On Books and the Housing of Themby William Ewart GladstoneIn the old age of his intellect (which atthis point seemed to taste a little ofdecrepitude), Strauss declared [1] that the doctrine ofimmortality has recently lost the assistanceof a passable argument, inasmuch as it hasbeen discovered that the stars are inhabited;for where, he asks, could room now be foundfor such a multitude of souls? Again, in viewof the current estimates of prospectivepopulation for this earth, some people have begun toentertain alarm for the probable condition ofEngland (if not Great Britain) when she gets(say) seventy millions that are allotted to heragainst six or eight hundred millions for the...　

IS SHAKESPEARE DEAD?(from My Autobiography)Scattered here and there through the stacks of unpublished manuscript which constitute this formidable Autobiography and Diary of mine, certain chapters will in some distant future be found which deal with "Claimants"claimants historically notorious: Satan, Claimant; the Golden Calf, Claimant; the Veiled Prophet of Khorassan, Claimant; Louis XVII., Claimant; William Shakespeare, Claimant; Arthur Orton, Claimant; Mary Baker G. Eddy, Claimantand the rest of them. Eminent Claimants, successful Claimants, defeated Claimants, royal Claimants, pleb Claimants, showy Claimants, shabby Claimants, revered Claimants, despised Claimants, twinkle star-like he　

BLUE BEARDTHERE was a man who had fine houses, both in townand country, a deal of silver and gold plate, embroideredfurniture, and coaches gilded all over with gold. Butthis man was so unlucky as to have a blue beard, whichmade him so frightfully ugly that all the women andgirls ran away from him.One of his neighbors, a lady of quality, had twodaughters who were perfect beauties. He desired ofher one of them in marriage, leaving to her choice whichof the two she would bestow on him. They wouldneither of them have him, and sent him backward andforward from one another, not being able to bear thethoughts of marrying a man who had a blue beard, and...　

The Circulation of the Bloodby Thomas H. HuxleyI DESIRE this evening to give you some account of the life and laboursof a very noble EnglishmanWilliam Harvey.William Harvey was born in the year 1578, and as he lived until the year1657, he very nearly attained the age of 80. He was the son of a smalllandowner in Kent, who was sufficiently wealthy to send this, hiseldest son, to the University of Cambridge; while he embarked theothers in mercantile pursuits, in which they all, as time passed on,attained riches.William Harvey, after pursuing his education at Cambridge, and takinghis degree there, thought it was advisableand justly thought so, in...　

The Courtship of Susan Bellby Anthony TrollopeJohn Munroe Bell had been a lawyer in Albany, State of New York, andas such had thriven well. He had thriven well as long as thrift andthriving on this earth had been allowed to him. But the Almightyhad seen fit to shorten his span.Early in life he had married a timid, anxious, pretty, good littlewife, whose whole heart and mind had been given up to do his biddingand deserve his love. She had not only deserved it but hadpossessed it, and as long as John Munroe Bell had lived, HenriettaBellHetta as he called herhad been a woman rich in blessings.After twelve years of such blessings he had left her, and had left...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENIN A THOUSAND YEARSby Hans Christian AndersenYES, in a thousand years people will fly on the wings of steamthrough the air, over the ocean! The young inhabitants of America willbecome visitors of old Europe. They will come over to see themonuments and the great cities, which will then be in ruins, just aswe in our time make pilgrimages to the tottering splendors of SouthernAsia. In a thousand years they will come!The Thames, the Danube, and the Rhine still roll their course,Mont Blanc stands firm with its snow-capped summit, and the Northern...　

GULLIVER OF MARSby Edwin L. ArnoldOriginal Title: Lieut. Gulliver JonesCHAPTER IDare I say it? Dare I say that I, a plain, prosaic lieutenant in the republican service have done the incredible things here set out for the love of a womanfor a chimera in female shape; for a pale, vapid ghost of woman-loveliness? At times I tell myself I dare not: that you will laugh, and cast me aside as a fabricator; and then again I pick up my pen and collect the scattered pages, for I MUST write itthe pallid splendour of that thing I loved, and won, and lost is ever before me, and will not be forgotten. The tumult of the struggle into which that vision led me still throbs in my mind, the soft, lisping vo　

The Golden Thresholdby Sarojini NaiduWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ARTHUR SYMONSDEDICATED TO EDMUND GOSSE WHO FIRST SHOWED ME THE WAY TO THEGOLDEN THRESHOLDLondon, 1896 Hyderabad, 1905CONTENTSFOLK SONGSPalanquin-BearersWandering SingersIndian WeaversCoromandel FishersThe Snake-CharmerCorn-GrindersVillage-SongIn Praise of HennaHarvest HymnIndian Love-SongCradle-SongSutteeSONGS FOR MUSICSong of a DreamHumayun to ZobeidaAutumn Song AlabasterEcstasyTo my Fairy FanciesPOEMSOde to H. H. the Nizam of Hyderabad...　

The Essays of Montaigne, V15by Michel de MontaigneTranslated by Charles CottonEdited by William Carew Hazilitt1877CONTENTS OF VOLUME 15.V. Upon Some verses of Virgil.CHAPTER VUPON SOME VERSES OF VIRGILCHAPTER V.By how much profitable thoughts are more full and solid, by so much arethey also more cumbersome and heavy: vice, death, poverty, diseases, aregrave and grievous subjects. A man should have his soul instructed inthe means to sustain and to contend with evils, and in the rules ofliving and believing well: and often rouse it up, and exercise it in thisnoble study; but in an ordinary soul it must be by intervals and with...　

Weir of Hermistonby Robert Louis StevensonTO MY WIFEI saw rain falling and the rainbow drawnOn Lammermuir. Hearkening I heard againIn my precipitous city beaten bellsWinnow the keen sea wind. And here afar,Intent on my own race and place, I wrote.Take thou the writing: thine it is. For whoBurnished the sword, blew on the drowsy coal,Held still the target higher, chary of praiseAnd prodigal of counsel - who but thou?So now, in the end, if this the least be good,If any deed be done, if any fireBurn in the imperfect page, the praise be thine.INTRODUCTORYIN the wild end of a moorland parish, far out of the sight of any house,...　

The Flying U Ranchby B. M. BowerCONTENTSCHAPTERI. The Coming of a Native SonII. "When Greek Meets Greek"III. Bad NewsIV. Some HopesV. SheepVI. What Happened to AndyVII. Truth Crushed to Earth, etc.VIII. The Dot OutfitIX. More SheepX. The Happy Family Herd SheepXI. Weary UnburdensXII. Two of a KindXIII. The Happy Family Learn SomethingXIV. Happy JackXV. OlesonXVI. The End of the DotsXVII. Good NewsFLYING U RANCHCHAPTER I. The Coming of a Native SonThe Happy Family, waiting for the Sunday supper call, weregrouped around the open door of the bunk-house, gossiping idly of...　

THE SCARLET LETTERby Nathaniel HawthorneINTRODUCTORYTHE CUSTOM-HOUSE.INTRODUCTORY TO "THE SCARLET LETTER".IT is a little remarkable, that- though disinclined to talk overmuchof myself and my affairs at the fireside, and to my personalfriends- an autobiographical impulse should twice in my life havetaken possession of me, in addressing the public. The first time wasthree or four years since, when I favoured the reader- inexcusably,and for no earthly reason, that either the indulgent reader or theintrusive author could imagine- with a description of my way of life...