The Life of Stephen A. Douglasby William GardnerPreface.De mortuis nil nisi bonum, (of the dead speak nothing but good), is the rule which governed the friends of Stephen A. Douglas after his death. "Of political foes speak nothing but ill," is the rule which has guided much of our discussion of him for forty years. The time has now arrived when we can study him dispassionately and judge him justly, when we can take his measure, if not with scientific accuracy, at least with fairness and honesty.Where party spirit is as despotic as it is among us, it is difficult for any man who spends his life amid the storms of politics to get justice until the passions of his generation have been forgot　

Aeroplanesby J. S. ZerbeThis work is not intended to set forth the exploits of aviatorsnor to give a history of the Art. It is a book of instructionsintended to point out the theories of flying, as given by thepioneers, the practical application of power to the variousflying structures; how they are built, the different methods ofcontrolling them; the advantages and disadvantages of the typesnow in use; and suggestions as to the directions in whichimprovements are required.It distinctly points out wherein mechanical flight differsfrom bird flight, and what are the relations of shape, form, sizeand weight. It treats of kites, gliders and model aeroplanes,...　

The Club of Queer Tradesby G.K.ChestertonChapter 1The Tremendous Adventures of Major BrownRabelais, or his wild illustrator Gustave Dore, must have had something to do with the designing of the things called flats in England and America. There is something entirely Gargantuan in the idea of economising space by piling houses on top of each other, front doors and all. And in the chaos and complexity of those perpendicular streets anything may dwell or happen, and it is in one of them, I believe, that the inquirer may find the offices of the Club of Queer Trades. It may be thought at the first glance that the name would attract and startle the passer-by, but nothing attracts or startles in th　

SHERLOCK HOMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDERby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleTHE ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDER"From the point of view of the criminal" said Mr. Sherlock Holmes,"London has become a singularly uninteresting city since the deathof the late lamented Professor Moriarty.""I can hardly think that you would find many decent citizens toagree with you," I answered."Well, well, I must not be selfish," said he, with a smile, as bepushed back his chair from the breakfast-table. "The community iscertainly the gainer, and no one the loser, save the poorout-of-work specialist, whose occupation has gone. With that man in...　

The Dragon and The Raven: Or The Days of King AlfredBy G. A. HentyC O N T E N T SPREFACEI. THE FUGITIVESII. THE BATTLE OF KESTEVENIII. THE MASSACRE AT CROYLANDIV. THE INVASION OF WESSEXV. A DISCIPLINED BANDVI. THE SAXON FORTVII. THE DRAGONVIII. THE CRUISE OF THE DRAGONIX. A PRIS0NERX. THE COMBATXI. THE ISLE OF ATHELNEYXII. FOUR YEARS OF PEACEXIII. THE SIEGE OF PARISXlV. THE REPULSE OF THE NORSEMENXV. FRIENDS IN TROUBLEXVI. FREDAXVII. A LONG CHASEXVIII. FREDA DISCOVEREDXIX. UNITEDPREFACEMY DEAR LADS,Living in the present days of peace and tranquillity it is...　

MISS CIVILIZATIONMISS CIVILIZATIONA COMEDY IN ONE ACT1- Page 2-MISS CIVILIZATIONPEOPLE IN THE PLAYALICE GARDNER: Daughter of James K. Gardner, President ofthe L.I. & W. Railroad"UNCLE" JOSEPH HATCH: Alias "Gentleman Joe""BRICK" MEAKIN: Alias "Reddy, the Kid"HARRY HAYES: Alias "Grand Stand" HarryCAPTAIN LUCAS: Chief of PolicePolicemen, Brakemen, Engineers2...　

THE SKETCH BOOKA ROYAL POETby Washington IrvingThough your body be confined,And soft love a prisoner bound,Yet the beauty of your mindNeither check nor chain hath found.Look out nobly, then, and dareEven the fetters that you wear.FLETCHER.ON A soft sunny morning in the genial month of May, I made anexcursion to Windsor Castle. It is a place full of storied andpoetical associations. The very external aspect of the proud old...　

The Divine Comedytranslated by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowPARADISOParadiso: Canto IThe glory of Him who moveth everythingDoth penetrate the universe, and shineIn one part more and in another less.Within that heaven which most his light receivesWas I, and things beheld which to repeatNor knows, nor can, who from above descends;Because in drawing near to its desireOur intellect ingulphs itself so far,That after it the memory cannot go.Truly whatever of the holy realmI had the power to treasure in my mindShall now become the subject of my song.O good Apollo, for this last empriseMake of me such a vessel of thy power...　

Betty Zaneby Zane GreyTO THE BETTY ZANE CHAPTER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHORNOTEIn a quiet corner of the stately little city of Wheeling, West Va., stands a monument on which is inscribed:"By authority of the State of West Virginia to commemorate the siege of Fort Henry, Sept 11, 1782, the last battle of the American Revolution, this tablet is here placed."Had it not been for the heroism of a girl the foregoing inscription would never have been written, and the city of Wheeling would never have existed. From time to time I have read short stories and magazine articles which have been published about Elizabeth Zane and her famous exploi　

The Red House Mysteryby A.A. Milne1The Red House MysteryTO JOHN VINE MILNE MY DEAR FATHER,Like all really nice people, you have a weakness for detective stories,and feel that there are not enough of them. So, after all that you havedone for me, the least that I can do for you is to write you one. Here itis: with more gratitude and affection than I can well put down here.A.A.M.2The Red House MysteryCHAPTER IMrs. Stevens is FrightenedIn the drowsy heat of the summer afternoon the Red House wastaking its siesta. There was a lazy murmur of bees in the flower-borders,a gentle cooing of pigeons in the tops of the elms. From distant lawns...　

The Mahatma and the HareA Dream Storyby H. Rider Haggard"Ultimately a good hare was found which took the field at . . .There the hounds pressed her, and on the hunt arriving at the edgeof the cliff the hare could be seen crossing the beach and goingright out to sea. A boat was procured, and the master and someothers rowed out to her just as she drowned, and, bringing thebody in, gave it to the hounds. A hare swimming out to sea is asight not often witnessed."/Local paper, January/ 1911.". . . A long check occurred in the latter part of this hunt, thehare having laid up in a hedgerow, from which she was at lastevicted by a crack of the whip. Her next place of refuge was a...　

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PRIVATE LIFE OF NAPOLEON, V5BY CONSTANTPREMIER VALET DE CHAMBRETRANSLATED BY WALTER CLARKCONTENTS:CHAPTER I. to CHAPTER VI.CHAPTER I.I left the Emperor at Berlin, where each day, and each hour of the day,he received news of some victory gained, or some success obtained by hisgenerals. General Beaumont presented to him eighty flags captured fromthe enemy by his division, and Colonel Gerard also presented sixty takenfrom Blucher at the battle of Wismar. Madgeburg had capitulated, and agarrison of sixty thousand men had marched out under the eyes of GeneralSavary. Marshal Mortier occupied Hanover in the name of France, and...