Of Interestby David HumeNothing is esteemed a more certain sign of the flourishingcondition of any nation than the lowness of interest: And with reason;though I believe the cause is somewhat different from what is commonlyapprehended. Lowness of interest is generally ascribed to plenty ofmoney. But money, however plentiful, has no other effect, if fixed,than to raise the price of labour. Silver is more common than gold;and therefore you receive a greater quantity of it for the samecommodities. But do you pay less interest for it? Interest in BATAVIAand JAMAICA is at 10 per cent. in PORTUGAL at 6; though these places,as we may learn from the prices of every thing, abound more in gold...　

ITALIAN WITHOUT A MASTERIt is almost a fortnight now that I am domiciled in a medievalvilla in the country, a mile or two from Florence. I cannot speakthe language; I am too old not to learn how, also too busy when Iam busy, and too indolent when I am not; wherefore some willimagine that I am having a dull time of it. But it is not so.The "help" are all natives; they talk Italian to me, I answerin English; I do not understand them, they do not understand me,consequently no harm is done, and everybody is satisfied. In orderto be just and fair, I throw in an Italian word when I have one,and this has a good influence. I get the word out of the morning paper....　

A LOST OPPORTUNITY."Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brothersin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" . . . ."So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if yefrom your hearts forgive not every one his brother theirtrespasses."ST. MATTHEW xviii., 21-35.In a certain village there lived a peasant by the name of IvanScherbakoff. He was prosperous, strong, and vigorous, and wasconsidered the hardest worker in the whole village. He had threesons, who supported themselves by their own labor. The eldestwas married, the second about to be married, and the youngesttook care of the horses and occasionally attended to the...　

In the Shadow of the Glenby J. M. SyngeIN THE SHADOW OF THE GLENA PLAY IN ONE ACTFirst performed at the Molesworth Hall,Dublin, October 8th, 1903.PERSONSDAN BURKE (farmer and herd) . George RobertsNORA BURKE (his wife) . . . Maire Nic ShiubhlaighMICHEAL DARA (a young herd) . P. J. KellyA TRAMP . . . . . . . . W. G. FayIN THE SHADOW OF THE GLENA PLAY IN ONE ACTSCENE. {The last cottage at the head of along glen in County Wicklow.Cottage kitchen; turf fire on the right; a bed near it againstthe wall with a body lying on it covered with a sheet. A door isat the other end of the room, with a low table near it, andstools, or wooden chairs. There are a couple of glasses on the...　

Man of Propertyby John GalsworthyTO MY WIFE: I DEDICATE THE FORSYTE SAGA IN ITS ENTIRETY, BELIEVING IT TO BE OF ALL MY WORKS THE LEAST UNWORTHY OF ONE WITHOUT WHOSE ENCOURAGEMENT, SYMPATHY AND CRITICISM COULD NEVER HAVE BECOME EVEN SUCH A WRITER AS I AM.PREFACE:"The Forsyte Saga" was the title originally destined for that part of it which is called "The Man of Property"; and to adopt it for the collected chronicles of the Forsyte family has indulged the Forsytean tenacity that is in all of us. The word Saga might be objected to on the ground that it connotes the heroic and that there is little heroism in these pages. But it is used with a suitable irony; and, after all, this long tale, t　

SEQUELCONTAINING THE STORY OF TOBYNOTE- The Author of "Typee" was more than two years in the SouthSeas, after escaping from the valley, as recounted in the lastchapter. Some time after returning home the foregoing narrative waspublished, though it was little thought at the time that this would bethe means of revealing the existence of Toby, who had long beengiven up for lost. But so it proved. The story of his escapesupplies a natural sequel to the adventure, and as such it is nowadded to the volume. It was related to the Author by Toby himself.THE MORNING my comrade left me, as related in the narrative, he...　

The National System of Political Economyby Friedrich Listtranslated by Sampson S. Lloyd, 1885First Book: The HistoryChapter 1The ItaliansAt the revival of civilisation in Europe, no county was in sofavourable a position as Italy in respect to commerce and industry.Barbarism had not been able entirely to eradicate the culture andcivilisation of ancient Rome. A genial climate and a fertile soil,notwithstanding an unskilful system of cultivation, yieldedabundant nourishment for a numerous population. The most necessaryarts and industries remained as little destroyed as the municipal...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE BELLby Hans Christian AndersenIN the narrow streets of a large town people often heard in theevening, when the sun was setting, and his last rays gave a goldentint to the chimney-pots, a strange noise which resembled the sound ofa church bell; it only lasted an instant, for it was lost in thecontinual roar of traffic and hum of voices which rose from thetown. "The evening bell is ringing," people used to say; "the sun issetting!" Those who walked outside the town, where the houses wereless crowded and interspersed by gardens and little fields, saw the...　

Letters From High Latitudesby The Marquess of Dufferin (Lord Dufferin)Being some account of a voyage in 1856 of the schooner yacht "Foam" to Iceland, Jan Meyen, and Spitzbergen.By the Marquess of Dufferin Sometime Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada and afterwards Viceroy of India.LETTER I.PROTESILAUS STUMBLES ON THE THRESHOLDGlasgow, Monday, June 2, 1856.Our start has not been prosperous. Yesterday evening, on passing Carlisle, a telegraphic message was put into my hand, announcing the fact of the "Foam" having been obliged to put into Holyhead, in consequence of the sudden illness of my Master. As the success of our expedition entirely depends on our getting off before the season i　

Note to "The Arabian Astrologer"Al Makkari, in his history of the Mahommedan dynasties in Spain,cites from another Arabian writer an account of a talismanic effigysomewhat similar to the one in the foregoing legend.In Cadiz, says he, there formerly stood a square tower upwards ofone hundred cubits high, built of huge blocks of stone, fastenedtogether with clamps of brass. On the top was the figure of a man,holding a staff in his right hand, his face turned to the Atlantic,and pointing with the forefinger of his left hand to the Straits ofGibraltar. It was said to have been set up in ancient times by theGothic kings of Andalus, as a beacon or guide to navigators. The...　

THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZby L. FRANK BAUMThis Book is DedicatedTo My GranddaughterOZMA BAUMTo My ReadersSome of my youthful readers are developing wonderfulimaginations. This pleases me. Imagination has broughtmankind through the Dark Ages to its present state ofcivilization. Imagination led Columbus to discoverAmerica. Imagination led Franklin to discoverelectricity. Imagination has given us the steam engine,the telephone, the talking-machine and the automobile,for these things had to be dreamed of before theybecame realities. So I believe that dreams day...　

THE WHITE DUCKOnce upon a time a great and powerful King married a lovelyPrincess. No couple were ever so happy; but before theirhoneymoon was over they were forced to part, for the King had togo on a warlike expedition to a far country, and leave his youngwife alone at home. Bitter were the tears she shed, while herhusband sought in vain to soothe her with words of comfort andcounsel, warning her, above all things, never to leave thecastle, to hold no intercourse with strangers, to beware of evilcounsellors, and especially to be on her guard against strangewomen. And the Queen promised faithfully to obey her royal lordand master in these four matters....