buy for many cash such things as people wish to sell,That I may sell them again to others,With some profit to myself.One night a white-skinned damsel came to meAnd offered, with fair words, something she wished to sell....　

All For Loveby John DrydenINTRODUCTORY NOTEThe age of Elizabeth, memorable for so many reasons in the history of England, was especially brilliant in literature, and, within literature, in the drama. With some falling off in spontaneity, the impulse to great dramatic production lasted till the Long Parliament closed the theaters in 1642; and when they were reopened at the Restoration, in 1660, the stage only too faithfully reflected the debased moral tone of the court society of Charles II.John Dryden (1631-1700), the great representative figure in the literature of the latter part of the seventeenth century, exemplifies in his work most of the main tendencies of the time. He came into not　

The History of Caliph Vathekby William BeckfordINTRODUCTIONWilliam Beckford, born in 1759, the year before the accession of King George the Third, was the son of an Alderman who became twice Lord Mayor of London. His family, originally of Gloucestershire, had thriven by the plantations in Jamaica; and his father, sent to school in England, and forming a school friendship at Westminster with Lord Mansfield, began the world in this country as a merchant, with inheritance of an enormous West India fortune. William Beckford the elder became Magistrate, Member of Parliament, Alderman. Four years before the birth of William Beckford the younger he became one of the Sheriffs of London, and thre　

ReadingWith a little more deliberation in the choice of their pursuits,all men would perhaps become essentially students and observers, forcertainly their nature and destiny are interesting to all alike. Inaccumulating property for ourselves or our posterity, in founding afamily or a state, or acquiring fame even, we are mortal; but indealing with truth we are immortal, and need fear no change noraccident. The oldest Egyptian or Hindoo philosopher raised a cornerof the veil from the statue of the divinity; and still the tremblingrobe remains raised, and I gaze upon as fresh a glory as he did,since it was I in him that was then so bold, and it is he in me that...　

The Spirit of Place and Other Essaysby Alice MeynellContents:The Spirit of PlaceMrs. DingleySolitudeThe Lady of the LyricsJulyWellsThe FootHave Patience, Little SaintThe Ladies of the IdyllA DerivationA CounterchangeRainLetters of Marceline ValmoreThe Hours of SleepThe HorizonHabits and ConsciousnessShadowsTHE SPIRIT OF PLACEWith mimicry, with praises, with echoes, or with answers, the poetshave all but outsung the bells. The inarticulate bell has found toomuch interpretation, too many rhymes professing to close with herinaccessible utterance, and to agree with her remote tongue. The...　

She Stoops to Conquerby Oliver GoldsmithSHE STOOPS TO CONQUER;OR,THE MISTAKES OF A NIGHT.A COMEDY.To SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.Dear Sir,By inscribing this slight performance to you, I do not mean so much to compliment you as myself. It may do me some honour to inform the public, that I have lived many years in intimacy with you. It may serve the interests of mankind also to inform them, that the greatest wit may be found in a character, without impairing the most unaffected piety.I have, particularly, reason to thank you for your partiality to this performance. The undertaking a comedy not merely sentimental was very dangerous; and Mr. Colman, who saw this piece in its various stages, always 　

1594THE RAPE OF LUCRECEby William ShakespeareDEDICATIONTO THERIGHT HONOURABLEHENRY WRIOTHESLEY,EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND BARONOF TITCHFIELDThe love I dedicate to your lordship is without end: whereof thispamphlet, without beginning is but a superfluous moiety. The warrant Ihave of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutoredlines, make it assured of acceptance. What I have done is yours;...　

How To Tell Stories To Children And Some Stories To Tellby Sara Cone BryantTo My MotherTHE FIRST, BEST STORY-TELLERTHIS LITTLE BOOK ISDEDICATEDPREFACEThe stories which are given in the followingpages are for the most part those which I havefound to be best liked by the children to whomI have told these and others. I have tried toreproduce the form in which I actually tellthem,although that inevitably varies withevery repetition,feeling that it would be ofgreater value to another story-teller than amore closely literary form.For the same reason, I have confined mystatements of theory as to method, to those...　

CHAPTER VIIThe Lion and the UnicornThe next moment soldiers came running through the wood, at firstin twos and threes, then ten or twenty together, and at last insuch crowds that they seemed to fill the whole forest. Alice gotbehind a tree, for fear of being run over, and watched them go by.She thought that in all her life she had never seen soldiers souncertain on their feet: they were always tripping oversomething or other, and whenever one went down, several morealways fell over him, so that the ground was soon covered withlittle heaps of men.Then came the horses. Having four feet, these managed rather...　

1872FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE TINDER-BOXby Hans Christian AndersenA SOLDIER came marching along the high road: "Left, right- left,right." He had his knapsack on his back, and a sword at his side; hehad been to the wars, and was now returning home.As he walked on, he met a very frightful-looking old witch inthe road. Her under-lip hung quite down on her breast, and she stopped and said, "Good evening, soldier; you have a very fine sword, and a large knapsack, and you are a real soldier; so you shall have as much money as ever you like.""Thank you, old witch," said the soldier."Do you see that large tree," said the witch, pointing to a tree...　

The Castle of Otrantoby Horace WalpolePREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.THE following work was found in the library of an ancient Catholic family in the north of England. It was printed at Naples, in the black letter, in the year 1529. How much sooner it was written does not appear. The principal incidents are such as were believed in the darkest ages of Christianity; but the language and conduct have nothing that savours of barbarism. The style is the purest Italian.If the story was written near the time when it is supposed to have happened, it must have been between 1095, the era of the first Crusade, and 1243, the date of the last, or not long afterwards. There is no other circum　

A Reading of Life, and Other Poemsby George MeredithContents:A Reading of Life - The Vital ChoiceA Reading of Life - With The HuntressA Reading of Life - With The PersuaderA Reading of Life - The Test Of ManhoodThe Cageing Of AresThe Night-WalkThe Hueless LoveSong In The SonglessUnion In DisseveranceThe Burden Of StrengthThe Main RegretAlternationHawardenAt The CloseForest HistoryA Garden IdylForesight And PatienceThe Invective Of AchillesThe Invective of Achilles - V. 225.Marshalling Of The AchaiansAgamemnon In The FightParis And DiomedesHypnos On Ida...