THE BLUE MOUNTAINSThere were once a Scotsman and an Englishman and an Irishmanserving in the army together, who took it into their heads to runaway on the first opportunity they could get. The chance cameand they took it. They went on travelling for two days through agreat forest, without food or drink, and without coming across asingle house, and every night they had to climb up into the treesthrough fear of the wild beasts that were in the wood. On thesecond morning the Scotsman saw from the top of his tree a greatcastle far away. He said to himself that he would certainly dieif he stayed in the forest without anything to eat but the roots...　

THE SKETCH BOOKENGLISH WRITERS ON AMERICAby Washington Irving"Methinks I see in my mind a noble and puissant nation, rousingherself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invinciblelocks: methinks I see her as an eagle, mewing her mighty youth, andkindling her endazzled eyes at the full mid-day beam."MILTON ON THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.IT IS with feelings of deep regret that I observe the literaryanimosity daily growing up between England and America. Greatcuriosity has been awakened of late with respect to the United States,and the London press has teemed with volumes of travels through the...　

Chapter VIII of Volume III (Chap. 50)MR. BENNET had very often wished, before this period of his life, that, instead of spending his whole income, he had laid by an annual sum for the better provision of his children, and of his wife, if she survived him. He now wished it more than ever. Had he done his duty in that respect, Lydia need not have been indebted to her uncle for whatever of honour or credit could now be purchased for her. The satisfaction of prevailing on one of the most worthless young men in Great Britain to be her husband might then have rested in its proper place.He was seriously concerned that a cause of so little advantage to any one should be forwarded at the sole expenc　

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNERTHE STAR-SPANGLEDBANNERby John A. Carpenter1- Page 2-THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNEROn August 18, 1814, Admiral Cockburn, having returned with his fleetfrom the West Indies, sent to Secretary Monroe at Washington, thefollowing threat:SIR: Having been called upon by the Governor-General of theCanadas to aid him in carrying into effect measures of retaliation againstthe inhabitants of United States for the wanton destruction committed by...　

Staccato Notes of a Vanished Summerby William Dean HowellsMonday afternoon the storm which had been beating up against thesoutheasterly wind nearly all day thickened, fold upon fold, in thenorthwest. The gale increased, and blackened the harbor and whitened theopen sea beyond, where sail after sail appeared round the reef ofWhaleback Light, and ran in a wild scamper for the safe anchorageswithin.Since noon cautious coasters of all sorts had been dropping in with acasual air; the coal schooners and barges had rocked and nodded knowinglyto one another, with their taper and truncated masts, on the breast ofthe invisible swell; and the flock of little yachts and pleasure-boats...　

THE FORTY THIEVESIN a town in Persia there dwelt two brothers, one namedCassim, the other Ali Baba. Cassim was married to arich wife and lived in plenty, while Ali Baba had to maintainhis wife and children by cutting wood in a neighboringforest and selling it in the town. One day, when AliBaba was in the forest, he saw a troop of men on horseback,coming toward him in a cloud of dust. He wasafraid they were robbers, and climbed into a tree forsafety. When they came up to him and dismounted, hecounted forty of them. They unbridled their horses andtied them to trees. The finest man among them, whomAli Baba took to be their captain, went a little way among...　

Chapter VI of Volume III (Chap. 48)THE whole party were in hopes of a letter from Mr. Bennet the next morning, but the post came in without bringing a single line from him. His family knew him to be, on all common occasions, a most negligent and dilatory correspondent, but at such a time they had hoped for exertion. They were forced to conclude that he had no pleasing intelligence to send, but even of that they would have been glad to be certain. Mr. Gardiner had waited only for the letters before he set off.When he was gone, they were certain at least of receiving constant information of what was going on, and their uncle promised, at parting, to prevail on Mr. Bennet to return to Longbour　

Chapter XI of Volume II (Chap. 34)WHEN they were gone, Elizabeth, as if intending to exasperate herself as much as possible against Mr. Darcy, chose for her employment the examination of all the letters which Jane had written to her since her being in Kent. They contained no actual complaint, nor was there any revival of past occurrences, or any communication of present suffering. But in all, and in almost every line of each, there was a want of that cheerfulness which had been used to characterize her style, and which, proceeding from the serenity of a mind at ease with itself, and kindly disposed towards every one, had been scarcely ever clouded. Elizabeth noticed every sentence conveying　

Chapter the LastA parting glance at such of the actors in this little history asit has not, in the course of its events, dismissed, will bring itto an end.Mr Haredale fled that night. Before pursuit could be begun, indeedbefore Sir John was traced or missed, he had left the kingdom.Repairing straight to a religious establishment, known throughoutEurope for the rigour and severity of its discipline, and for themerciless penitence it exacted from those who sought its shelter asa refuge from the world, he took the vows which thenceforth shuthim out from nature and his kind, and after a few remorseful years...　

Chapter XIII of Volume II (Chap. 36)IF Elizabeth, when Mr. Darcy gave her the letter, did not expect it to contain a renewal of his offers, she had formed no expectation at all of its contents. But such as they were, it may be well supposed how eagerly she went through them, and what a contrariety of emotion they excited. Her feelings as she read were scarcely to be defined. With amazement did she first understand that he believed any apology to be in his power; and stedfastly was she persuaded that he could have no explanation to give, which a just sense of shame would not conceal. With a strong prejudice against every thing he might say, she began his account of what had happened at Nethe　

SolitudeThis is a delicious evening, when the whole body is one sense,and imbibes delight through every pore. I go and come with astrange liberty in Nature, a part of herself. As I walk along thestony shore of the pond in my shirt-sleeves, though it is cool aswell as cloudy and windy, and I see nothing special to attract me,all the elements are unusually congenial to me. The bullfrogs trumpto usher in the night, and the note of the whip-poor-will is borneon the rippling wind from over the water. Sympathy with thefluttering alder and poplar leaves almost takes away my breath; yet,like the lake, my serenity is rippled but not ruffled. These small...　

HIGH-WATER MARKWhen the tide was out on the Dedlow Marsh, its extended drearinesswas patent. Its spongy, low-lying surface, sluggish, inky pools,and tortuous sloughs, twisting their slimy way, eel-like, towardthe open bay, were all hard facts. So were the few green tussocks,with their scant blades, their amphibious flavor and unpleasantdampness. And if you choose to indulge your fancyalthough theflat monotony of the Dedlow Marsh was not inspiringthe wavy lineof scattered drift gave an unpleasant consciousness of the spentwaters, and made the dead certainty of the returning tide a gloomyreflection which no present sunshine could dissipate. The greener...