THE MASTER THIEFTHERE was once upon a time a husbandman who had three sons.He had no property to bequeath to them, and no means of puttingthem in the way of getting a living, and did not know what todo, so he said that they had his leave to take to anything they mostfancied, and go to any place they best liked. He would gladlyaccompany them for some part of their way, he said, and that he did.He went with them till they came to a place where three roadsmet, and there each of them took his own way, and the father badethem farewell and returned to his own home again. What became...
Philosophy 4A Story of Harvard Universityby Owen WisterITwo frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lampand gas. Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirtsunbuttoned at the collar. They were listening with gloomy voracity tothe instruction of a third. They sat at a table bared of its customarysporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked theirpencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes. Their necks and facesshone with the bloom of out-of-doors. Studious concentration was...
The Vicar of Toursby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Katharine Prescott WormeleyDEDICATIONTo David, Sculptor:The permanence of the work on which I inscribe your nametwice made illustrious in this centuryis very problematical;whereas you have graven mine in bronze which survives nationsif only in their coins. The day may come when numismatists,discovering amid the ashes of Paris existences perpetuated byyou, will wonder at the number of heads crowned in youratelier and endeavour to find in them new dynasties....
Part 5The good, charitable gentleman encouraged them to quit the Placefor fear they should be cut off from any retreat at all by the violenceof the distemper; but whither they should go, that he found very hardto direct them to. At last John asked of him whether he, being ajustice of the peace, would give them certificates of health to otherjustices whom they might come before; that so whatever might betheir lot, they might not be repulsed now they had been also so longfrom London. This his worship immediately granted, and gave themproper letters of health, and from thence they were at libe
Youthby Leo TolstoyTranslated by C. J. HogarthIWHAT I CONSIDER TO HAVE BEEN THE BEGINNING OF MY YOUTHI have said that my friendship with Dimitri opened up for me anew view of my life and of its aim and relations. The essence ofthat view lay in the conviction that the destiny of man is tostrive for moral improvement, and that such improvement is atonce easy, possible, and lasting. Hitherto, however, I had foundpleasure only in the new ideas which I discovered to arise fromthat conviction, and in the forming of brilliant plans for a...
The Ethics [Part 4](Ethica Ordine Geometrico Demonstrata)by Benedict de SpinozaTranslated by R. H. M. ElwesPART IV: Of Human Bondage, or the Strength of the EmotionsPREFACEHuman infirmity in moderating and checking the emotions I name bondage:for, when a man is a prey to his emotions, he is not his own master, butlies at the mercy of fortune: so much so, that he is often compelled,while seeing that which is better for him, to follow that which is worse....
THE CONDUCT OF LIFEby Ralph Waldo EmersonIFATEDelicate omens traced in airTo the lone bard true witness bare;Birds with auguries on their wingsChanted undeceiving thingsHim to beckon, him to warn;Well might then the poet scornTo learn of scribe or courierHints writ in vaster character;And on his mind, at dawn of day,Soft shadows of the evening lay.For the prevision is alliedUnto the thing so signified;...
A PERSONAL RECORDBY JOSEPH CONRADA FAMILIAR PREFACEAs a general rule we do not want much encouragement to talk aboutourselves; yet this little book is the result of a friendlysuggestion, and even of a little friendly pressure. I defendedmyself with some spirit; but, with characteristic tenacity, thefriendly voice insisted, "You know, you really must."It was not an argument, but I submitted at once. If one must! ....
FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENLITTLE TUKby Hans Christian AndersenYES, they called him Little Tuk, but it was not his real name;he had called himself so before he could speak plainly, and he meantit for Charles. It was all very well for those who knew him, but notfor strangers.Little Tuk was left at home to take care of his little sister,Gustava, who was much younger than himself, and he had to learn hislessons at the same time, and the two things could not very well be...
Eugene Pickeringby Henry JamesCHAPTER I.It was at Homburg, several years ago, before the gaming had beensuppressed. The evening was very warm, and all the world wasgathered on the terrace of the Kursaal and the esplanade below it tolisten to the excellent orchestra; or half the world, rather, for thecrowd was equally dense in the gaming-rooms around the tables.Everywhere the crowd was great. The night was perfect, the seasonwas at its height, the open windows of the Kursaal sent long shaftsof unnatural light into the dusky woods, and now and then, in the...
360 BCPHAEDOby Platotranslated by Benjamin JowettPERSONS OF THE DIALOGUEPHAEDO, who is the narrator of the dialogue to ECHECRATES of PhliusSOCRATESAPOLLODORUSSIMMIASCEBESCRITOATTENDANT OF THE PRISONPHAEDOSCENE: The Prison of SocratesPLACE OF THE NARRATION: PhliusEchecrates. Were you yourself, Phaedo, in the prison with Socrates...
The Clue of the Twisted Candleby Edgar WallaceCHAPTER IThe 4.15 from Victoria to Lewes had been held up at Three Bridges in consequence of a derailment and, though John Lexman was fortunate enough to catch a belated connection to Beston Tracey, the wagonette which was the sole communication between the village and the outside world had gone."If you can wait half an hour, Mr. Lexman," said the station-master, "I will telephone up to the village and get Briggs to come down for you."John Lexman looked out upon the dripping landscape and shrugged his shoulders....
Thoughts on the Present Discontents, and Speechesby Edmund BurkeContentsIntroductionThoughts on the Present DiscontentsSpeech on the Middlesex Election.Speech on the Powers of Juries in Prosecutions for Libels.Speech on a Bill for Shortening the Duration of ParliamentsSpeech on Reform of Representation in the House of CommonsINTRODUCTIONEdmund Burke was born at Dublin on the first of January, 1730. Hisfather was an attorney, who had fifteen children, of whom all butfour died in their youth. Edmund, the second son, being of delicatehealth in his childhood, was taught at home and at his grand
STORIES BY ENGLISH AUTHORS: LONDONFrom ScribnersCONTENTSTHE INCONSIDERATE WAITER, J. M. BarrieTHE BLACK POODLE, F. AnsteyTHAT BRUTE SIMMONS, Arthur MorrisonA ROSE OF THE GHETTO, I. ZangwillAN IDYL OF LONDON, Beatrice HarradenTHE OMNIBUS, "Q" [Quiller-Couch]THE HIRED BABY, Marie CorrelliTHE INCONSIDERATE WAITERBYJ. M. BARRIEFrequently I have to ask myself in the street for the name of the manI bowed to just now, and then, before I can answer, the wind of thefirst corner blows him from my memory. I have a theory, however, that...
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 that...
THE HISTORY OF DWARF LONG NOSEIt is a great mistake to think that fairies, witches, magicians,and such people lived only in Eastern countries and in such timesas those of the Caliph Haroun Al-Raschid. Fairies and theirlike belong to every country and every age, and no doubt weshould see plenty of them nowif we only knew how.In a large town in Germany there lived, some couple of hundredyears ago, a cobbler and his wife. They were poor andhard-working. The man sat all day in a little stall at thestreet corner and mended any shoes that were brought him. Hiswife sold the fruit and vegetables