Lectures on Evolutionby Thomas Henry HuxleyITHE THREE HYPOTHESES RESPECTING THE HISTORY OF NATUREWe live in and form part of a system of things of immensediversity and perplexity, which we call Nature; and it is amatter of the deepest interest to all of us that we should formjust conceptions of the constitution of that system and of itspast history. With relation to this universe, man is, in extent,little more than a mathematical point; in duration but afleeting shadow; he is a mere reed shaken in the winds of force.But as Pascal long ago remarked, although a mere reed, he is a...　

My Discovery of Englandby Leacock, StephenIntroduction of Mr. Stephen Leacock Given by Sir Owen Seaman on the Occasion of His First Lecture in LondonLADIES AND GENTLEMEN: It is usual on these occasions for the chairman to begin something like this: "The lecturer, I am sure, needs no introduction from me." And indeed, when I have been the lecturer and somebody else has been the chairman, I have more than once suspected myself of being the better man of the two. Of course I hope I should always have the good mannersI am sure Mr. Leacock hasto disguise that suspicion. However, one has to go thr　

A Book of Strife in the Form of The Diary of an Old Soulby George MacDonaldDEDICATIONSweet friends, receive my offering. You will findAgainst each worded page a white page set:This is the mirror of each friendly mindReflecting that. In this book we are met.Make it, dear hearts, of worth to you indeed:Let your white page be ground, my print be seed,Growing to golden ears, that faith and hope shall feed.YOUR OLD SOULThe Diary of an Old Soul.JANUARY.1.LORD, what I once had done with youthful might,Had I been from the first true to the truth,...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE OLD HOUSEby Hans Christian AndersenA VERY old house stood once in a street with several that werequite new and clean. The date of its erection had been carved on oneof the beams, and surrounded by scrolls formed of tulips andhop-tendrils; by this date it could be seen that the old house wasnearly three hundred years old. Verses too were written over thewindows in old-fashioned letters, and grotesque faces, curiouslycarved, grinned at you from under the cornices. One story projected...　

THE VOICE OF DEATHONCE upon a time there lived a man whose one wish and prayerwas to get rich. Day and night he thought of nothing else,and at last his prayers were granted, and he became very wealthy.Now being so rich, and having so much to lose, he felt that it wouldbe a terrible thing to die and leave all his possessions behind; so hemade up his mind to set out in search of a land where there was nodeath. He got ready for his journey, took leave of his wife, andstarted. Whenever he came to a new country the first questionthat he asked was whether people died in that land, and when he...　

Desert Goldby Zane GreyCONTENTSPrologueI. Old FriendsII. Mercedes CastanedaIII. A Flight Into The DesertIV. Forlorn RiverV. A Desert RoseVI. The YaquiVII. White HorsesVIII. The Running of Blanco SolIX. An Interrupted SiestaX. RojasXI. Across Cactus and LavaXII. The Crater of HellXIII. Changes at Forlorn RiverXIV. A Lost SonXV. Bound In The DesertXVI. Mountain SheepXVII. The Whistle of a HorseXVIII. Reality Against DreamsXIX. The Secret of Forlorn River...　

Indian Heroes and Great Chieftainsby Charles A. EastmanCONTENTS1. RED CLOUD2. SPOTTED TAIL3. LITTLE CROW4. TAMAHAY5. GALL6. CRAZY HORSE7. SITTING BULL8. RAIN-IN-THE-FACE9. TWO STRIKE10. AMERICAN HORSE11. DULL KNIFE12. ROMAN NOSE13. CHIEF JOSEPH14. LITTLE WOLF15. HOLE-IN-THE-DAYRED CLOUDEVERY age, every race, has its leaders and heroes. There were oversixty distinct tribes of Indians on this continent, each of which...　

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMESA Case of Identity"My dear fellow," said Sherlock Holmes as we sat on either side ofthe fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, "life is infinitelystranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. Wewould not dare to conceive the things which are really merecommonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that windowhand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs,and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange...　

A Reading of Life, and Other Poemsby George MeredithContents:A Reading of Life - The Vital ChoiceA Reading of Life - With The HuntressA Reading of Life - With The PersuaderA Reading of Life - The Test Of ManhoodThe Cageing Of AresThe Night-WalkThe Hueless LoveSong In The SonglessUnion In DisseveranceThe Burden Of StrengthThe Main RegretAlternationHawardenAt The CloseForest HistoryA Garden IdylForesight And PatienceThe Invective Of AchillesThe Invective of Achilles - V. 225....　

ROMULUSLegendary, 8th Century B.C.by Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenFrom whom, and for what reason, the city of Rome, a name so great inglory, and famous in the mouths of all men, was so first called,authors do not agree. Some are of opinion that the Pelasgians,wandering over the greater part of the habitable world, and subduingnumerous nations, fixed themselves here, and, from their own greatstrength in war, called the city Rome. Others, that at the taking of...　

THE DECAMERONby Boccaccio GiovanniTHE INDUCTION OF THE AUTHOR TO THE FOLLOWING DISCOURSESGracious Ladies, so often as I consider with my selfe, and observerespectively, how naturally you are enclined to compassion; as manytimes doe I acknowledge, that this present worke of mine, will (inyour judgement) appeare to have but a harsh and offensive beginning,in regard of the mournfull remembrance it beareth at the verieentrance of the last Pestilentiall mortality, universally hurtfull...　

Tartuffe or the Hypocriteby Jean Baptiste Poquelin MoliereTranslated by Curtis Hidden PageINTRODUCTORY NOTEJean Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his stage name of Moliere,stands without a rival at the head of French comedy. Born at Paris inJanuary, 1622, where his father held a position in the royalhousehold, he was educated at the Jesuit College de Clermont, and forsome time studied law, which he soon abandoned for the stage. His lifewas spent in Paris and in the provinces, acting, directingperformances, managing theaters, and writing plays. He had his share...　

Marieby H. Rider HaggardAN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF THE LATE ALLAN QUATERMAINDEDICATIONDitchingham, 1912.My dear Sir Henry,Nearly thirty-seven years have gone by, more than a generation, sincefirst we saw the shores of Southern Africa rising from the sea. Sincethen how much has happened: the Annexation of the Transvaal, the ZuluWar, the first Boer War, the discovery of the Rand, the taking ofRhodesia, the second Boer War, and many other matters which in thesequick-moving times are now reckoned as ancient history....　

ON SLEEP AND SLEEPLESSNESSby Aristotletranslated by J. I. Beare1WITH regard to sleep and waking, we must consider what they are:whether they are peculiar to soul or to body, or common to both; andif common, to what part of soul or body they appertain: further,from what cause it arises that they are attributes of animals, andwhether all animals share in them both, or some partake of the one...　

EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOONOnce upon a time there was a poor husbandman whohad many children and little to give them in the wayeither of food or clothing. They were all pretty, but theprettiest of all was the youngest daughter, who was sobeautiful that there were no bounds to her beauty.So onceit was late on a Thursday evening in autumn,and wild weather outside, terribly dark, and raining soheavily and blowing so hard that the walls of the cottageshook againthey were all sitting together by the fireside,each of them busy with something or other, when...　

400 BCON ULCERSby Hippocratestranslated by Francis AdamsWe must avoid wetting all sorts of ulcers except with wine, unlessthe ulcer be situated in a joint. For, the dry is nearer to the sound,and the wet to the unsound, since an ulcer is wet, but a sound part isdry. And it is better to leave the part without a bandage unless aunless a cataplasm be applied. Neither do certain ulcers admit of...