Roads of Destinyby O. HenryCONTENTSI. Roads of DestinyII. The Guardian of the AccoladeIII. The Discounters of MoneyIV. The Enchanted ProfileV. "Next to Reading Matter"VI. Art and the BroncoVII. PhoebeVIII. A Double-dyed DeceiverIX. The Passing of Black EagleX. A Retrieved ReformationXI. Cherchez la FemmeXII. Friends in San RosarioXIII. The Fourth in SalvadorXIV. The Emancipation of BillyXV. The Enchanted KissXVI. A Departmental CaseXVII. The Renaissance at CharleroiXVIII. On Behalf of the Management...
Of the Jealousy of Tradeby David HumeHaving endeavoured to remove one species of ill-founded jealousy,which is so prevalent among commercial nations, it may not beamiss to mention another, which seems equally groundless. Nothingis more usual, among states which have made some advances incommerce, than to look on the progress of their neighbours with asuspicious eye, to consider all trading states as their rivals,and to suppose that it is impossible for any of them to flourish,but at their expence. In opposition to this narrow and malignantopinion, I will venture to assert, that the encrease o
On the First Principles of Governmentby David HumeNothing appears more surprising to those, who consider humanaffairs with a philosophical eve, than the easiness with whichthe many are governed by the few; and the implicit submission,with which men resign their own sentiments and passions to thoseof their rulers. When we enquire by what means this wonder iseffected, we shall find, that, as FORCE is always on the side ofthe governed, the governors have nothing to support them butopinion. It is therefore, on opinion only that government isfounded; and this maxim extends to the most despotic and
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hoodby Howard PylePREFACEFROM THE AUTHOR TO THE READERYou who so plod amid serious things that you feel it shame to give yourself up even for a few short moments to mirth and joyousness in the land of Fancy; you who think that life hath nought to do with innocent laughter that can harm no one; these pages are not for you. Clap to the leaves and go no farther than this, for I tell you plainly that if you go farther you will be scandalized by seeing good, sober folks of real history so frisk and caper in gay colors and motley that you would not know them but for th
THE ODYSSEYby Homertranslated by Samuel ButlerBOOK I.TELL ME, O MUSE, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wideafter he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit,and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he wasacquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to savehis own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might hecould not save his men, for they perished through their own sheerfolly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god...
ALEXANDER356-323 B.C.by Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenIT being my purpose to write the lives of Alexander the king, and of Caesar, by whom Pompey was destroyed, the multitude of their great actions affords so large a field that I were to blame if I should not by way of apology forewarn my reader that I have chosen rather to epitomize the most celebrated parts of their story, than to insist at large on every particular circumstance of it. It must be borne in mind that my design is not to write histories, but lives. And the most glorious exploits do not alw
The Caged Lionby Charlotte M. YongePREFACEWhen the venture has been made of dealing with historical events and characters, it always seems fair towards the reader to avow what liberties have been taken, and how much of the sketch is founded on history. In the present case, it is scarcely necessary to do more than refer to the almost unique relations that subsisted between Henry V. and his prisoner, James I. of Scotland; who lived with him throughout his reign on the terms of friend rather than of captive, and was absolutely sheltered by this imprisonment throughout his nonage and early youth
From the Memoirs of a Minister of Franceby Stanley WeymanCONTENTS.I.THE CLOCKMAKER OF POISSYII.THE TENNIS BALLSIII.TWO MAYORS OF BOTTITORTIV.LA TOUSSAINTV.THE LOST CIPHERVI.THE MAN OF MONCEAUXVII.THE GOVERNOR OF GUERETVIII.THE OPEN SHUTTERIX.THE MAID OF HONOURX.FARMING THE TAXESXI.THE CAT AND THE KINGXII.AT FONTAINEBLEAUI. THE CLOCKMAKER OF POISSY.Foreseeing that some who do not love me will be swift to allege that in the preparation of these memoirs I have set down only such things as redound to my credit, and have suppressed the many experiences not so propitious which fall to the lot of th
The Nature Fakerby Richard Harding DavisRichard Herrick was a young man with a gentle disposition, muchmoney, and no sense of humor. His object in life was to marry MissCatherweight. For three years she had tried to persuade him thiscould not be, and finally, in order to convince him, married someone else. When the woman he loves marries another man, the rejectedone is popularly supposed to take to drink or to foreign travel.Statistics show that, instead, he instantly falls in love with thebest friend of the girl who refused him. But, as Herrick trulyloved Miss Catherweight, he could not wors
The Sorrows of Young Wertherby J.W. von GoetheTranslated by Thomas Carlyle and R.D. BoylanPREFACEI have carefully collected whatever I have been able to learn of the story of poor Werther, and here present it to you, knowing that you will thank me for it. To his spirit and character you cannot refuse your admiration and love: to his fate you will not deny your tears.And thou, good soul, who sufferest the same distress as he endured once, draw comfort from his sorrows; and let this little book be thy friend, if, owing to fortune or through thine own fault, thou canst not find a dearer compani
Annajanska, the Bolshevik Empressby George Bernard ShawANNAJANSKA is frankly a bravura piece. The modern variety theatredemands for its "turns" little plays called sketches, to lasttwenty minutes or so, and to enable some favorite performer tomake a brief but dazzling appearance on some barely passabledramatic pretext. Miss Lillah McCarthy and I, as author andactress, have helped to make one another famous on many seriousoccasions, from Man and Superman to Androcles; and Mr CharlesRicketts has not disdained to snatch moments from his paintingand sculpture to design some wonderful dresses for
The Relics of General Chasseby Anthony TrollopeThat Belgium is now one of the European kingdoms, living by its ownlaws, resting on its own bottom, with a king and court, palaces andparliament of its own, is known to all the world. And a very nicelittle kingdom it is; full of old towns, fine Flemish pictures, andinteresting Gothic churches. But in the memory of very many of uswho do not think ourselves old men, Belgium, as it is now calledinthose days it used to be Flanders and Brabantwas a part ofHolland; and it obtained its own independence by a revolution. In...
THE BOYS WITH THE GOLDEN STARSOnce upon a time what happened did happen: and if it had nothappened, you would never have heard this story.Well, once upon a time there lived an emperor who had half aworld all to himself to rule over, and in this world dwelt an oldherd and his wife and their three daughters, Anna, Stana, andLaptitza.Anna, the eldest, was so beautiful that when she took the sheepto pasture they forgot to eat as long as she was walking withthem. Stana, the second, was so beautiful that when she wasdriving the flock the wolves protected the sheep. But Laptitza,...
The Bab BalladsThe Bab BalladsW. S. Gilbert1- Page 2-The Bab BalladsBallad: Captain ReeceOf all the ships upon the blue, No ship contained a better crew Thanthat of worthy CAPTAIN REECE, Commanding of THEMANTELPIECE.He was adored by all his men, For worthy CAPTAIN REECE, R.N.,Did all that lay within him to Promote the comfort of his crew....
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 n
Down the Mother Lode - Pioneer Tales of CaliforniaBy Vivia HemphillForewordSo many inquiries have been made as to exactly where, and what is the "Mother Lode"!The geologist and the historian agree as to its location and composition, but the old miners and "sojourners" of the vanished golden era give strangely different versions of it. Some of these are here set down, if not all for your enlightenment at least, I hope, for your entertainment.That is, after all, the principal aim of these tales of the old days in California, that are gone "for good." Mark Twain says in his preface to "Roughing