The Ruby of KishmoorBy Howard PyleCONTENTSPrologueI. Jonathan RuggII. The Mysterious Lady with the Silver VeilIII. The Terrific Encounter with the One-eyed Little Gentleman inBlackIV. The Momentous Adventure with the Stranger with the SilverEar-ringsV. The Unexpected Encounter with the Sea-captain with theBroken NoseVI. The Conclusion of the Adventure with the Lady with theSilver VeilEpiloguePrologueA very famous pirate of his day was Captain Robertson Keitt.Before embarking upon his later career of infamy, he was, in thebeginning, very well known as a reputable merchant in the island...　

Beautiful Stories from Shakespeareby E. Nesbit"It may be said of Shakespeare, that from his works may be collected a system of civil and economical prudence. He has been imitated by all succeeding writers; and it may be doubted whether from all his successors more maxims of theoretical knowledge, or more rules of practical prudence can be collected than he alone has given to his country."Dr. SAMUEL JOHNSON.PREFACEThe writings of Shakespeare have been justly termed "the richest, the purest, the fairest, that genius uninspired ever penned."Shakespeare instructed by delighting. His plays alone (leaving mere science out of the question), contain more actual wisdom than the whole body of Engli　

The Heir of Redclyffeby Charlotte M. YoungeCHAPTER 1In such pursuits if wisdom lies,Who, Laura, can thy taste despise?GAYThe drawing-room of Hollywell House was one of the favoured apartments,where a peculiar air of home seems to reside, whether seen in themiddle of summer, all its large windows open to the garden, or, as whenour story commences, its bright fire and stands of fragrant green-houseplants contrasted with the wintry fog and leafless trees of November.There were two persons in the rooma young lady, who sat drawing atthe round table, and a youth, lying on a couch near the fire,...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENLITTLE TUKby Hans Christian AndersenYES, they called him Little Tuk, but it was not his real name;he had called himself so before he could speak plainly, and he meantit for Charles. It was all very well for those who knew him, but notfor strangers.Little Tuk was left at home to take care of his little sister,Gustava, who was much younger than himself, and he had to learn hislessons at the same time, and the two things could not very well beperformed together. The poor boy sat there with his sister on his lap,and sung to her all the songs he knew, and now and then he looked into...　

The Scouts of the Valleyby Joseph A. AltshelerCHAPTER ITHE LONE CANOEA light canoe of bark, containing a single human figure, moved swiftly up one of the twin streams that form the Ohio. The water, clear and deep, coming through rocky soil, babbled gently at the edges, where it lapped the land, but in the center the full current flowed steadily and without noise.The thin shadows of early dusk were falling, casting a pallid tint over the world, a tint touched here and there with living fire from the sun, which was gone, though leaving burning embers behind. One glowing shaft, piercing straight through the heavy forest that clothed either bank, fell directly upon the figure in the boat, as 　

Modeste Mignonby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Katharine Prescott WormeleyDEDICATIONTo a Polish Lady.Daughter of an enslaved land, angel through love, witch throughfancy, child by faith, aged by experience, man in brain, woman inheart, giant by hope, mother through sorrows, poet in thy dreams,to THEE belongs this book, in which thy love, thy fancy, thyexperience, thy sorrow, thy hope, thy dreams, are the warp throughwhich is shot a woof less brilliant than the poesy of thy soul,whose expression, when it shines upon thy countenance, is, tothose who love thee, what the characters of a lost language are to...　

Painted Windowsby Elia W. PeattieWill you come with me into the chamber of memoryand lift your eyes to the painted windows where the figuresand scenes of childhood appear? Perhaps by looking withkindly eyes at those from out my past, long wished-forvisions of your own youth will appear to heal the woundsfrom which you suffer, and to quiet your stormy andrestless heart.CONTENTSI NIGHTII SOLITUDEIII FRIENDSHIPIV FAMEV REMORSEVI TRAVELPAINTED WINDOWSINIGHTYOUNG people believe very littlethat they hear about the compen-sations of growing old, and of livingover again in memory the events of the...　

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BANDby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleOn glancing over my notes of the seventy odd cases in which I haveduring the last eight years studied the methods of my friendSherlock Holmes, I find many tragic, some comic, a large number merelystrange, but none commonplace; for, working as he did rather for thelove of his art than for the acquirement of wealth, he refused toassociate himself with any investigation which did not tend towardsthe unusual, and even the fantastic. Of all these varied cases,however, I cannot recall any which presented more singular features...　

Villa Rubein and Other Storiesby John GalsworthyContents:Villa RubeinA Man of DevonA KnightSalvation of a ForsyteThe SilencePREFACEWriting not long ago to my oldest literary friend, I expressed in amoment of heedless sentiment the wish that we might have again one ofour talks of long-past days, over the purposes and methods of ourart. And my friend, wiser than I, as he has always been, repliedwith this doubting phrase "Could we recapture the zest of that oldtime?"I would not like to believe that our faith in the value ofimaginative art has diminished, that we think it less worth while to...　

poverty, and at last their need was so great that they had to endurehunger, and had nothing to eat or drink. Then said they, it cannot goon like this, we had better go into the world and seek our fortune.They therefore set out, and had already walked over many a long roadand many a blade of grass, but had not yet met with good luck. Oneday they arrived in a great forest, and in the midst of it was ahill, and when they came nearer they saw that the hill was allsilver. Then spoke the eldest, now I have found the good luck Iwished for, and I desire nothing more. He took as much of the silveras he could possibly carry, and then turned back and went home again.But the two others said, we want　

OTHOA.D. 32-69by Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenTHE new emperor went early in the morning to the capitol, andsacrificed; and, having commanded Marius Celsus to be brought, hesaluted him, and with obliging language desired him rather to forgethis accusation than remember his acquittal; to which Celsus answeredneither meanly nor ungratefully, that his very crime ought torecommend his integrity, since his guilt had been his fidelity toGalba, from whom he had never received any personal obligations.Upon which they were both of them admired by those that were...　

THE ILIADby Homertranslated by Samuel ButlerBOOK ISing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that broughtcountless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it sendhurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogsand vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from theday on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, firstfell out with one another.And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel? It was theson of Jove and Leto; for he was angry with the king and sent apestilence upon the host to plague the people, because the son of...