The Water-Babiesby Charles KingsleyCHAPTER I"I heard a thousand blended notes, While in a grove I sate reclined; In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts Bring sad thoughts to the mind."To her fair works did Nature link The human soul that through me ran; And much it grieved my heart to think, What man has made of man."WORDSWORTH.Once upon a time there was a little chimney-sweep, and his name was Tom. That is a short name, and you have heard it before, so you will not have much trouble in remembering it. He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to 　

were clever and wise, but the third did not speak much, and wassimple, and was called the simpleton. When the king had become oldand weak, and was thinking of his end, he did not know which of hissons should inherit the kingdom after him. Then he said to them, goforth, and he who brings me the most beautiful carpet shall be kingafter my death.And that there should be no dispute amongst them, he took themoutside his castle, blew three feathers in the air, and said, youshall go as they fly. One feather flew to the east, the other to thewest, but the third flew straight up and did not fly far　

An Unprotected Female at the Pyramidsby Anthony TrollopeIn the happy days when we were young, no description conveyed to us socomplete an idea of mysterious reality as that of an Oriental city. Weknew it was actually there, but had such vague notions of its ways andlooks! Let any one remember his early impressions as to Bagdad orGrand Cairo, and then say if this was not so. It was probably takenfrom the "Arabian Nights," and the picture produced was one of strange,fantastic, luxurious houses; of women who were either very young andvery beautiful, or else very old and very cunning; but in e　

Aaron Trowby Anthony TrollopeI would wish to declare, at the beginning of this story, that Ishall never regard that cluster of islets which we call Bermuda asthe Fortunate Islands of the ancients. Do not let professionalgeographers take me up, and say that no one has so accounted them,and that the ancients have never been supposed to have gottenthemselves so far westwards. What I mean to assert is thisthat,had any ancient been carried thither by enterprise or stress ofweather, he would not have given those islands so good a name. Thatthe Neapolitan sailors of King Alonzo should have been w　

Minna von Barnhelmby Gotthold Ephraim LessingTranslated By Ernest BellINTRODUCTORY NOTEGotthold Ephraim Lessing was born at Kamenz, Germany, January 22, 1729, the son of a Lutheran minister. He was educated at Meissen and Leipzic, and began writing for the stage before he was twenty. In 1748 he went to Berlin, where he met Voltaire and for a time was powerfully influenced by him. The most important product of this period was his tragedy of "Miss Sara Samson," a modern version of the story of Medea, which began the vogue of the sentimental middle-class play in Germany. After a se　

THE FROZEN DEEPTHE FROZEN DEEPby Wilkie Collins1- Page 2-THE FROZEN DEEPFirst SceneThe Ball-roomChapter 1.The date is between twenty and thirty years ago. The place is anEnglish sea-port. The time is night. And the business of the moment isdancing....　

Tales of the Fish Patrolby Jack LondonWHITE AND YELLOWSan Francisco Bay is so large that often its storms are moredisastrous to ocean-going craft than is the ocean itself in itsviolent moments. The waters of the bay contain all manner of fish,wherefore its surface is ploughed by the keels of all manner offishing boats manned by all manner of fishermen. To protect thefish from this motley floating population many wise laws have beenpassed, and there is a fish patrol to see that these laws areenforced. Exciting times are the lot of the fish patrol: in its...　

A FAIR PENITENTA FAIR PENITENTby WILKIE COLLINS1- Page 2-A FAIR PENITENTCharles Pineau Duclos was a French writer of biographies and novels,who lived and worked during the first half of the eighteenth century. Heprospered sufficiently well, as a literary man, to be made secretary to theFrench Academy, and to be allowed to succeed Voltaire in the office ofhistoriographer of France. He has left behind him, in his own country,...　

The Higher Learning In America: A Memorandum On the Conduct ofUniversities By Business Menby Thorstein Veblen1918PREFACEIt is something more than a dozen years since the followingobservations on American academic life were first assembled inwritten form. In the meantime changes of one kind and anotherhave occurred, although not such as to alter the course of policywhich has guided American universities. Lines of policy whichwere once considered to be tentative and provisional have since...　

The PrinceThe Princeby Nicolo MachiavelliTranslated by W. K. Marriott1- Page 2-The PrinceNicolo Machiavelli, born at Florence on 3rd May 1469. From 1494 to1512 held an official post at Florence which included diplomatic missionsto various European courts. Imprisoned in Florence, 1512; later exiled andreturned to San Casciano. Died at Florence on 22nd June 1527.2...　

AN INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF THE WEALTH OF NATIONSby Adam Smith1776BOOK TWOOF THE NATURE, ACCUMULATION, AND EMPLOYMENT OF STOCKINTRODUCTIONIN that rude state of society in which there is no divisionof labour, in which exchanges are seldom made, and in which everyman provides everything for himself, it is not necessary that anystock should be accumulated or stored up beforehand in order tocarry on the business of the society. Every man endeavours tosupply by his own industry his own occasional wants as they...　

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE SIX NAPOLEONSby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleIt was no very unusual thing for Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard,to look in upon us of an evening, and his visits were welcome toSherlock Holmes, for they enabled him to keep in touch with all thatwas going on at the police headquarters. In return for the newswhich Lestrade would bring, Holmes was always ready to listen withattention to the details of any case upon which the detective wasengaged, and was able occasionally, without any active interference,...　

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...　

A DREAM OF JOHN BALLA DREAM OF JOHNBALLBy William Morris1- Page 2-A DREAM OF JOHN BALLCHAPTER ITHE MEN OF KENTSometimes I am rewarded for fretting myself so much about presentmatters by a quite unasked-for pleasant dream. I mean when I am asleep.This dream is as it were a present of an architectural peep-show. I see...　

THE MERCHANT OF VENICETHE MERCHANT OFVENICEWilliam Shakespeare15971- Page 2-THE MERCHANT OF VENICEDRAMATIS PERSONAETHE DUKE OF VENICE THE PRINCE OF MOROCCO, suitor toPortia THE PRINCE OF ARRAGON, " " " ANTONIO, a merchant ofVenice BASSANIO, his friend, suitor to Portia SOLANIO, friend to...　

In the Carquinez Woodsby Bret HarteCHAPTER I.The sun was going down on the Carquinez Woods. The few shafts ofsunlight that had pierced their pillared gloom were lost inunfathomable depths, or splintered their ineffectual lances onthe enormous trunks of the redwoods. For a time the dull red oftheir vast columns, and the dull red of their cast-off bark whichmatted the echoless aisles, still seemed to hold a faint glow ofthe dying day. But even this soon passed. Light and color fledupwards. The dark interlaced treetops, that had all day made animpenetrable shade, broke into fire here and th