AN EPISODE OF FIDDLETOWNIn 1858 Fiddletown considered her a very pretty woman. She had aquantity of light chestnut hair, a good figure, a dazzlingcomplexion, and a certain languid grace which passed easily forgentle-womanliness. She always dressed becomingly, and in whatFiddletown accepted as the latest fashion. She had only twoblemishes: one of her velvety eyes, when examined closely, had aslight cast; and her left cheek bore a small scar left by a singledrop of vitriol happily the only drop of an entire phialthrownupon her by one of her own jealous sex, that reached the pretty...　

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granadaby Washington IrvingCONTENTS.I..........Of the Kingdom of Granada, and the Tribute which it Paidto the Castilian Crown.II.........Of the Embassy of Don Juan de Vera to Demand Arrears ofTribute from the Moorish Monarch.III........Domestic Feuds in the AlhambraRival SultanasPredictionsconcerning Boabdil, the Heir to the ThroneHowFerdinand Meditates War against Granada, and how heis Anticipated.IV.........Expedition of the Muley Abul Hassan against the Fortress...　

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....　

Meditationsby Marcus AureliusCONTENTSINTRODUCTIONFIRST BOOKSECOND BOOKTHIRD BOOKFOURTH BOOKFIFTH BOOKSIXTH BOOKSEVENTH BOOKEIGHTH BOOKNINTH BOOKTENTH BOOKELEVENTH BOOKTWELFTH BOOKAPPENDIXGLOSSARYMeditationsMarcus AureliusIntroductionMARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS was born on April 26, A.D. 121. His real name was M. Annius Verus, and he was sprung of a noble family which claimed descent from Numa, second King of Rome. Thus the most religious of emperors came of the blood of the most pious of early kings. His father, Annius Verus, had held high office in Rome, and his grandfather, of the same name,　

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. Amused...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE CONCEITED APPLE-BRANCHby Hans Christian AndersenIT was the month of May. The wind still blew cold; but from bushand tree, field and flower, came the welcome sound, "Spring iscome." Wild-flowers in profusion covered the hedges. Under thelittle apple-tree, Spring seemed busy, and told his tale from one ofthe branches which hung fresh and blooming, and covered withdelicate pink blossoms that were just ready to open. The branch wellknew how beautiful it was; this knowledge exists as much in the leaf...　

Autobiography of a Pocket-Handkerchiefby James Fenimore CoopoerCHAPTER I.Certain moral philosophers, with a due disdain of the flimsy foundationsof human pride, have shown that every man is equally descended from amillion of ancestors, within a given number of generations; therebydemonstrating that no prince exists who does not participate in theblood of some beggar, or any beggar who does not share in the bloodof princes. Although favored by a strictly vegetable descent myself, thelaws of nature have not permitted me to escape from the influence ofthis common rule. The earliest accounts I po　

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 se　

THE DESIRE OF AGESby ELLEN G.WHITEPREFACEIN THE HEARTS OF ALL MANKIND, OF WHATEVER RACE OR STATION IN LIFE, THERE ARE INEXPRESSIBLE LONGINGS FOR SOMETHING THEY DO NOT NOW POSSESS. THIS LONGING IS IMPLANTED IN THE VERY CONSTITUTION OF MAN BY A MERCIFUL GOD, THAT MAN MAY NOT BE SATISFIED WITH HIS PRESENT CONDITIONS OR ATTAINMENTS, WHETHER BAD, OR GOOD, OR BETTER. GOD DESIRES THAT THE HUMAN SHALL SEEK THE BEST, AND FIND IT TO THE ETERNAL BLESSING OF HIS SOUL.SATAN, BY WILY SCHEME AND CRAFT, HAS PERVERTED THESE LONGINGS OF THE HUMAN HEART. HE MAKES MEN BELIEVE THAT THIS DESIRE MAY BE SATISFIED BY　

A LaodiceanA STORY OF TO-DAYby Thomas HardyCONTENTS.PREFACE CHAPTERSBOOK THE FIRST. GEORGE SOMERSET. I - XV.BOOK THE SECOND. DARE AND HAVILL. I - VII.BOOK THE THIRD. DE STANCY. I - XI.BOOK THE FOURTH. SOMERSET, DARE, AND DE STANCY. I - V.BOOK THE FIFTH. DE STANCY AND PAULA. I - XIV.BOOK THE SIXTH. PAULA. I - V.PREFACEThe changing of the old order in country manors and mansionsmay be slow or sudden, may have many issues romantic or...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE DROP OF WATERby Hans Christian AndersenOF course you know what is meant by a magnifying glass- one ofthose round spectacle-glasses that make everything look a hundredtimes bigger than it is? When any one takes one of these and holdsit to his eye, and looks at a drop of water from the pond yonder, hesees above a thousand wonderful creatures that are otherwise neverdiscerned in the water. But there they are, and it is no delusion.It almost looks like a great plateful of spiders jumping about in a...　

The Life of Charlotte Bronte - Volume 1by Elizabeth Claghorn GaskellCHAPTER IThe Leeds and Skipton railway runs along a deep valley of the Aire; a slow and sluggish stream, compared to the neighbouring river of Wharfe. Keighley station is on this line of railway, about a quarter of a mile from the town of the same name. The number of inhabitants and the importance of Keighley have been very greatly increased during the last twenty years, owing to the rapidly extended market for worsted manufactures, a branch of industry that mainly employs the factory population of this part of Yorkshire, w　

ANTHEMANTHEMby Ayn Rand1- Page 2-ANTHEMPART ONEIt is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think andto put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil. Itis as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own. And we know wellthat there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone. We have...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE SHIRT-COLLARby Hans Christian AndersenTHERE was once a fine gentleman who possessed among other things aboot-jack and a hair-brush; but he had also the finest shirt-collar inthe world, and of this collar we are about to hear a story. The collarhad become so old that he began to think about getting married; andone day he happened to find himself in the same washing-tub as agarter. "Upon my word," said the shirt-collar, "I have never seenanything so slim and delicate, so neat and soft before. May I...　

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE THREE GARRIDEBSby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleIt may have been a comedy, or it may have been a tragedy. It costone man his reason, it cost me a blood-letting, and it cost yetanother man the penalties of the law. Yet there was certainly anelement of comedy. Well, you shall judge for yourselves.I remember the date very well, for it was in the same month thatHolmes refused a knighthood for services which may perhaps some day bedescribed. I only refer to the matter in passing, for in my position...　

Memoirs of General William T. Shermanby William Tecumseh ShermanVolume 1GENERAL W. T. SHERMANHIS COMRADES IN ARMS,VOLUNTEERS AND REGULARS.Nearly ten years have passed since the close of the civil war in America, and yet no satisfactory history thereof is accessible to the public; nor should any be attempted until the Government has published, and placed within the reach of students, the abundant materials that are buried in the War Department at Washington. These are in process of compilation; but, at the rate of progress for the past ten years, it is probable that a new century will come bef