A Wagner MatineeI received one morning a letter, written in pale ink onglassy, blue-lined notepaper, and bearing the postmark of alittle Nebraska village. This communication, worn and rubbed,looking as though it had been carried for some days in a coatpocket that was none too clean, was from my Uncle Howard andinformed me that his wife had been left a small legacy by abachelor relative who had recently died, and that it would benecessary for her to go to Boston to attend to the settling ofthe estate. He requested me to meet her at the station andrender her whatever services might be necessary. On examining...　

The Women of the French SalonsBy Amelia Gere MasonPREFACEIt has been a labor of love with many distinguished Frenchmen to recall the memories of the women who have made their society so illustrious, and to retouch with sympathetic insight the features which time was beginning to dim. One naturally hesitates to enter a field that has been gleaned so carefully, and with such brilliant results, by men like Cousin, Sainte-Beuve, Goncourt, and others of lesser note. But the social life of the two centuries in which women played so important a role in France is always full of human interest from whatever point of view one may regard it. If there is not a great deal to be said that is new, old 　

The Queen of Heartsby Wilkie CollinsLETTER OF DEDICATION.-TOEMILE FORGUES.-AT a time when French readers were altogether unaware of theexistence of any books of my writing, a critical examination ofmy novels appeared under your signature in the _Revue des DeuxMoudes_. I read that article, at the time of its appearance, withsincere pleasure and sincere gratitude to the writer, and I havehonestly done my best to profit by it ever since.At a later period, when arrangements were made for thepublication of my novels in Paris, you kindly undertook, at somesacrifice of your own convenience, to give the first of theseries"The Dead Secret"the great advantage of being rendered...　

THE AMERICAN NEGROHIS HISTORY AND LITERATURERUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOMWilliam and Ellen CraftRUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOM OR, THE ESCAPE OF WILLIAM AND ELLEN CRAFT FROM SLAVERY."Slaves cannot breathe in England: if their lungs Receive our air, that moment they are free; They touch our country, and their shackles fall."COWPERRUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOMPREFACE.HAVING heard while in Slavery that "God made of one blood all nations of men," and also that the American Declaration of Independence says, that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these, 　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENUNDER THE WILLOW-TREEby Hans Christian AndersenTHE region round the little town of Kjoge is very bleak andcold. The town lies on the sea shore, which is always beautiful; buthere it might be more beautiful than it is, for on every side thefields are flat, and it is a long way to the forest. But whenpersons reside in a place and get used to it, they can always findsomething beautiful in it,- something for which they long, even in themost charming spot in the world which is not home. It must be ownedthat there are in the outskirts of the town some humble gardens on the...　

THE CELESTIAL RAILROADNot a great while ago, passing through the gate of dreams, Ivisited that region of the earth in which lies the famous City ofDestruction. It interested me much to learn that by the publicspirit of some of the inhabitants a railroad has recently beenestablished between this populous and flourishing town and theCelestial City. Having a little time upon my hands, I resolved togratify a liberal curiosity by making a trip thither.Accordingly, one fine morning after paying my bill at the hotel,and directing the porter to stow my luggage behind a coach, Itook my seat in the vehicle and set out for the station-house. Itwas my good fortune to enjoy the company of a gentlemanone　

ON THE SOULby Aristotletranslated by J. A. SmithBook I1HOLDING as we do that, while knowledge of any kind is a thing to be honoured and prized, one kind of it may, either by reason of its greater exactness or of a higher dignity and greater wonderfulness in its objects, be more honourable and precious than another, on both accounts we should naturally be led to place in the front rank the study of the soul. The knowledge of the soul admittedly contributes greatly to the advance of truth in general, and, above all, to our understanding of Nature, for the soul is in some sense the principle of animal life. Our aim is to grasp and understand, first its essenti　

PAUL THE PEDDLEROR THE FORTUNES OF A YOUNG STREET MERCHANTBY HORATIO ALGER, JR.BIOGRAPHY AND BIBLIOGRAPHYHoratio Alger, Jr., an author who lived among and for boys andhimself remained a boy in heart and association till death, wasborn at Revere, Mass., January 13, 1834. He was the son of aclergyman, was graduated at Harvard College in 1852, and at itsDivinity School in 1860 and was pastor of the Unitarian Church atBrewster, Mass., in 1862-66.In the latter year he settled in New York and began drawingpublic attention to the condition and needs of street boys. Hemingled with them, gained their confidence showed a personal...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE SHIRT-COLLARby Hans Christian AndersenTHERE was once a fine gentleman who possessed among other things aboot-jack and a hair-brush; but he had also the finest shirt-collar inthe world, and of this collar we are about to hear a story. The collarhad become so old that he began to think about getting married; andone day he happened to find himself in the same washing-tub as agarter. "Upon my word," said the shirt-collar, "I have never seenanything so slim and delicate, so neat and soft before. May Iventure to ask your name?""I shall not tell you," replied the garter....　

Lavender and Old Laceby Myrtle ReedI. THE LIGHT IN THE WINDOWII. THE ATTIC.III. MISS AINSLIEIV. A GUESTV. THE RUMOURS OF THE VALLEYVI. THE GARDENVII. THE MAN WHO HESITATESVIII. SUMMER DAYSIX. BY HUMBLE MEANSX. LOVE LETTERSXI. THE ROSE OF ALL THE WORLDXII. BRIDE AND GROOMXIII. PLANSXIV. "FOR REMEMBRANCE"XV. THE SECRET AND THE DREAMXVI. SOME ONE WHO LOVED HERXVII. DAWNI. The Light in the WindowA rickety carriage was slowly ascending the hill, and from the place of honour on the back seat, the single passenger surveyed the country with interest and admiration. The driver of that ancient chariot was an awkward young fellow, possibly twenty-five years of age, with sharp　

Pazby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Katharine Prescott WormeleyDEDICATIONDedicated to the Comtesse Clara Maffei.PAZ(LA FAUSSE MAITRESSE)IIn September, 1835, one of the richest heiresses of the faubourgSaint-Germain, Mademoiselle du Rouvre, the only daughter of theMarquis du Rouvre, married Comte Adam Mitgislas Laginski, a youngPolish exile.We ask permission to write these Polish names as they are pronounced,to spare our readers the aspect of the fortifications of consonants bywhich the Slave language protects its vowels,probably not to losethem, considering how few there are....　

THE HISTORY OF THE CALIPH VATHEKTHE HISTORY OF THECALIPH VATHEK1- Page 2-THE HISTORY OF THE CALIPH VATHEKINTRODUCTIONWilliam Beckford, born in 1759, the year before the accession of KingGeorge the Third, was the son of an Alderman who became twice LordMayor of London. His family, originally of Gloucestershire, had thrivenby the plantations in Jamaica; and his father, sent to school in England,and forming a school friendship at Westminster with Lord Mansfield,...