Quick Excerpts, from a Library of 492 Titles

Generated 2022-07-28 13:26:01

Excerpt #1, from Mirrors of Moscow, by Louise Stevens Bryant

…Someone said that Gellser, the great ballerina, complained that she had no silk stockings. The delegates were of the opinion that this was a slight matter. Not so Lenin. He frowned and said he would see to it that Gellser had everything she needed immediately. Calling his stenographer, he dictated a letter to Lunacharsky about it. Yet Lenin had never seen Gellser dance and took no further interest in the affair. On the one occasion, in three years, that he found time to attend the theatre, he chose Shakespeare. Telephoning to Lunacharsky he announced, “I want to see the best performance at the Art Theatre.” Lunacharsky was in doubt but mentioned Helena Soochacheva’s superb performance in “Twelfth Night.” Lenin interrupted, “I’ll see that.” And once in the theatre he forgot his million worries and enjoyed himself with the abandon of a child. Hunting and horseback riding he goes in for with the same enthusiasm. I have often been asked just what was back of Lenin and his colleagues; what moved them to attempt to establish Socialism at such a moment and against such odds. Most of us agree that it was partly a revolt against an age of commercialism. But fundamentally it was a demonstration. Radek told Arthur Ransome that the Bolshevik leaders did not expect to…

More: Read or Listen on IA →

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

…Harold Pritchett was the president of the organization. Another person whom I knew was Charles Daggett. Charles Daggett I knew in several different capacities. At one time he was the city editor of the Seattle Star, a paper which went out of business in Seattle a great number of years ago. Mr. Daggett later was known to me as an official in the inlandboatmen’s union,[9] having become elected business agent in the San Francisco branch of the organization, and got into financial difficulties there; later went to Los Angeles. That is the last I heard of him. Mr. TAVENNER. We have seen him since then, and he has testified before this committee and admitted his Communist Party membership. Did you know him in this area in any activity within the newspaper guild? Mr. DENNETT. Yes, I knew him in the newspaper guild, but I was not certain of his Communist Party activity at the time that I knew him then. I knew him as a Communist just as he left here. Mr. TAVENNER. Was he active in that field in Los Angeles? Mr. DENNETT. Yes, he was. He was very active as a newspaperman. He had a great deal to do with three other newspaper people whom I became closely acquainted with because of the official position that they held in the organization….

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #3, from Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War, by Frederick Arthur Ambrose Talbot

…complete satisfaction, and has proved strikingly successful. The French Government has completed arrangements for the acquisition of larger and more powerful vessels of this design, being now in the position to contest every step that is made by Germany in this field. The type has also been embraced by the Russian military authorities. The Astra-Torres airship has a rakish appearance, and although the lines of the gas-bag are admitted to increase frictional resistance, this is regarded as a minor defect, especially when the many advantages of the invention are taken into consideration. CHAPTER V. GERMANY’S AERIAL DREADNOUGHT FLEET Although Germany, as compared with France, was relatively slow to recognise the immense possibilities of aircraft, particularly dirigibles, in the military sense, once the Zeppelin had received the well-wishes of the Emperor William, Teuton activities were so pronounced as to enable the leeway to be made up within a very short while. While the Zeppelin commanded the greatest attention owing to the interesting co-operation of the German Emperor, the other types met with official and royal recognition and encouragement as already mentioned. France, which had held premier position in regard to the aerial fleet of dirigibles for so long, was completely out-classed, not only in dimensions but also in speed, as well as radius of action and…

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #4, from The Gravity Business, by James E. Gunn

…spaceships and later the polarizer. The polarizer polarizes gravity into a straight line. That makes the ship take off and continue accelerating until the polarizer is shut off or its angle is shifted." The faces looked at him silently. Finally Joyce could endure it no longer. “That’s just nonsense! You all know it. Grampa’s no genius. He’s just a tinkerer. One day he happened to tinker out the polarizer. He doesn’t know how it works any more than I do.” “Now wait a minute!” Grampa protested. “That’s not fair. Maybe I didn’t figure out the theory myself, but I read everything the scientists ever wrote about it. Wanted to know myself what made the blamed thing work. What I told you is what the scientists said, near as I remember. Now me–I’m like Edison. I do it and let everybody else worry over ‘why.’” “The only thing you ever did was the polarizer,” Joyce snapped. “And then you spent everything you got from it on those fool perpetual-motion machines and those crazy longevity schemes when any moron would know they were impossible.” Grampa squinted at her sagely. “That’s what they said about the gravity polarizer before I invented it.” “But you don’t really know why it works,” Junior persisted. “Well, no,” Grampa admitted. "Actually I was just fiddling around with…

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #5, from Poirot Investigates, by Agatha Christie

…not so! The true clues are within—here!” He tapped his forehead. “See you, I need not have left London. It would have been sufficient for me to sit quietly in my rooms there. All that matters is the little grey cells within. Secretly and silently they do their part, until suddenly I call for a map, and I lay my finger on a spot—so—and I say: the Prime Minister is there! And it is so! With method and logic one can accomplish anything! This frantic rushing to France was a mistake—it is playing a child’s game of hide-and-seek. But now, though it may be too late, I will set to work the right way, from within. Silence, my friends, I beg of you.” And for five long hours the little man sat motionless, blinking his eyelids like a cat, his green eyes flickering and becoming steadily greener and greener. The Scotland Yard man was obviously contemptuous, Major Norman was bored and impatient, and I myself found the time pass with wearisome slowness. Finally, I got up, and strolled as noiselessly as I could to the window. The matter was becoming a farce. I was secretly concerned for my friend. If he failed, I would have preferred him to fail in a less ridiculous manner. Out of the window I idly watched the daily leave boat, belching forth columns of smoke, as she lay…

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #6, from Crimes of Preachers in the United States and Canada, by M. E. Billings

…1894 Ackerman, Rev. Elmer Pres. Felonious assault on wife of elder. Accused; arrested. Agnew, Rev. T. H. Auburn, Ill. M. E. Violation of postal law; called brother minister names on a card. Fined. 1893 Alford, Rev. Mr. Salem, O. Col. Malversation of funds; left town with camp-meeting gate receipts. Accused. 1894 Anderson, Rev. Pierce Hermann, Mo. Bap. Horse stealing; confessed; 4 years in penitentiary. 1894 Armstrong, Rev. Cal. Kokomo, Ind. Embezzlement, as county treasurer, 3 years. 1894 Barnett, Rev. James Columbus, O. Bap. Drunkenness; arrested for disturbing the peace. Barrett, Rev. Dr. Banks Co., Ga. Bap. Illicit distilling; arrested; bound over. Bartsch, Rev. Bernard Sutter, Ill. G. Evan. Abortion, charged with attempting to procure. Arrested. 1894 Bates, Rev. W. H. Johnstown, Pa. Ref. Immorality, with disorderly woman; suspended by church. Baullauff, Rev. Paul East New York, N. Y. Desertion; also accused of bigamy and perjury. 1894 Beardsley, Rev. E. H. Pratt City, Ala. Meth. Grand larceny; pleaded guilty; to penitentiary. 1893 Bennett, Rev. Hampton D. Lebanon, O. Slander; sued for $10,000 by Pres. Long, Antioch College. 1893 Bennetts, Rev. J. J. Meaderville, Mont. M. E. Accused of breaking up home of William Hay. 1894 Berry, Rev. B. F. Postville, Iowa. M. E. Lying; fraudulent dealings; immoral conduct….

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #7, from Arms and the Man, by Bernard Shaw

…have the skin taken off their backs. SERGIUS. (rising indignantly). I’ll say so. And if one of them is man enough to spit in my face for insulting him, I’ll buy his discharge and give him a pension. (He strides out, his humanity deeply outraged.) BLUNTSCHLI. (confidentially). Just see that he talks to them properly, Major, will you? PETKOFF. (officiously). Quite right, Bluntschli, quite right. I’ll see to it. (He goes to the door importantly, but hesitates on the threshold.) By the bye, Catherine, you may as well come, too. They’ll be far more frightened of you than of me. CATHERINE. (putting down her embroidery). I daresay I had better. You will only splutter at them. (She goes out, Petkoff holding the door for her and following her.) BLUNTSCHLI. What a country! They make cannons out of cherry trees; and the officers send for their wives to keep discipline! (_He begins to fold and docket the papers. Raina, who has risen from the divan, strolls down the room…

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #8, from History of the World War: An Authentic Narrative of the World’s Greatest War

…part of their front line system to the enemy. Notwithstanding this the men of the Second Canadian Division at St. Eloi fought quite as nobly as had their brothers of the First Division just a year before, at the glorious battle of Ypres, a few miles farther north. But it was a bitter experience. The lesson of failure is as necessary in the education of a nation as that of success. On June 2d and 3d, the Third Canadian Division, which then occupied part of the line in the Ypres salient, including Hooge and Sanctuary Wood, was smothered by an artillery bombardment unprecedented in length and intensity. Trenches melted into irregular heaps of splintered wood, broken sand bags and mangled bodies. Fighting gallantly the men of this division fell in large numbers, where they stood. The best infantry in the world is powerless against avalanches of shells projected from greatly superior numbers of guns. The Canadian trenches were obliterated, not captured. By this time Britain had thoroughly learned her lesson, and now countless shells and guns were pouring into France from Great Britain where thousands of factories, new and old, toiled night and day, under the inspiring energy of Mr. Lloyd George. On June 13th, in a terrific counter-attack, the Canadians in turn blasted the Huns from the trenches taken from them a few days before….

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #9, from The Book of the Dead, by Sir E. A. Wallis Budge

…“O Usekh-nemmit, comer forth from Anu, I have not committed sin.”O Fenti, comer forth from Khemenu, I have not robbed. “O Neha-hau, comer forth from Re-stau, I have not killed men.”O Neba, comer forth in retreating, I have not plundered the property of God. “O Set-qesu, comer forth from Hensu, I have not lied.”O Uammti, comer forth from Khebt, I have not defiled any man’s wife. “O Maa-anuf, comer forth from Per-Menu, I have not defiled myself.”O Tem-Sep, comer forth from Tetu, I have not cursed the king. “O Nefer-Tem, comer forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have not acted deceitfully; I have not committed wickedness.”O Nekhen, comer forth from Heqat, I have not turned a deaf ear to the words of the Law (or Truth)." The names of most of the Forty-Two gods are not ancient, but were invented by the priests probably about the same time as the names in the Book of Him that is in the Tuat and the Book of Gates, i.e., between the XIIth and the XVIIIth dynasties. Their artificial character is shown by their meanings. Thus Usekh-nemmit means “He of the long strides”; Fenti means “He of the Nose”; Neha-hau means “Stinking-members”; Set-qesu means “Breaker of bones,” etc. The early Egyptologists called the second part of the CXXVth Chapter the…

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #10, from Psmith, Journalist, by P. G. Wodehouse

…gloomy turn, say to yourselves, ‘All is well. Psmith is keeping a watchful eye upon our interests.’" “All the same, I should like to see this W. Windsor,” said Mr. Asher. Psmith shook his head. “I shouldn’t,” he said. “I speak in your best interests. Comrade Windsor is a man of the fiercest passions. He cannot brook interference. Were you to question the wisdom of his plans, there is no knowing what might not happen. He would be the first to regret any violent action, when once he had cooled off, but would that be any consolation to his victim? I think not. Of course, if you wish it, I could arrange a meeting–” Mr. Asher said no, he thought it didn’t matter. “I guess I can wait,” he said. “That,” said Psmith approvingly, “is the right spirit. Wait. That is the watch-word. And now,” he added, rising, “I wonder if a bit of lunch somewhere might not be a good thing? We have had an interesting but fatiguing little chat. Our tissues require restoring. If you gentlemen would care to join me–” Ten minutes later the company was seated in complete harmony round a table at the Knickerbocker. Psmith, with the dignified bonhomie…

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #11, from Meddler’s Moon, by George O. Smith

…historic fact." “Sure. So is my girl marrying that bird, huh?” “They will marry,” replied Hedgerly. “Yeah? That’s not very complimentary to me,” snapped Graydon. “I’ve been number One man with Marie for quite some time now. I hardly think–” “Give them time,” replied Hedgerly succinctly. “In a short period, the propinquity in which they are thrust–” Graydon whirled Hedgerly around by grabbing both lapels of the coat in one large, well manicured hand. “Propinquity!” exploded Graydon in full volume, which was enough to cause endless echoes up and down the corridor. Then even the echoes had echoes for a full minute. Joan Willson backed out of the way. The hand that enclosed both lapels of Hedgerly’s coat looked well manicured and in excellent care, but she had a firm hunch that well-tended included the matter of keeping it firm, hard, and dangerous. Graydon was no cream puff, and of a size where even a cream puff is respected. But Graydon did not dust his knuckles off against Hedgerly’s nose. Breeding came to the fore, and Graydon let the other man relax. “Propinquity,” he said in a level voice that sounded very firm, "presupposes that you and I and possibly Miss Willson are going to…

More: Read or Listen on IA →

Excerpt #12, from The philosophy of biology, by James Johnstone

…mechanism (or series of mechanisms) out of many. A motor habit, or path, is then established and will persist. [25] Or more generally effector mechanism. This enables us to include reactions, such as secretory ones, which are not motor. Such a conception is clear and reasonable in principle, and all work on nervous physiology tends to show that it is a good working hypothesis. We cannot read modern books without feeling that immense advances will be made by its aid. But the complexity of the brain of the higher vertebrate is so incredibly great, and the difficulties of imagining the nature of the necessary physico-chemical reactions in the synapses, and elsewhere, are so immense that experimental verification may be impossible. And all that we have said applies to a single elemental stimulus, yet in any common action the stimulus is a synthesis of almost innumerable simple ones, while the response is also a synthesis. The optical image of almost any object contains a very great number of tints and colours differing almost imperceptibly: there must at least be as many simple stimuli as there are rod or cone elements in the part of the retina covered by the image. The motor responses consist of a multitude of delicately adjusted and co-ordinated muscular contractions and relaxations. If we are to accept a mechanistic hypothesis of action, of this kind, and which includes only such processes as…

More: Read or Listen on IA →

A production of Friendlyskies.net