Vera, The Mediumby Richard Harding DavisPart IHappy in the hope that the news was "exclusive", the Despatchhad thrown the name of Stephen Hallowell, his portrait, apicture of his house, and the words, "At Point of Death!" acrossthree columns. The announcement was heavy, lachrymose, bristlingwith the melancholy self-importance of the man who "saw thedeceased, just two minutes before the train hit him."But the effect of the news fell short of the effort. Save thatcity editors were irritated that the presidents of certainrailroads figured hastily on slips of paper, the fact that an...　

THE GLASS MOUNTAIN[16][16] From the Polish. Kletke.Once upon a time there was a Glass Mountain at the top of whichstood a castle made of pure gold, and in front of the castlethere grew an apple-tree on which there were golden apples.Anyone who picked an apple gained admittance into the goldencastle, and there in a silver room sat an enchanted Princess ofsurpassing fairness and beauty. She was as rich too as she wasbeautiful, for the cellars of the castle were full of preciousstones, and great chests of the finest gold stood round the walls...　

The Magic Skinby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Ellen MarriageTo Monsieur Savary, Member of Le Academie des Sciences.ITHE TALISMANTowards the end of the month of October 1829 a young man entered thePalais-Royal just as the gaming-houses opened, agreeably to the lawwhich protects a passion by its very nature easily excisable. Hemounted the staircase of one of the gambling hells distinguished bythe number 36, without too much deliberation."Your hat, sir, if you please?" a thin, querulous voice called out. A...　

380 BCPROTAGORASby Platotranslated by Benjamin JowettPROTAGORASPERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE: SOCRATES, who is the narrator of theDialogue to his Companion; HIPPOCRATES; ALCIBIADES; CRINAS;PROTAGORAS, HIPPIAS, PRODICUS, Sophists; CALLIAS, a wealthyAthenian. Scene: The House of CalliasCom. Where do you come from, Socrates? And yet I need hardly ask thequestion, for I know that you have been in chase of the fair...　

The Essays of Montaigne, V6by Michel de MontaigneTranslated by Charles CottonEdited by William Carew Hazilitt1877CONTENTS OF VOLUME 6.XXVII. Of friendship.XXVIII. Nine-and-twenty sonnets of Estienne de la Boetie.XXIX. Of moderation.XXX. Of cannibals.XXXI. That a man is soberly to judge of the divine ordinances.XXXII. That we are to avoid pleasures, even at the expense of life.XXXIII. That fortune is oftentimes observed to act by the rule ofreason.XXXIV. Of one defect in our government.XXXV. Of the custom of wearing clothes....　

Vendettaby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Katharine Prescott WormeleyDEDICATIONTo Puttinati, Milanese Sculptor.VENDETTACHAPTER IPROLOGUEIn the year 1800, toward the close of October, a foreigner,accompanied by a woman and a little girl, was standing for a long timein front of the palace of the Tuileries, near the ruins of a houserecently pulled down, at the point where in our day the wing beginswhich was intended to unite the chateau of Catherine de Medici withthe Louvre of the Valois....　

Deruesby Alexandre Dumas, PereOne September afternoon in 1751, towards half-past five, about a score of small boys, chattering, pushing, and tumbling over one another like a covey of partridges, issued from one of the religious schools of Chartres. The joy of the little troop just escaped from a long and wearisome captivity was doubly great: a slight accident to one of the teachers had caused the class to be dismissed half an hour earlier than usual, and in consequence of the extra work thrown on the teaching staff the brother whose duty it was to see all the scholars safe home was compelled　

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE RETIRED COLOURMANby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleSherlock Holmes was in a melancholy and philosophic mood thatmorning. His alert practical nature was subject to such reactions."Did you see him?" he asked."You mean the old fellow who has just gone out?""Precisely.""Yes, I met him at the door.""What did you think of him?""A pathetic, futile, broken creature.""Exactly, Watson. Pathetic and futile. But is not all lifepathetic and futile? Is not his story a microcosm of the whole? We...　

Glaucus; or The Wonders of the Shoreby Charles KingsleyDedication.MY DEAR MISS GRENFELL,I CANNOT forego the pleasure of dedicating this little book to you;excepting of course the opening exhortation (needless enough inyour case) to those who have not yet discovered the value ofNatural History. Accept it as a memorial of pleasant hours spentby us already, and as an earnest, I trust, of pleasant hours to bespent hereafter (perhaps, too, beyond this life in the nobler worldto come), in examining together the works of our Father in heaven....　

THE SON OF THE WOLF.MAN RARELY PLACES A PROPER valuation upon his womankind, at leastnot until deprived of them. He has no conception of the subtleatmosphere exhaled by the sex feminine, so long as he bathes in it;but let it be withdrawn, and an ever-growing void begins to manifestitself in his existence, and he becomes hungry, in a vague sort ofway, for a something so indefinite that he cannot characterize it.If his comrades have no more experience than himself, they willshake their heads dubiously and dose him with strong physic. But the...　

THE GOOSE-GIRLONCE upon a time an old queen, whose husband hadbeen dead for many years, had a beautiful daughter.When she grew up she was betrothed to a prince who liveda great way off. Now, when the time drew near for herto be married and to depart into a foreign kingdom, herold mother gave her much costly baggage, and manyornaments, gold and silver, trinkets and knicknacks, and,in fact, everything that belonged to a royal trousseau, forshe loved her daughter very dearly. She gave her a waiting-maid also, who was to ride with her and hand her over...　

The Swiss TwinsBy Lucy Fitch PerkinsCONTENTSI. THE RESPONSIBLE CUCKOOII. THE TWINS LEARN A NEW TRADEIII. A MOUNTAIN STORMIV. THE LONELY HERDSMANV. THE PASSVI. NEW FRIENDS AND OLDThis book belongs toI. THE RESPONSIBLE CUCKOOTHE RESPONSIBLE CUCKOOHigh on the kitchen wall of an old farm-house on a mountainsidein Switzerland there hangs a tiny wooden clock. In the tinywooden clock there lives a tiny wooden cuckoo, and every hour hehops out of his tiny wooden door, takes a look about to see whatis going on in the world, shouts out the time of day, and pops...　

410 BCLYSISTRATAby Aristophanesanonymous translatorCHARACTERS IN THE PLAYLYSISTRATACLEONICEMYRRHINELAMPITOMAGISTRATESCINESIASCHILD OF CINESIASHERALD OF THE LACEDAEMONIANSENVOYS OF THE LACEDAEMONIANSAN ATHENIAN CITIZENCHORUS OF OLD MENCHORUS OF WOMENLYSISTRATALYSISTRATA...　

A LONELY RIDEAs I stepped into the Slumgullion stage I saw that it was a darknight, a lonely road, and that I was the only passenger. Let meassure the reader that I have no ulterior design in making thisassertion. A long course of light reading has forewarned me whatevery experienced intelligence must confidently look for from sucha statement. The storyteller who willfully tempts Fate by suchobvious beginnings; who is to the expectant reader in danger ofbeing robbed or half-murdered, or frightened by an escaped lunatic,or introduced to his ladylove for the first time, deserves to be...　

Active Serviceby Steven CraneCHAPTER I.MARJORY walked pensively along the hall. In the cool shadows made by the palms on the window ledge, her face wore the expression of thoughtful melancholy expected on the faces of the devotees who pace in cloistered gloom. She halted before a door at the end of the hall and laid her hand on the knob. She stood hesitating, her head bowed. It was evident that this mission was to require great fortitude.At last she opened the door. " Father," she began at once. There was disclosed an elderly, narrow-faced man seated at a large table and surrounded by manuscr　

Mary Stuartby Alexandre Dumas, PereCHAPTER ISome royal names are predestined to misfortune: in France, there isthe name "Henry". Henry I was poisoned, Henry II was killed in atournament, Henry III and Henry IV were assassinated. As to Henry V,for whom the past is so fatal already, God alone knows what thefuture has in store for him.In Scotland, the unlucky name is "Stuart". Robert I, founder of therace, died at twenty-eight of a lingering illness. Robert II, themost fortunate of the family, was obliged to pass a part of his life,...