Quick Excerpts, from a Library of 492 Titles

Generated 2022-07-28 13:26:42

Excerpt #1, from The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit

…Viney. Her son-in-law has broken his arm, and she had to get home early. She’s coming this morning at ten.” That was a wonderful breakfast. It is unusual to begin the day with cold apple pie, but the children all said they would rather have it than meat. “You see it’s more like dinner than breakfast to us,” said Peter, passing his plate for more, “because we were up so early.” The day passed in helping Mother to unpack and arrange things. Six small legs quite ached with running about while their owners carried clothes and crockery and all sorts of things to their proper places. It was not till quite late in the afternoon that Mother said:– “There! That’ll do for to-day. I’ll lie down for an hour, so as to be as fresh as a lark by supper-time.” Then they all looked at each other. Each of the three expressive countenances expressed the same thought. That thought was double, and consisted, like the bits of information in the Child’s Guide to Knowledge, of a question and an answer. Q. Where shall we go? A. To the railway. So to the railway they went, and as soon as they started for the railway they saw where the garden had hidden itself. It was right behind the…

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Excerpt #2, from Let’s Get Together, by Isaac Asimov

…since." Lynn was disturbed. He wondered if his incredulity concerning the whole business were really the result of wounded pride and fear for his job and reputation. He was embarrassed by the possibility that this might be so, and yet he was forced into defense. He said, “Look, young man, the stalemate between Them and Us was never perfect in every detail, you know. They have always been ahead in one facet or another and We in some other facet or another. If They’re ahead of us right now in robotics, it’s because They’ve placed a greater proportion of Their effort into robotics than We have. And that means that some other branch of endeavor has received a greater share of Our efforts than it has of Theirs. It would mean We’re ahead in force-field research or in hyper-atomics, perhaps.” Lynn felt distressed at his own statement that the stalemate wasn’t perfect. It was true enough, but that was the one great danger threatening the world. The world depended on the stalemate being as perfect as possible. If the small unevennesses that always existed over-balanced too far in one direction or the other– Almost at the beginning of what had been the Cold War, both sides had developed thermonuclear weapons, and war became unthinkable. Competition switched from the military to the economic and…

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Excerpt #3, from Raw Gold: A Novel, by Bertrand W. Sinclair

…field-glasses assured us. But that was the sum total of our acquired knowledge, and it brought us no nearer the breaking up of the Goodell-Gregory combination or the recovery of the loot. So for a third night we were compelled to seek sanctuary in the silent canyons. And the third day brought us no better luck. At evening we were constrained to admit that we were simply butting our heads against a wall–with an ever-present possibility of the wall toppling over and crushing us flat. Altogether, we spent five consecutive days hovering around that collection of law-enforcers, in imminent risk of capture. Each night in the open was more cheerless than the preceding one, and each day brought the same sense of futile effort at its close. Twice during that time the Police camp moved, and we had to be wary, for they scoured the surrounding territory with painstaking thoroughness. But we felt that there was yet a chance for us to turn the tables, for Goodell was still with the troop, and also Gregory; we saw them both the morning of the fifth day. “It beats me why they’re pecking around over the same ground so much,” Mac observed. "I suppose they’re looking for us, but I’m pretty sure they haven’t had a glimpse of us for three days, and so I don’t see why they should think we’re still hanging around. Logically, if we’d got…

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Excerpt #4, from Mr. Dooley in Peace and in War, by Finley Peter Dunne

…or engagin’ in some other spoort iv childhood! Go wan with ye!" “But who are they, annyhow?” “I make it a rule in me life not to discuss anny woman’s charac-ter,” replied Mr. Dooley, sternly. “If Doc Nansen was off there skylarkin’ with Flora an’ Fauna, it’s his own business, an’ I make no inquiries. A lady’s a lady, be she iver so humble; an’, as Shakespeare says, cursed be th’ man that’d raise an ax to her, save in th’ way iv a joke. We’ll talk no scandal in this house, Hinnissy.” But, after his friend had gone, Mr. Dooley leaned over confidentially, and whispered to Mr. McKenna, “But who are Flora an’ Fauna, Jawn?” “I don’t know,” said Mr. McKenna. “It sounds mighty suspicious, annyhow,” said the philosopher. “I hope th’ doc’ll be able to square it with his wife.” ON A POPULIST CONVENTION. "Keep ye’er eye on th’ Pops, Jawn. They’re gr-reat people an’ a gr-reat pa-arty. What is their principles? Anny ol’ thing that th’ other pa-arties has rijected. Some iv thim is in favor iv coining money out iv baled hay an’ dhried apples at a ratio iv sixteen to wan, an’ some is in favor iv coinin’ on’y th’ apples. Thim are th’ inflationists. Others want th’ gover’mint to divide up the rivinues equally among all la-ads that’s too sthrong to wurruk. Th’ Pops is again th’ banks an’ again the…

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Excerpt #5, from Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

…this paper; and both one and the other were so great, that the renegade perceived that the paper had not been found by chance, but had been in reality addressed to someone of us, and he begged us, if what he suspected were the truth, to trust him and tell him all, for he would risk his life for our freedom; and so saying he took out from his breast a metal crucifix, and with many tears swore by the God the image represented, in whom, sinful and wicked as he was, he truly and faithfully believed, to be loyal to us and keep secret whatever we chose to reveal to him; for he thought and almost foresaw that by means of her who had written that paper, he and all of us would obtain our liberty, and he himself obtain the object he so much desired, his restoration to the bosom of the Holy Mother Church, from which by his own sin and ignorance he was now severed like a corrupt limb. The renegade said this with so many tears and such signs of repentance, that with one consent we all agreed to tell him the whole truth of the matter, and so we gave him a full account of all, without hiding anything from him. We pointed out to him the window at which the reed appeared, and he by that means took note of the house, and resolved to ascertain with particular care who lived in it. We agreed also that it would be advisable to answer the Moorish lady’s letter, and the renegade without a moment’s delay took down the words I dictated to…

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Excerpt #6, from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 1, by Edgar Allan Poe

…one more point—but this was a point of seemingly vast consequence. It appears that, immediately after the discovery of the clothes as above described, the lifeless, or nearly lifeless body of St. Eustache, Marie’s betrothed, was found in the vicinity of what all now supposed the scene of the outrage. A phial labelled “laudanum,” and emptied, was found near him. His breath gave evidence of the poison. He died without speaking. Upon his person was found a letter, briefly stating his love for Marie, with his design of self-destruction. “I need scarcely tell you,” said Dupin, as he finished the perusal of my notes, “that this is a far more intricate case than that of the Rue Morgue; from which it differs in one important respect. This is an ordinary, although an atrocious instance of crime. There is nothing peculiarly outré about it. You will observe that, for this reason, the mystery has been considered easy, when, for this reason, it should have been considered difficult, of solution. Thus; at first, it was thought unnecessary to offer a reward. The myrmidons of G—— were able at once to comprehend how and why such an atrocity might have been committed. They could picture to their imaginations a mode—many modes—and a motive—many motives; and because it was not…

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Excerpt #7, from The Old East Indiamen, by E. Keble Chatterton

…for the passenger’s accommodation. The money was paid direct to the paymaster of seamen’s wages at his pay office in London, who handed these respective sums over to the commander or third mate. In the case of military officers who were in his Majesty’s service and not in the East India Company’s army, the charges were slightly different. Thus general officers were charged £235, colonels £185, lieutenant-colonels and majors £135, captains and surgeons £110, subalterns and assistant-surgeons £95, for the voyage out. For the homeward voyage the commanders of these East Indiamen were allowed to charge 2500 rupees from Bombay for lieutenant-colonels or majors, 2000 rupees for captains, and 1500 rupees for subalterns when returning to Europe, either on sick certificate or military duty, whether in his Majesty’s or the Company’s service. Regular East Indiamen were bound, if asked, to receive on board at least two of the above officers, and in this case the larboard third part of the captain’s great cabin, with the passage to the quarter-gallery, was to be apportioned off for their accommodation. In the case of an extra ship one such officer was bound to be carried if the commander were requested, and he was to be accommodated with a cabin on the starboard side, abaft the chief mate’s cabin, and abreast of the spirit-room. His cabin was to be not less than seven feet long and six feet wide. If the…

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Excerpt #8, from The Sign of the Four, by Arthur Conan Doyle

…shape and size it was not unlike a cigarette-case. Inside were half a dozen spines of dark wood, sharp at one end and rounded at the other, like that which had struck Bartholomew Sholto. “They are hellish things,” said he. “Look out that you don’t prick yourself. I’m delighted to have them, for the chances are that they are all he has. There is the less fear of you or me finding one in our skin before long. I would sooner face a Martini bullet, myself. Are you game for a six-mile trudge, Watson?” “Certainly,” I answered. “Your leg will stand it?” “Oh, yes.” “Here you are, doggy! Good old Toby! Smell it, Toby, smell it!” He pushed the creasote handkerchief under the dog’s nose, while the creature stood with its fluffy legs separated, and with a most comical cock to its head, like a connoisseur sniffing the bouquet of a famous vintage. Holmes then threw the handkerchief to a distance, fastened a stout cord to the mongrel’s collar, and led him to the foot of the water-barrel. The creature instantly broke into a succession of high, tremulous yelps, and, with his nose on the ground, and his tail in the air, pattered off upon the trail at a pace which strained his leash and kept us at the top of our speed….

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Excerpt #9, from Curious Punishments of Bygone Days, by Alice Morse Earle

…minor severities of the Puritan law receive their reward of ignominy." Thus Nicholas Olmstead, in Connecticut, is to “stand on the pillory at Hartford the next lecture-day.” He was to be “sett on a lytle before the beginning and to stay thereon a lytle after the end.” The disgrace of the pillory clung, though the offence punished was not disgraceful. Thus in the year 1697 a citizen of Braintree, William Veasey, was set in the pillory for ploughing on a Thanksgiving day, which had been appointed in gratitude for the escape of King William from assassination. The stiff old Braintree rebel declared that James II was his rightful king. Five years later Veasey was elected a member of the General Court, but was not permitted to serve as he had been in the pillory. Throughout the Massachusetts jurisdiction the pillory was in use. In 1671 one Mr. Thomas Withers for “surriptisiously endeavoring to prevent the Providence of God by putting in several votes for himself as an officer at a town meeting” was ordered to stand two hours in the pillory at York, Maine. Shortly after (for he was an ingenious rogue) he was similarly punished for “an irregular way of contribution,” for putting large sums of money into the contribution box in meeting to induce others to give largely, and then again “surriptisiously” taking his gift back again….

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Excerpt #10, from A collection of Latin maxims and phrases literally translated, by John N. Cotterell

…ed. p. 378.) This presumption of satisfaction, however, does not arise where the debt was not contracted until after the will was made, or where it was secured by a Bill of Exchange or other negotiable instrument, or where the legacy was contingent, not payable immediately on testator’s death, or of a specific chattel. (See Snell’s Equity, 16th ed. p. 184; also Max. No. 56.) =* 55. Delegatus non potest delegare.= An agent cannot delegate his authority. A principal (except by his own assent) is not bound by the acts or contracts of subagents unless they be of necessity, or in accordance with the usual custom of trade. Delegata potestas non potest delegari. (See Chitty on Contracts, 16th ed. p. 278; and Maxs. Nos. 194, 208, and 280.) =56. Delicatus debitor est odiosus in lege.= An extravagant debtor is contemned in the eye of the law. By the Bankruptcy Act, 1883, the Court may either refuse a bankrupt his discharge, or suspend its operation, on proof that he has brought on his bankruptcy by an unjustifiable extravagance in living. (See Max. No. 54.) =57. Dentur omnes decimae primariae ecclesiae ad quam parochia pertinet.= _All tithes must be paid to the Mother Church to which…

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Excerpt #11, from Robot nemesis, by E. E. Smith

…thoughtfully. “Much, however, can be done. We can probably tune our defensive screens to block most of the harmful radiations, and we may be able to muster other defenses. I will analyze the radiations and see what we can do about neutralizing them.” “You will go to bed,” directed Martin, crisply. “There will be lots of time for that work after you get rested up. The doctors have been reporting that the men who did not recover from the robots’ broadcast are dying under this acceleration. With those facts staring us in the face, however, I do not see how we can reduce our power.” “We can’t. As it is, many more of us will probably die before we get away from the sun,” and Stone staggered away, practically asleep on his feet. Day after day the frightful fall continued. The sun grew larger and larger, more and ever more menacingly intense. One by one at first, and then by scores, the mindless men of the Fleet died and were consigned to space–a man must be in full control of all his faculties to survive for long an acceleration of three gravities. * * * * * The generators of the defensive screens had early been tuned to neutralize as much as possible of Old Sol’s most fervently harmful frequencies, and but for their mighty shields every man of the Fleet…

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Excerpt #12, from The Republic, by Plato

…informed, perhaps he would have said that the explanation could not be given except to a disciple of the previous sciences. (Symposium.) Many illustrations of this part of the Republic may be found in modern Politics and in daily life. For among ourselves, too, there have been two sorts of Politicians or Statesmen, whose eyesight has become disordered in two different ways. First, there have been great men who, in the language of Burke, ‘have been too much given to general maxims,’ who, like J.S. Mill or Burke himself, have been theorists or philosophers before they were politicians, or who, having been students of history, have allowed some great historical parallel, such as the English Revolution of 1688, or possibly Athenian democracy or Roman Imperialism, to be the medium through which they viewed contemporary events. Or perhaps the long projecting shadow of some existing institution may have darkened their vision. The Church of the future, the Commonwealth of the future, the Society of the future, have so absorbed their minds, that they are unable to see in their true proportions the Politics of to-day. They have been intoxicated with great ideas, such as liberty, or equality, or the greatest happiness of the greatest number, or the brotherhood of humanity, and they no longer care to consider how these ideas must be limited in practice or harmonized with the conditions of human life. They are full of light,…

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