The Alkahestby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Katharine Prescott WormeleyDEDICATIONTo Madame Josephine Delannoy nee Doumerc.Madame, may God grant that this, my book, may live longer than I,for then the gratitude which I owe to you, and which I hope willequal your almost maternal kindness to me, would last beyond thelimits prescribed for human affection. This sublime privilege ofprolonging life in our hearts for a time by the life of the workwe leave behind us would be (if we could only be sure of gaining...　

To the Right Honourable my very good lord the Dukeof Buckingham his Grace, Lord High Admiral of EnglandEXCELLENT LORD - Solomon says; a good name is as a precious ointment; and I assure my self, such will your Grace's name be, with posterity. For your fortune, and merit both, have been eminent And you have planted things, that are like to last I do now publish my essays; which, of all my other works, have been most current: for that, as it seems, they come home, to men's business, and bosoms. I have enlarged them, both in number, and weight; so that they are indeed a new work. I thought it 　

MISCELLANEOUS PAPERSMISCELLANEOUSPAPERSBY CHARLES DICKENS- Page 2-MISCELLANEOUS PAPERSTHE AGRICULTURALINTERESTThe present Government, having shown itself to be particularly cleverin its management of Indictments for Conspiracy, cannot do better, wethink (keeping in its administrative eye the pacification of some of its mostinfluential and most unruly supporters), than indict the whole...　

1872FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE TINDER-BOXby Hans Christian AndersenA SOLDIER came marching along the high road: "Left, right- left,right." He had his knapsack on his back, and a sword at his side; hehad been to the wars, and was now returning home.As he walked on, he met a very frightful-looking old witch inthe road. Her under-lip hung quite down on her breast, and she stopped and said, "Good evening, soldier; you have a very fine sword, and a large knapsack, and you are a real soldier; so you shall have as much money as ever you like.""Thank you, old witch," said the soldier..　

THE MESSENGERSTHE MESSENGERSBy Richard Harding Davis1- Page 2-THE MESSENGERSWhen Ainsley first moved to Lone Lake Farm all of his friends askedhim the same question. They wanted to know, if the farmer who sold itto him had abandoned it as worthless, how one of the idle rich, who couldnot distinguish a plough from a harrow, hoped to make it pay? Hisanswer was that he had not purchased the farm as a means of getting richer...　

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christby Lew Wallaceto THE WIFE OF MY YOUTH who still abides with meBOOK FIRSTCHAPTER IThe Jebel es Zubleh is a mountain fifty miles and more in length, and so narrow that its tracery on the map gives it a likeness to a caterpillar crawling from the south to the north. Standing on its red-and-white cliffs, and looking off under the path of the rising sun, one sees only the Desert of Arabia, where the east winds, so hateful to vinegrowers of Jericho, have kept their playgrounds since the beginning. Its feet are well covered by sands tossed from the Euphrates, there to l　

1872FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE THORNY ROAD OF HONORby Hans Christian AndersenAN old story yet lives of the "Thorny Road of Honor," of amarksman, who indeed attained to rank and office, but only after alifelong and weary strife against difficulties. Who has not, inreading this story, thought of his own strife, and of his own numerous"difficulties?" The story is very closely akin to reality; but stillit has its harmonious explanation here on earth, while reality oftenpoints beyond the confines of life to the regions of eternity. Thehistory of the world is like a magic lantern tha　

Barlaam and Ioasaphby St. John of DamascusIt is not known where or when this story was written, but it is believed to have been translated into Greek (possibly from a Georgian original) sometime in the 11th Century A.D. Although the ultimate author is usually referred to as "John the Monk", it has been traditionally ascribed to St. John of Damascus.BARLAAM AND IOASAPHAN EDIFYING STORY FROM THE INNER LAND OF THE ETHIOPIANS, CALLED THE LAND OF THE INDIANS, THENCE BROUGHT TO THE HOLY CITY, BY JOHN THE MONK (AN HONOURABLE MAN AND A VIRTUOUS, OF THE MONASTERY OF SAINT SABAS); WHEREIN ARE THE LIVE　

Hermann and DorotheaBy Johann Wolfgang von GoetheTranslated by Ellen FrothinghamINTRODUCTORY NOTEThere are few modern poems of any country so perfect in their kind as the "Hermann and Dorothea" of Goethe. In clearness of characterization, in unity of tone, in the adjustment of background and foreground, in the conduct of the narrative, it conforms admirably to the strict canons of art; yet it preserves a freshness and spontaneity in its emotional appeal that are rare in works of so classical a perfection in form.The basis of the poem is a historical incident. In the year 1731 the Archbishop o　

First Across the Continentby Noah BrooksThe Story ofThe Exploring Expedition of Lewisand Clark in 1804-5-6Chapter IA Great Transaction in LandThe people of the young Republic of the United States were greatly astonished, in the summer of 1803, to learn that Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul of France, had sold to us the vast tract of land known as the country of Louisiana. The details of this purchase were arranged in Paris (on the part of the United States) by Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe. The French government was represented by Barbe-Marbois, Minister of the Public Treasury.　

Lecture IICIRCUMSCRIPTION OF THE TOPICMost books on the philosophy of religion try to begin with aprecise definition of what its essence consists of. Some ofthese would-be definitions may possibly come before us in laterportions of this course, and I shall not be pedantic enough toenumerate any of them to you now. Meanwhile the very fact thatthey are so many and so different from one another is enough toprove that the word "religion" cannot stand for any singleprinciple or essence, but is rather a collective name. The...　

Count Bunkerby J. Storer CloustenBEING A BALD YET VERACIOUS CHRONICLE CONTAINING SOME FURTHER PARTICULARS OF TWO GENTLEMEN WHOSE PREVIOUS CAREERS WERE TOUCHED UPON IN A TOME ENTITLED "THE LUNATIC AT LARGE"BY J. STORER CLOUSTONCOUNT BUNKERCHAPTER IIt is only with the politest affectation of interest, as a rule, that English Society learns the arrival in its midst of an ordinary Continental nobleman; but the announcement that the Baron Rudolph von Blitzenberg had been appointed attache to the German embassy at the Court of St. James was unquestionably received with a certain flutter of exciteme　

Samantha at Saratogaby Marietta HolleyDedication:TO THE GREAT ARMY OFSUMMER TRAMPSTHIS BOOK IS DEDICATEDBY THEIR COMRADE AND FELLOW WANDERERTHE AUTHORCONTENTS.CHAPTER I. SAMANTHA AT SARATOGACHAPTER II. ARDELIA TUTT AND HER MOTHERCHAPTER III. THE CHERITY OF THE JONESVILLIANSCHAPTER IV. ARDELIA AND ABRAM GEECHAPTER V. WE ARRIVE AT SARATOGACHAPTER VI. SARATOGA BY DAYLIGHTCHAPTER VII. SEEING THE DIFFERENT SPRINGSCHAPTER VIII. JOSIAH AND SAMANTHA TAKE A LONG WALK...　

TheWatsonsJane Austen- Page 2-ELECBOOK CLASSICSebc0051. Jane Austen: The WatsonsThis file is free for individual use only. It must not be altered or resold.Organisations wishing to use it must first obtain a licence.Low cost licenses are available. Contact us through our web site(C) The Electric Book Co 1998The Electric Book Company Ltd20 Cambridge Drive, London SE12 8AJ, UKwww.elecbook...　

A treatise on Good Worksby Dr. Martin Luthertogether with theLetter of Dedicationby Dr. Martin Luther, 1520INTRODUCTION1. The Occasion of the Work. Luther did not impose himself asreformer upon the Church. In the course of a conscientiousperformance of the duties of his office, to which he had beenregularly and divinely called, and without any urging on hispart, he attained to this position by inward necessity. In 1515he received his appointment as the standing substitute for thesickly city pastor, Simon Heinse, from the city council of...　

THE TWIN HELLSTHE TWIN HELLSBY JOHN N. REYNOLDS ATCHISON, KANSAS.1- Page 2-THE TWIN HELLSTO MY DEAR OLD MOTHER AND TO THE MEMORY OF MYSAINTED WIFE THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BYTHE AUTHOR.2- Page 3-THE TWIN HELLSPREFACEThe following pages treat of hellA Kansas hell and a Missouri hell....