The Lumley Autographby Susan Fenimore Cooper[Not long since an American author received an application from aGerman correspondent for "a few Autographs"the number of namesapplied for amounting to more than a hundred, and covering severalsheets of foolscap. A few years since an Englishman of literary notesent his Album to a distinguished poet in Paris for his contribution,when the volume was actually stolen from a room where every otherarticle was left untouched; showing that Autographs were morevaluable in the eyes of the thief than any other property. Amusedwith the recollection of these facts, and others of the same kind,some idle hours were given by the writer to the following view of th　

BOOK II: OF THE RELIGIONS OF THE UTOPIANSTHERE are several sorts of religions, not only in different partsof the island, but even in every town; some worshipping the sun,others the moon or one of the planets: some worship such men ashave been eminent in former times for virtue or glory, not only asordinary deities, but as the supreme God: yet the greater andwiser sort of them worship none of these, but adore one eternal,invisible, infinite, and incomprehensible Deity; as a being thatis far above all our apprehensions, that is spread over the wholeuniverse, not by His bulk, but by His power and virtue; Him they...　

Balladsby Robert Louis StevensonTHE SONG OF RAHEROA LEGEND OF TAHITITO ORI A ORIORI, my brother in the island mode,In every tongue and meaning much my friend,This story of your country and your clan,In your loved house, your too much honoured guest,I made in English. Take it, being done;And let me sign it with the name you gave.TERIITERA.I. THE SLAYING OF TAMATEAIT fell in the days of old, as the men of Taiarapu tell,A youth went forth to the fishing, and fortune favoured him well.Tamatea his name: gullible, simple, and kind,Comely of countenance, nimble of body, empty of mind,...　

Yeastby Thomas H. HuxleyI HAVE selected to-night the particular subject of Yeast for tworeasonsor, rather, I should say for three. In the first place,because it is one of the simplest and the most familiar objects withwhich we are acquainted. In the second place, because the facts andphenomena which I have to describe are so simple that it is possible toput them before you without the help of any of those pictures ordiagrams which are needed when matters are more complicated, and which,if I had to refer to them here, would involve the necessity of myturning away from you now and then, and thereby increasing very largelymy difficulty (already sufficiently great) in making myself heard. An　

THE WIFE OF A KING.IONCE, WHEN THE NORTHLAND was very young, the social and civicvirtues were remarkably alike for their paucity and theirsimplicity. When the burden of domestic duties grew grievous, andthe fireside mood expanded to a constant protest against its bleakloneliness, the adventurers from the Southland, in lieu of better,paid the stipulated prices and took unto themselves native wives. Itwas a foretaste of Paradise to the women, for it must be confessedthat the white rovers gave far better care and treatment of themthan did their Indian copartners. Of course, the white men...　

The Titanby Theodore DreiserChapter IThe New CityWhen Frank Algernon Cowperwood emerged from the Eastern District Penitentiary in Philadelphia he realized that the old life he had lived in that city since boyhood was ended. His youth was gone, and with it had been lost the great business prospects of his earlier manhood. He must begin again.It would be useless to repeat how a second panic following upon a tremendous failurethat of Jay Cooke & Co.had placed a second fortune in his hands. This restored wealth softened him in some degree. Fate seemed to have his personal welfare in charge. He was sick of the stock-exchange, anyhow, as a means of livelihood, and now decided that he would l　

Troilus and Criseydeby Geoffrey ChaucerBOOK IThe double sorwe of Troilus to tellen, 1That was the king Priamus sone of Troye,In lovinge, how his aventures fellenFro wo to wele, and after out of Ioye,My purpos is, er that I parte fro ye. 5Thesiphone, thou help me for tendyteThise woful vers, that wepen as I wryte!To thee clepe I, thou goddesse of torment,Thou cruel Furie, sorwing ever in peyne;Help me, that am the sorwful instrument 10That helpeth lovers, as I can, to pleyne!For wel sit it, the sothe for to seyne,A woful wight to han a drery fere,And, to a sorwful tale, a sory chere.For I, that god of Loves servaunts serve, 15...　

old, and lost all his teeth, so that he could no longer hold onto anything. One day the farmer was standing with his wife beforethe house-door, and said, to-morrow I intend to shoot old sultan,he is no longer of any use.His wife, who felt pity for the faithful beast, answered, he hasserved us so long, and been so faithful, that we might well givehim his keep.What, said the man, you are not very bright. He has not a toothleft in his head, and not a thief is afraid of him, now he cango. If he has served us, he has had good feeding for it.The poor dog, who was lying stretched out in the sun not far off,had heard everything, and was sorry that the morrow was to be hislast day. He had a good　

Miss Billyby Eleanor H. PorterCONTENTSCHAPTERI. BILLY WRITES A LETTERII. "THE STRATA"III. THE STRATAWHEN THE LETTER COMESIV. BILLY SENDS A TELEGRAMV. GETTING READY FOR BILLYVI. THE COMING OF BILLYVII. INTRODUCING SPUNKVIII. THE ROOMAND BILLYIX. A FAMILY CONCLAVEX. AUNT HANNAHXI. BERTRAM HAS VISITORSXII. CYRIL TAKES HIS TURNXIII. A SURPRISE ALL AROUNDXIV. AUNT HANNAH SPEAKS HER MINDXV. WHAT BERTRAM CALLS "THE LIMIT"XVI. KATE TAKES A HANDXVII. A PINK-RIBBON TRAILXVIII. BILLY WRITES ANOTHER LETTERXIX. SEEING BILLY OFFXX. BILLY, THE MYTHXXI. BILLY, THE REALITY...　

The Essays of Montaigne, V17by Michel de MontaigneTranslated by Charles CottonEdited by William Carew Hazilitt1877CONTENTS OF VOLUME 17.IX. Of VanityCHAPTER IXOF VANITYThere is, peradventure, no more manifest vanity than to write of it sovainly. That which divinity has so divinely expressed to us ["Vanityof vanities: all is vanity."Eccles., i. 2.] ought to be carefully andcontinually meditated by men of understanding. Who does not see that Ihave taken a road, in which, incessantly and without labour, I shallproceed so long as there shall be ink and paper in the world? I can giveno account of my life by my actions; fortune has placed them too low: I...　

Lecture IIIKinship as the Basis of SocietyThe most recent researches into the primitive history ofsociety point to the conclusion that the earliest tie whichknitted men together in communities was Consanguinity or Kinship.The subject has been approached of late years from severaldifferent sides, and there has been much dispute as to what theprimitive blood-relationship implied, and how it arose; but therehas been general agreement as to the fact I have stated. Thecaution is perhaps needed that we must not form too loose a...　

Hans Brinker or The Silver Skatesby Mary Mapes DodgeTo my father James J. Mapes this book is dedicated in gratitude and lovePrefaceThis little work aims to combine the instructive features of a book of travels with the interest of a domestic tale. Throughout its pages the descriptions of Dutch localities, customs, and general characteristics have been given with scrupulous care. Many of its incidents are drawn from life, and the story of Raff Brinker is founded strictly upon fact.While acknowledging my obligations to many well-known writers on Dutch history, literature, and art, I turn with especial gratitude to those kind Holland friends who, with generous zeal, have taken many a backw