FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE NEIGHBOURING FAMILIESby Hans Christian AndersenONE would have thought that something important was going on inthe duck-pond, but it was nothing after all. All the ducks lyingquietly on the water or standing on their heads in it- for theycould do that- at once swarm to the sides; the traces of their feetwere seen in the wet earth, and their cackling was heard far and wide.The water, which a few moments before had been as clear and smoothas a mirror, became very troubled. Before, every tree, every...　

An Old Maidby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Katharine Prescott WormeleyDEDICATIONTo Monsieur Eugene-Auguste-Georges-Louis Midy de la GrenerayeSurville, Royal Engineer of the Ponts at Chausses.As a testimony to the affection of his brother-in-law,De BalzacAN OLD MAIDCHAPTER IONE OF MANY CHEVALIERS DE VALOISMost persons have encountered, in certain provinces in France, anumber of Chevaliers de Valois. One lived in Normandy, another atBourges, a third (with whom we have here to do) flourished in Alencon,...　

A Theologico-Political TreatiseA Theologico-PoliticalTreatisePart III - Chapters XI to XVBaruch Spinoza1- Page 2-A Theologico-Political TreatiseCHAPTER XIAN INQUIRY WHETHER THE APOSTLES WROTE THEIREPISTLES AS APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, OR MERELY ASTEACHERS; AND AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT IS MEANT BY AN...　

Personal Memoirs of P.H.Sheridan V2 of 2by Philip Henry SheridanVOLUME II.CHAPTER I.ORGANIZING SCOUTSMISS REBECCA WRIGHTIMPORTANT INFORMATIONDECIDETO MOVE ON NEWTOWNMEETING GENERAL GRANTORGANIZATION OF THE UNIONARMYOPENING OF THE BATTLE OF THE OPEQUONDEATH OF GENERAL RUSSELL--A TURNING MOVEMENTA SUCCESSFUL CAVALRY CHARGEVICTORYTHREELOYAL GIRLSAPPOINTED A BRIGADIER-GENERAL IN THE REGULAR ARMYREMARKS ON THE BATTLE.While occupying the ground between Clifton and Berryville, referredto in the last chapter of the preceding volume, I felt the need of an...　

1Our story begins in 1965, on a hot afternoon in August.FADE IN EXT. IOWA LANDSCAPE - DARolling green hills, lush farmland, vast open space. Not a house or sign of life in sight. On a long dusty road, a TRUCKis driving across the screen. Clouds of dirt follow in its tracks its motor, the only sound we hear.INT. TRUCK - DAYFRANCESCA JOHNSON is sitting in the front seat of the pick-up truck. Her expression is distant. Her eyes are sad, as ifhiding a burden she can hardly bear. Her husband, RICHARD JOHNSON, is driving.RICHARDYou feeling better Franny?FRANCESCA...　

Vanity Fairby William Makepeace ThackerayBEFORE THE CURTAINAs the manager of the Performance sits before the curtainon the boards and looks into the Fair, a feeling of profoundmelancholy comes over him in his survey of the bustling place.There is a great quantity of eating and drinking, making loveand jilting, laughing and the contrary, smoking, cheating,fighting, dancing and fiddling; there are bullies pushing about,bucks ogling the women, knaves picking pockets, policemenon the look-out, quacks (OTHER quacks, plague take them!)bawling in front of their booths, and yokels looking up at...　

SEVEN DISCOURSES ON ARTSEVEN DISCOURSESON ARTby Sir Joshua Reynolds1- Page 2-SEVEN DISCOURSES ON ARTINTRODUCTIONIt is a happy memory that associates the foundation of our RoyalAcademy with the delivery of these inaugural discourses by Sir JoshuaReynolds, on the opening of the schools, and at the first annual meetings...　

A Plea for Captain John Brownby Henry David Thoreau[Read to the citizens of Concord, Mass., Sunday Evening, October 30, 1859.]I trust that you will pardon me for being here. I do not wish toforce my thoughts upon you, but I feel forced myself. Little as Iknow of Captain Brown, I would fain do my part to correct the toneand the statements of the newspapers, and of my countrymen generally,respecting his character and actions. It costs us nothing to bejust. We can at least express our sympathy with, and admiration...　

TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT or The Speediest Car on the RoadTOM SWIFT AND HISELECTRIC RUNABOUTor The Speediest Car onthe RoadVICTOR APPLETON1- Page 2-TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT or The Speediest Car on the RoadCHAPTER ITOM HOPES FOR A PRIZE"Father," exclaimed Tom Swift, looking up from a paper he was...　

Decline of Science in Englandby Charles BabbageREFLECTIONS ON THE DECLINE OF SCIENCE IN ENGLAND,AND ON SOME OF ITS CAUSES.DEDICATION.HAD I INTENDED TO DEDICATE THIS VOLUME, I SHOULD HAVE INSCRIBED IT TO A NOBLEMAN WHOSE EXERTIONS IN PROMOTING EVERY OBJECT THAT CAN ADVANCE SCIENCE REFLECT LUSTRE UPON HIS RANK. BUT THE KINDNESS OF HIS NATURE MIGHT HAVE BEEN PAINED AT HAVING HIS NAME CONNECTED WITH STRICTURES, PERHAPS TOO SEVERELY JUST. I SHALL, THEREFORE, ABSTAIN FROM MENTIONING THE NAME OF ONE WHO WILL FEEL THAT HE HAS COMMANDED MY ESTEEM AND RESPECT.C. BABBAGE....　

THE SECRET GARDENBY FRANCES HODGSON BURNETTCONTENTSCHAPTER TITLEI THERE IS NO ONE LEFTII MISTRESS MARY QUITE CONTRARYIII ACROSS THE MOORIV MARTHAV THE CRY IN THE CORRIDORVI "THERE WAS SOME ONE CRYINGTHERE WAS!"VII THE KEY TO THE GARDENVIII THE ROBIN WHO SHOWED THE WAYIX THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANY ONE EVER LIVED INX DICKONXI THE NEST OF THE MISSEL THRUSHXII "MIGHT I HAVE A BIT OF EARTH?"XIII "I AM COLIN"XIV A YOUNG RAJAHXV NEST BUILDING...　

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF SHOSCOMBE OLD PLACEby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleSherlock Holmes had been bending for a long time over a low-powermicroscope. Now he straightened himself up and looked round at me intriumph."It is glue, Watson," said he. "Unquestionably it is glue. Have alook at these scattered objects in the field!"I stooped to the eyepiece and focussed for my vision."Those hairs are threads from a tweed coat. The irregular graymasses are dust. There are epithelial scales on the left. Those...　

THE NEW MCGUFFEY FIRST READERTHE NEW MCGUFFEYFIRST READER1- Page 2-THE NEW MCGUFFEY FIRST READERPREFACEThe New McGuffey First Reader has been prepared in conformitywith the latest and most approved ideas regarding the teaching of reading,and its lessons embody and illustrate the best features of the word, thephonic, and the sentence or thought methods....　

Hard Cashby Charles ReadePREFACE"HARD CASH," like "The Cloister and the Hearth," is a matter-of-fact Romancethat is, a fiction built on truths; and these truths have been gathered by long, severe, systematic labour, from a multitude of volumes, pamphlets, journals, reports, blue-books, manuscript narratives, letters, and living people, whom I have sought out, examined, and cross-examined, to get at the truth on each main topic I have striven to handle.The madhouse scenes have been picked out by certain disinterested gentlemen, who keep private asylums, and periodicals to puff them; and have b　

NOTES BY FLOOD AND FIELDPART IIN THE FIELDIt was near the close of an October day that I began to bedisagreeably conscious of the Sacramento Valley. I had been ridingsince sunrise, and my course through the depressing monotony of thelong level landscape affected me more like a dull dyspeptic dreamthan a business journey, performed under that sincerest of naturalphenomenaa California sky. The recurring stretches of brown andbaked fields, the gaping fissures in the dusty trail, the hardoutline of the distant hills, and the herds of slowly moving...　

The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches-Volume Iby Lord MacaulayPREFACE.Lord Macaulay always looked forward to a publication of his miscellaneous works, either by himself or by those who should represent him after his death. And latterly he expressly reserved, whenever the arrangements as to copyright made it necessary, the right of such publication.The collection which is now published comprehends some of the earliest and some of the latest works which he composed. He was born on 25th October, 1800; commenced residence at Trinity College, Cambridge, in October, 1818; was elected Craven Uni