His Own Peopleby Booth TarkingtonI. A Change of LodgingThe glass-domed "palm-room" of the Grand Continental Hotel Magnifiquein Rome is of vasty heights and distances, filled with a mellow greenlight which filters down languidly through the upper foliage of tallpalms, so that the two hundred people who may be refreshing ordisplaying themselves there at the tea-hour have something the lookof under-water creatures playing upon the sea-bed. They appear,however, to be unaware of their condition; even the ladies, most likeanemones of that gay assembly, do not seem to know it; and when the...　

The Magic Skinby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Ellen MarriageTo Monsieur Savary, Member of Le Academie des Sciences.ITHE TALISMANTowards the end of the month of October 1829 a young man entered thePalais-Royal just as the gaming-houses opened, agreeably to the lawwhich protects a passion by its very nature easily excisable. Hemounted the staircase of one of the gambling hells distinguished bythe number 36, without too much deliberation."Your hat, sir, if you please?" a thin, querulous voice called out. A...　

PART VIKRONBORGIIt is a glorious winter day. Denver, standing on herhigh plateau under a thrilling green-blue sky, is maskedin snow and glittering with sunlight. The Capitol buildingis actually in armor, and throws off the shafts of the sununtil the beholder is dazzled and the outlines of the buildingare lost in a blaze of reflected light. The stone terrace is awhite field over which fiery reflections dance, and the trees...　

A LETTER FROM CAPTAIN GULLIVER TO HIS COUSIN SYMPSON.WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1727.I hope you will be ready to own publicly, whenever you shall becalled to it, that by your great and frequent urgency youprevailed on me to publish a very loose and uncorrect account ofmy travels, with directions to hire some young gentleman ofeither university to put them in order, and correct the style, asmy cousin Dampier did, by my advice, in his book called "A Voyageround the world." But I do not remember I gave you power toconsent that any thing should be omitted, and much less that any...　

The Aspern Papersby Henry JamesTHE ASPERN PAPERSII had taken Mrs. Prest into my confidence; in truth withouther I should have made but little advance, for the fruitfulidea in the whole business dropped from her friendly lips.It was she who invented the short cut, who severed the Gordian knot.It is not supposed to be the nature of women to rise as a general thingto the largest and most liberal viewI mean of a practical scheme;but it has struck me that they sometimes throw off a bold conception...　

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 wi　

Black RockA TALE OF THE SELKIRKSby Ralph ConnorINTRODUCTIONI think I have met "Ralph Conner." Indeed, I am sure I haveoncein a canoe on the Red River, once on the Assinaboine, and twice orthrice on the prairies to the West. That was not the name he gaveme, but, if I am right, it covers one of the most honest and genialof the strong characters that are fighting the devil and doing goodwork for men all over the world. He has seen with his own eyes thelife which he describes in this book, and has himself, for someyears of hard and lonely toil, assisted in the good influences which...　

ENDYMION: A POETIC ROMANCEby John KeatsPREFACE"The stretched metre of an antique song"INSCRIBED TO THE MEMORY OF THOMAS CHATTERTONPREFACEKNOWING within myself the manner in which this Poem has beenproduced, it is not without a feeling of regret that I make it public.What manner I mean, will be quite clear to the reader, who must soonperceive great inexperience, immaturity, and every error denoting afeverish attempt, rather than a deed accomplished. The two first...　

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 untutored...　

The Book of TeaThe Book of Teaby Kakuzo Okakura1- Page 2-The Book of TeaI. The Cup of HumanityTea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. In China, in theeighth century, it entered the realm of poetry as one of the politeamusements. The fifteenth century saw Japan ennoble it into a religionof aestheticismTeaism. Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the...　

The Return Of Tarzanby Edgar Rice BurroughsCONTENTSCHAPTER1 The Affair on the Liner2 Forging Bonds of Hate and ?3 What Happened in the Rue Maule4 The Countess Explains5 The Plot That Failed6 A Duel7 The Dancing Girl of Sidi Aissa8 The Fight in the Desert9 Numa "El Adrea"10 Through the Valley of the Shadow11 John Caldwell, London12 Ships That Pass13 The Wreck of the "Lady Alice"14 Back to the Primitive15 From Ape to Savage16 The Ivory Raiders17 The White Chief of the Waziri...　

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE RETIRED COLOURMANby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleSherlock Holmes was in a melancholy and philosophic mood thatmorning. His alert practical nature was subject to such reactions."Did you see him?" he asked."You mean the old fellow who has just gone out?""Precisely.""Yes, I met him at the door.""What did you think of him?""A pathetic, futile, broken creature.""Exactly, Watson. Pathetic and futile. But is not all lifepathetic and futile? Is not his story a microcosm of the whole? We...　

THE STORY OF BIG KLAUS AND LITTLE KLAUSIn a certain village there lived two people who had both the samename. Both were called Klaus, but one owned four horses and theother only one. In order to distinguish the one from the other,the one who had four horses was called Big Klaus, and the one whohad only one horse, Little Klaus. Now you shall hear what befellthem both, for this is a true story.The whole week through Little Klaus had to plough for Big Klaus,and lend him his one horse; then Big Klaus lent him his fourhorses, but only once a week, and that was on Sunday. Hurrah!...　

Bel Amiby Henri Rene Guy De MaupassantTABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER I. POVERTYCHAPTER II. MADAME FORESTIERCHAPTER III. FIRST ATTEMPTSCHAPTER IV. DUROY LEARNS SOMETHINGCHAPTER V. THE FIRST INTRIGUECHAPTER VI. A STEP UPWARDCHAPTER VII. A DUEL WITH AN ENDCHAPTER VIII. DEATH AND A PROPOSALCHAPTER IX. MARRIAGECHAPTER X. JEALOUSYCHAPTER XI. MADAME WALTER TAKES A HANDCHAPTER XII. A MEETING AND THE RESULTCHAPTER XIII. MADAME MARELLECHAPTER XIV. THE WILL...　

Anabasisby XenophonTranslation by H. G. DakynsDedicated To Rev. B. Jowett, M.A. Master of Balliol College Regius Professor of Greek in the University of OxfordXenophon the Athenian was born 431 B.C. He was a pupil of Socrates. He marched with the Spartans, and was exiled from Athens. Sparta gave him land and property in Scillus, where he lived for many years before having to move once more, to settle in Corinth. He died in 354 B.C.The Anabasis is his story of the march to Persia to aid Cyrus, who enlisted Greek help to try and take the throne from Artaxerxes, and the ensuing return of the Gre　

A Belated Guestby William Dean HowellsIt is doubtful whether the survivor of any order of things findscompensation in the privilege, however undisputed by his contemporaries,of recording his memories of it. This is, in the first two or threeinstances, a pleasure. It is sweet to sit down, in the shade or by thefire, and recall names, looks, and tones from the past; and if theAbsences thus entreated to become Presences are those of famous people,they lend to the fond historian a little of their lustre, in which hebasks for the time with an agreeable sense of celebrity. But another...