FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE LITTLE MATCH-SELLERby Hans Christian AndersenIT was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of theold year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and the darkness,a poor little girl, with bare head and naked feet, roamed throughthe streets. It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she lefthome, but they were not of much use. They were very large, so large,indeed, that they had belonged to her mother, and the poor littlecreature had lost them in running across the street to avoid two...
Honore de Balzacby Albert Keim and Louis LumetTranslated from the French by FREDERIC TABER COOPERGENERAL NOTEOf all the books perhaps the one best designed for training the mind and forming the character is "Plutarch." The lives of great men are object-lessons. They teach effort, devotion, industry, heroism and sacrifice.Even one who confines his reading solely to biographies of thinkers, writers, inventors, poets of the spirit or poets of science, will in a short time have acquired an understanding of the whole History of Humanity.And what novel or what drama could be compared to such a hist
The Old Bachelorby William CongreveQuem tulit ad scenam ventoso Gloria curru, Exanimat lentus spectator; sedulus inflat: Sic leve, sic parvum est, animum quod laudis avarum Subruit, and reficit.HORAT. Epist. I. lib. ii.To the Right Honourable Charles, Lord Clifford of Lanesborough, etc.My Lord,It is with a great deal of pleasure that I lay hold on this first occasion which the accidents of my life have given me of writing to your lordship: for since at the same time I write to all the world, it will be a means of publishing (what I would have everybody know) the respect and duty which I owe
A Modest Proposalby Jonathan SwiftA Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people inIreland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and formaking them beneficial to the publick.by Dr. Jonathan Swift. 1729It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this greattown, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, theroads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex,followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, andimportuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of...
WHY GO TO COLLEGE?WHY GO TOCOLLEGE?ALICE FREEMAN PALMERFormerly President of Wellesley College1- Page 2-WHY GO TO COLLEGE?To a largely increasing number of young girls college doors areopening every year. Every year adds to the number of men who feel as afriend of mine, a successful lawyer in a great city, felt when in talking ofthe future of his four little children he said, "For the two boys it is not so...
THE COMPARISON OF SERTORIUS WITH EUMENESby Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenTHESE are the most remarkable passages that are come to ourknowledge concerning Eumenes and Sertorius. In comparing theirlives, we may observe that this was common to them both; that beingaliens, strangers, and banished men, they came to be commanders ofpowerful forces, and had the leading of numerous and warlike armies,made up of divers nations. This was peculiar to Sertorius, that thechief command was, by his whole party, freely yielded to him, as to...
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...
Labour Defended against the Claims of CapitalOr the Unproductiveness of Capital proved with Reference to thePresent Combinations amongst Journeymenby Thomas Hodgskin1825NOTEIN all the debates on the law passed during the late session ofParliament, on account of the combinations of workmen, muchstress is laid on the necessity of protecting capital. Whatcapital performs is therefore a question of considerableimportance, which the author was, on this account, induced toexamine. As a result of this examination, it is his opinion thatall the benefits attributed to capital arise from co-existing an
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...
TOLD AFTER SUPPERTOLD AFTER SUPPERby Jerome K. Jerome1- Page 2-TOLD AFTER SUPPERINTRODUCTORYIt was Christmas Eve.I begin this way because it is the proper, orthodox, respectable way tobegin, and I have been brought up in a proper, orthodox, respectable way,and taught to always do the proper, orthodox, respectable thing; and thehabit clings to me.Of course, as a mere matter of information it is quite unnecessary to...
Uncle Remus, His Songs and His SayingsBy Joel Chandler HarrisPREFACE AND DEDICATION TO THE NEW EDITIONTo Arthur Barbette Frost:DEAR FROST:I am expected to supply a preface for this new edition of my first book-to advance from behind the curtain, as it were, and make a fresh bow to the public that has dealt with Uncle Remus in so gentle and generous a fashion. For this event the lights are to be rekindled, and I am expected to respond in some formal way to an encore that marks the fifteenth anniversary of the book. There have been other editions-how many I do not remember-but this is to be an
The Voice of the CityThe Voice of the CityO Henry1- Page 2-The Voice of the CityTHE VOICE OF THE CITYTwenty-five years ago the school children used to chant their lessons.The manner of their delivery was a singsong recitative between theutterance of an Episcopal minister and the drone of a tired sawmill. I meanno disrespect. We must have lumber and sawdust....
Sartor Resartusby Thomas CarlyleSARTOR RESARTUS: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdrockh By Thomas Carlyle. [1831]BOOK I.CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY.Considering our present advanced state of culture, and how the Torch of Science has now been brandished and borne about, with more or less effect, for five thousand years and upwards; how, in these times especially, not only the Torch still burns, and perhaps more fiercely than ever, but innumerable Rushlights, and Sulphur-matches, kindled thereat, are also glancing in every direction, so that not the smallest cranny or dog-hole in Nature or Art
THREE MEN ON THE BUMMELTHREE MEN ON THEBUMMELby Jerome K. Jerome1- Page 2-THREE MEN ON THE BUMMELCHAPTER IThree men need changeAnecdote showing evil result of deceptionMoral cowardice of GeorgeHarris has ideasYarn of the AncientMariner and the Inexperienced YachtsmanA hearty crewDanger ofsailing when the wind is off the landImpossibility of sailing when the...
The Fifth Stringby John Philip SousaIThe coming of Diotti to Americahad awakened more than usualinterest in the man and his work. Hismarvelous success as violinist in theleading capitals of Europe, together withmany brilliant contributions to theliterature of his instrument, had long beenfavorably commented on by the criticsof the old world. Many stories of hisstruggles and his triumphs had foundtheir way across the ocean and had beenread and re-read with interest.Therefore, when Mr. Henry Perkins,...
THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANATHE DISCOVERY OFGUIANABy Sir Walter Raleigh1- Page 2-THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANAINTRODUCTORY NOTESir Walter Raleigh may be taken as the great typical figure of the ageof Elizabeth. Courtier and statesman, soldier and sailor, scientist and manof letters, he engaged in almost all the main lines of public activity in histime, and was distinguished in them all....