The Poet at the Breakfast Tableby Oliver Wendell HolmesPREFACE.In this, the third series of Breakfast-Table conversations, a slightdramatic background shows off a few talkers and writers, aided bycertain silent supernumeraries. The machinery is much like that ofthe two preceding series. Some of the characters must seem like oldacquaintances to those who have read the former papers. As I readthese over for the first time for a number of years, I notice onecharacter; presenting a class of beings who have greatly multipliedduring the interval which separates the earlier and laterBreakfast-Table papers,I mean the scientific specialists. The...　

THE LIFE AND PERAMBULATIONS OF A MOUSE (1783-1784)THE LIFE ANDPERAMBULATIONS OFA MOUSE(1783-1784)by Dorothy Kilner1- Page 2-THE LIFE AND PERAMBULATIONS OF A MOUSE (1783-1784)INTRODUCTIONDuring a remarkably severe winter, when a prodigious fall of snowconfined everybody to their habitations, who were happy enough to haveone to shelter them from the inclemency of the season, and were hot...　

History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 16By Thomas CarlyleBOOK XVI.THE TEN YEARS OF PEACE.1746-1756.Chapter I.SANS-SOUCI.Friedrich has now climbed the heights, and sees himself on the upper table-land of Victory and Success; his desperate life-and- death struggles triumphantly ended. What may be ahead, nobody knows; but here is fair outlook that his enemies and Austria itself have had enough of him. No wringing of his Silesia from this "bad Man." Not to be overset, this one, by never such exertions; oversets US, on the contrary, plunges us heels-over-head into the ditch, so often as we like to apply to him; nothing but heavy beatings, disastrous breaking of crowns, to be had on trying there! 　

James Otis The Pre-Revolutionistby John Clark RidpathGreat Americans of HistoryBY JOHN CLARK RIDPATH, LL.D. AUTHOR OF A "Cyclopaedia of Universal History," "Great Races of Mankind," "Life and Times of William E. Gladstone," etc., etc.THE CHARACTER OF JAMES OTIS BY CHARLES K. EDMUNDS, Ph.D.WITH AN ESSAY ON THE PATRIOT BY G. MERCER ADAM Late Editor "Self-Culture" Magazine, Etc., Etc.TOGETHER WITH ANECDOTES, CHARACTERISTICS, AND CHRONOLOGYNear the northeast corner of the old Common of Boston a section of ground was put apart long before the beginning of the eighteenth century to be a burying ground for some of the heroic dead of the city of the Puritans. For some quaint reason or caprice this　

Modern Customs and Ancient Laws of Russiaby Maxime KovalevskyLecture 6The Origin, Growth, and Abolition of Personal Servitude in RussiaAn account of the origin, growth, and abolition of serfdom inRussia might easily be made to fill volumes, so vast and sovarious are the materials on which the study of it is based. Butfor the purpose now in view, that of bringing before your noticethe general conclusion to which Russian historians and legistshave come as to the social development of their country, perhapsa single lecture will suffice. In it I cannot pretend to do morethan present to you those aspects of the subject on which theminds of Russian scholars have been specially fixed of late...　

The Courtship of Susan Bellby Anthony TrollopeJohn Munroe Bell had been a lawyer in Albany, State of New York, andas such had thriven well. He had thriven well as long as thrift andthriving on this earth had been allowed to him. But the Almightyhad seen fit to shorten his span.Early in life he had married a timid, anxious, pretty, good littlewife, whose whole heart and mind had been given up to do his biddingand deserve his love. She had not only deserved it but hadpossessed it, and as long as John Munroe Bell had lived, HenriettaBellHetta as he called herhad been a woman rich in blessings.After twelve years of such blessings he had left her, and had left...　

NEVER AGAINA protest and a warning addressed to the peoples of Europeby Edward CarpenterNever again must this Thing happen. The time has come if the humanrace does not wish to destroy itself in its own madness for mento make up their minds as to what they will do in the future; fornow indeed is it true that we are come to the cross-roads, we standat the Parting of the Ways.The rapid and enormous growth of scientific invention makes it obviousthat Violence ten times more potent and sinister than that whichwe are witnessing to-day may very shortly be available for our use orabuse in War. On the other hand who can doubt that the rapid growthof interchange and understanding among the peop　

The Man versus the Stateby Herbert Spencer1884PrefaceThe Westminster Review for April 1860, contained an article entitled "Parliamentary Reform: the Dangers and the Safeguards." In that article I ventured to predict some results of political changes then proposed. Reduced to its simplest expression, the thesis maintained was that, unless due precautions were taken, increase of freedom in form would be followed by decrease of freedom in fact. Nothing has occurred to alter the belief I then expressed. The drift of legislation since that time has been of the kind anticipated. Dictatorial measures, rapidly multiplied, have tended continually to narrow the liberties of individuals; and have　

The Fatal Bootsby William Makepeace ThackerayJanuary.The Birth of the YearFebruary.Cutting WeatherMarch.ShoweryApril.FoolingMay.Restoration DayJune.Marrowbones and CleaversJuly.Summary ProceedingsAugust.Dogs have their DaysSeptember.Plucking a GooseOctober.Mars and Venus in OppositionNovember.A General Post DeliveryDecember."The Winter of Our Discontent"THE FATAL BOOTSJANUARY.THE BIRTH OF THE YEAR.Some poet has observed, that if any man would write down what hasreally happened to him in this mortal life, he would be sure tomake a good book, though he never had met with a single adventure...　

1872FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTWO BROTHERSby Hans Christian AndersenON one of the Danish islands, where old Thingstones, the seatsof justice of our forefathers, still stand in the cornfields, and hugetrees rise in the forests of beech, there lies a little town whose lowhouses are covered with red tiles. In one of these houses strangethings were brewing over the glowing coals on the open hearth; therewas a boiling going on in glasses, and a mixing and distilling,while herbs were being cut up and pounded in mortars. An elderly man looked after it all."One must only do the right thing," he said; "yes, the right-the correct thing. One must find out the truth concerning every...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE TRAVELLING COMPANIONby Hans Christian AndersenPOOR John was very sad; for his father was so ill, he had nohope of his recovery. John sat alone with the sick man in the littleroom, and the lamp had nearly burnt out; for it was late in the night."You have been a good son, John," said the sick father, "and Godwill help you on in the world." He looked at him, as he spoke, withmild, earnest eyes, drew a deep sigh, and died; yet it appeared asif he still slept.John wept bitterly. He had no one in the wide world now; neitherfather, mother, brother, nor sister. Poor John! he knelt down by the...　

Three Ghost Storiesby Charles DickensContents:The Signal-ManThe Haunted-HouseThe Trial For MurderTHE SIGNAL-MAN"Halloa! Below there!"When he heard a voice thus calling to him, he was standing at thedoor of his box, with a flag in his hand, furled round its shortpole. One would have thought, considering the nature of the ground,that he could not have doubted from what quarter the voice came; butinstead of looking up to where I stood on the top of the steepcutting nearly over his head, he turned himself about, and lookeddown the Line. There was something remarkable in his manner of...