Quick Excerpts, from a Library of 492 Titles

Generated 2022-07-28 13:26:04

Excerpt #1, from Studying the short story, by J. Berg Esenwein

…He shall walk the quarter-deck–’” 51. “Yellow on blue–green next player,” said the marker monotonously. 52. “He shall walk the quarter-deck’–Am I green, marker?–He shall walk the quarter-deck’–eh! that’s a bad shot–‘As his daddy used to do!’” 53. “I don’t see that you have anything to crow about,” said a zealous junior civilian acidly. “The Government is not exactly pleased with your work when you relieved Sanders.” 54. “Does that mean a wigging from headquarters?” said Holden with an abstracted smile. “I think I can stand it.” 55. The talk beat up round the ever-fresh subject of each man’s work, and steadied Holden till it was time to go to his dark empty bungalow, where his butler received him as one who knew all his affairs. Holden remained awake for the greater part of the night, and his dreams were pleasant ones. II 56. “How old is he now?” 57. “Ya illah! What a man’s question! He is all but six weeks old; and on this night I go up to the housetop with thee, my life, to count the stars. For that is auspicious. And he was born on a Friday under the sign of the Sun, and it has been told to me that he will outlive us…

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Excerpt #2, from Investigation of Communist activities in Seattle, Wash., Area, Hearings, Part 2

…into a fraction meeting, and it was common knowledge. Mr. MOULDER. In other words, he had been brought into contact with the Communist Party leaders as a result of the work he was performing but not in the capacity of being a Communist himself? Is that what you are saying? Mr. DENNETT. That is true. Even the most ardent anti-Communist can be drawn into Communist activities. Mr. MOULDER. Do you mean drawn into contact with Communists? Mr. DENNETT. Yes. My counsel cautions me to be certain that you understand I at no time accused Mr. Harry Lundeberg of being a Communist. Mr. VELDE. I think that is a matter of record. In fact, you have said everything favorable to Mr. Lundeberg’s record. But I suppose it might be presumed that if you and another Communist Party leader had a conference with Mr. Lundeberg some time that that would be a meeting such as you mentioned in your testimony yesterday, or could be considered a fraction meeting; could it not? Mr. DENNETT. No; that would not be regarded as a top fraction meeting. A top fraction meeting would be only a meeting where the leaders of an organization who were members of the Communist Party met either with themselves or with some official of the Communist Party. And in Mr….

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Excerpt #3, from Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

…murdered child had been afterwards found. The woman asked her what she did there; but she looked very strangely, and only returned a confused and unintelligible answer. She returned to the house about eight o’clock; and when one inquired where she had passed the night, she replied, that she had been looking for the child, and demanded earnestly, if any thing had been heard concerning him. When shewn the body, she fell into violent hysterics, and kept her bed for several days. The picture was then produced, which the servant had found in her pocket; and when Elizabeth, in a faltering voice, proved that it was the same which, an hour before the child had been missed, she had placed round his neck, a murmur of horror and indignation filled the court. Justine was called on for her defence. As the trial had proceeded, her countenance had altered. Surprise, horror, and misery, were strongly expressed. Sometimes she struggled with her tears; but when she was desired to plead, she collected her powers, and spoke in an audible although variable voice:— “God knows,” she said, “how entirely I am innocent. But I do not pretend that my protestations should acquit me: I rest my innocence on a plain and simple explanation of the facts which have been adduced against me; and I hope the character I have always borne will incline my judges to a favourable interpretation, where any circumstance appears doubtful or…

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Excerpt #4, from A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar, by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer

…SEA-WATER?_ A. The salt of the sea retards evaporation; and (as the heat of the body is drawn off very gradually) the sensation of cold is prevented. Q. Why does SPRINKLING a HOT ROOM with water COOL IT? A. The heat of the room causes a rapid evaporation of the sprinkled water; and as the water evaporates, it absorbs heat from the room, and cools it. Q. Why does WATERING the STREETS and roads COOL THEM? A. The hot streets and roads part with their heat to promote the evaporation of the water sprinkled on them. Q. Why does a SHOWER of RAIN seem to COOL the AIR in summer-time? A. The earth (being wet with the rain) parts with its heat to promote evaporation; and as the earth is cooled, it cools the air also. Q. Why is LINEN DRIED by being exposed to the WIND? A. The air (blowing over the linen) promotes evaporation, by removing the vapour from the surface of the wet linen, as soon as it is formed. Q. Why is LINEN DRIED sooner in the open AIR, than in a confined room? A. Because the particles of vapour are more rapidly removed from the surface of the linen by evaporation. Q. Why are WET SUMMERS generally SUCCEEDED by COLD WINTERS?…

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Excerpt #5, from The Anabasis of Alexander, by Arrian

…were offered from feelings of hostility towards Thebes on the part of the bidders. [83] B.C. 415-413. See Grote’s Greece, vol. vii. [84] B.C. 405. See Thucydides (ii. 13); Xenophon (Hellenics, ii. 2). [85] By Conon’s victory at Cnidus, B.C. 394. [86] At Leuctra they lost 400 Spartans and 1,000 other Lacedaemonians. See Xen. (Hellen., vi. 4). [87] The Achaeans, Eleans, Athenians, and some of the Arcadians, were allies of Sparta at this crisis, B.C. 369. See Xen. (Hellen., vii. 5); Diodorus (xv. 85). [88] B.C. 426. See Thuc., iii. 52, etc. [89] B.C. 416 and 421. See Thuc., v. 32, 84, etc. [90] These persons must have forgotten that Alexander’s predecessor and namesake had served in the army of Xerxes along with the Thebans. See Herodotus vii. 173. [91] Plutarch (Lysander, 15) says that the Theban Erianthus moved that Athens should be destroyed. [92] See Aelian (Varia Historia, xii. 57). [93] Plutarch (Alexander, 13) tells us that Alexander was afterwards sorry for his cruelty to the Thebans. He believed that he had incurred the wrath of Dionysus, the tutelary deity of Thebes, who incited him to…

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Excerpt #6, from Anthem, by Ayn Rand

…“We have given you a name in our thoughts, Liberty 5-3000.” “What is our name?” they asked. “The Golden One.” “Nor do we call you Equality 7-2521 when we think of you.” “What name have you given us?” They looked straight into our eyes and they held their head high and they answered: “The Unconquered.” For a long time we could not speak. Then we said: “Such thoughts as these are forbidden, Golden One.” “But you think such thoughts as these and you wish us to think them.” We looked into their eyes and we could not lie. “Yes,” we whispered, and they smiled, and then we said: “Our dearest one, do not obey us.” They stepped back, and their eyes were wide and still. “Speak these words again,” they whispered. “Which words?” we asked. But they did not answer, and we knew it. “Our dearest one,” we whispered. Never have men said this to women. The head of the Golden One bowed slowly, and they stood still before us, their arms at their sides, the palms of their hands…

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Excerpt #7, from Grimm Tales Made Gay, by Guy Wetmore Carryl

…That he couldn’t get in at the door to chat: The king couldn’t leave him Outside and grieve him, He had to receive him Upon the mat, [Illustration] The dragon bowed nicely, And very concisely He stated the reason he’d called: He made the disclosure With frigid composure. King Philip was simply appalled! He demanded for eating, a fortnight apart, The monarch’s ten daughters, all dear to his heart. “And now you’ll produce,” he Concluded, “the juicy And succulent Lucie By way of start!” King Philip was pliant, And far from defiant –“And servile,” no doubt you retort!–…

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Excerpt #8, from Letters of a Radio

…than it needs for every zinc ion which has left it. If only the extra electrons on the negative zinc plate could get around to the positive copper plate. They can if we connect a wire from one plate to the other. Then the electrons from the zinc stream into the spaces between the atoms of the wire and push ahead of them the electrons which are wandering around in these spaces. At the other end an equal number of electrons leave the wire to satisfy the positive copper plate. So we have a stream of electrons in the wire, that is, a current of electricity and our battery is working. That’s the sort of a battery I used to play with. If you understand it you can get the general idea of all batteries. Let me express it in general terms. At the negative plate of a battery ions go into solution and electrons are left behind. At the other end of the battery positive ions are crowded out of solution and join the plate where they cause a scarcity of electrons; that is, make the plate positive. If a wire is connected between the two plates, electrons will stream through it from the negative plate to the positive; and this stream is a current of electricity. [Illustration: Pl. III.–Dry Battery for Use in Audion Circuits (Courtesy of National Carbon Co., Inc.). Storage Battery (Courtesy of…

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Excerpt #9, from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, by William Shakespeare

…Enter Ghost. Save me and hover o’er me with your wings, You heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure? QUEEN. Alas, he’s mad. HAMLET. Do you not come your tardy son to chide, That, laps’d in time and passion, lets go by The important acting of your dread command? O say! GHOST. Do not forget. This visitation Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose. But look, amazement on thy mother sits. O step between her and her fighting soul. Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works. Speak to her, Hamlet. HAMLET. How is it with you, lady? QUEEN. Alas, how is’t with you,…

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Excerpt #10, from The Genetic Effects of Radiation, by Isaac Asimov and Theodosius Dobzhansky

…If radiation kills the mechanism of division in only some of these cells, it is possible that those that remain reasonably intact can divide and eventually replace or do the work of those that can no longer divide. In that case, the symptoms of radiation sickness are relatively mild in the first place and eventually disappear. Past a certain critical point, when too many cells are made incapable of division, this is no longer possible. The symptoms, which show up in the growing tissues particularly (as in the loss of hair, the misshaping or loss of fingernails, the reddening and hemorrhaging of skin, the ulceration of the mouth, and the lowering of the blood cell count), grow steadily more severe and death follows. Radiation and Mutation Where radiation is insufficient to render a cell incapable of division, it may still induce mutations, and it is in this fashion that skin cancer, leukemia, and other disorders may be brought about.[6] [Illustration: Studies at the California Institute of Technology furnish information on the nature of radiation effects on genes. The experiments produced fruit flies with three or four wings and double or partially doubled thoraxes by causing gene mutation through X-irradiation and chromosome rearrangements. A is a normal male Drosophila; _B is a four-winged male with a double thorax; and C and D…

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Excerpt #11, from The Influence of the Stars: A book of old world lore, by Rosa Baughan

…the Mount. When the Line of Life is long, well-formed, slightly coloured and goes all round the thumb, it indicates a long life and free from serious illness; but when the line is wide and pale in colour, it indicates bad health; when it is short, it means early death. If the Line of Life is broken on one hand, but is marked in a continuous line on the other, these signs indicate an illness of a very serious nature; but if the broken line should appear in both hands, it means death at the epoch corresponding with the place on the line where the break occurs. When the Line of Life is not clearly defined, but is formed by a sort of chain of small lines, it indicates continuous small illnesses. When the Line of Life, instead of starting from the side of the hand, takes its rise in the Mount of Jupiter, which is sometimes, but rarely, the case, it indicates a life of successful ambition, honours and celebrity–qualities given by the influence of Jupiter. If the Line of Life joins the Line of the Heart and the Line of the Head, it indicates grave misfortune or violent death, by which the ancients probably meant to infer that when the heart and the head are dominated by merely vital instincts, the life is menaced by misfortune, but, when the Line of Life is very far from the Line of Head, it…

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Excerpt #12, from Sailors Narratives of Voyages Along the New England Coast, 1524

…theraboutes of Cape Britton which he reported vnto Sr. ffrauncys Walsingham Kt. her Majesties principall Secretarye and to Sr. George Peckham Knight and dyuers others of good iudgment and Creditt in August and September Anno Domini 1582. ABOUTE the beginninge of Octobar Anno Domini 1568 ♦1568 October♦ Davyd Ingram with the reste of his Company beinge an C. [i. e. 100] persons in all weare sett on lande by Mr. John Hawkyns about sixe leagues to the weste of the Ryvar Camina or Rio de Mynas which standethe aboute 140 leagues weste and by northe from the Cape of floryda he hathe travayled in those Countryes from beyonde terra florida extendinge towardes the Cape Britton about eleaven monethes in the whole, and aboute seaven monethes therof in those Countryes which lye towardes the northe of the Ryu of Maii. In which tyme as the saide Ingram thincketh he travayled by land 2000 myles at the leaste, and never contynued in any one place above 3 or 4. daies savinge onlye at the Cyttie of Balma where he stayed VI or VII. daies. * * * * * After longe travayle the foresaid Davyd Ingram with his twoe Companions Browne and Twyde came to the head of a Ryvar called Gugida ♦St. John River♦ which is 60 leagues weste from Cape Britton where they vnderstode by the people of that Countrye, of the arryvall of…

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