Quick Excerpts, from a Library of 492 Titles

Generated 2022-07-28 13:25:57

Excerpt #1, from Investigation of Communist Activities in Seattle, Wash., Area, Hearings, Part 1

…examined by a doctor here, and if the doctor here should rule that he can testify I would have no objection. I thought that I should protect Mr. Kerr. Mr. MOULDER. This is very vague. Mr. SYKES. That is correct. Mr. MOULDER. And very indefinite. We will take this under consideration. Counsel, will you call another witness? Mr. WHEELER. Mr. Harold Johnston. Mr. MOULDER. Hold up your right hand and be sworn, please. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony which you are about to give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. JOHNSTON. I do. TESTIMONY OF HAROLD JOHNSTON, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS COUNSEL, JAY C. SYKES Mr. WHEELER. Will the witness state his name, please? Mr. JOHNSTON. Harold Johnston. Mr. WHEELER. Are you represented by counsel? Will counsel identify himself for the record? Mr. SYKES. Jay G. Sykes, Seattle. Mr. WHEELER. When and where were you born, Mr. Johnston?…

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Excerpt #2, from Dave Dashaway, Air Champion; Or, Wizard Work in the Clouds, by Roy Rockwood

…Dawson, has always had a legal hold on us, and he has treated us cruelly. I suppose there are hundreds of fellows in the world just as unfortunate as I am, but when you have a little sister like Lois to look after, and protect——” There the speaker broke down. Hiram was full of genuine pity for the two waifs. He, too, admired the fidelity of the thoughtful and affectionate brother. He did not ask any more questions. It seemed to be a simple case—two unprotected orphans cruelly treated by a heartless guardian. As they neared Benham Hiram landed at the edge of the place, so as not to attract undue attention to the biplane or his companions. “I’m interested enough in you to wait here, and have you report how you get on with your arrangements about the little girl,” he said to Bruce Beresford. “You’re taking a heap of trouble for a stranger,” murmured his companion. “You’re no stranger,” declared Hiram. “I seem to have known you a long time, although I’ve only been with you a couple of hours. I guess it’s because you’re square and honest. Go ahead, and good luck to you!” The girl waved her thin little hand to Hiram until they were out of sight. The young aviator then busied himself about the machine. He was…

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Excerpt #3, from A Smaller Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, by William Smith

…libertini to attend to the religions rites connected with the worship of the Lares, which that emperor was said to have put up in places where two or more ways met; but there are good reasons for thinking that they were instituted in imitation of the Augustales at Rome, and for the same object, namely, to attend to the worship of Augustus. They formed a collegium and were appointed by the decuriones, or senate of the municipia. The six principal members of the college were called Seviri, a title which seems to have been imitated from the Seviri in the equestrian order at Rome. AUGUSTUS, a name bestowed upon Octavianus in B.C. 27, by the senate and the Roman people. It was a word used in connection with religion, and designated a person as sacred and worthy of worship; hence the Greek writers translate it by Σεβαστός. It was adopted by all succeeding emperors, as if descended, either by birth or adoption, from the first emperor of the Roman world. The name of Augusta was frequently bestowed upon females of the imperial family; but Augustus belonged exclusively to the reigning emperor till towards the end of the second century of the Christian aera, when M. Aurelius and L. Verus both received this surname. From this time we frequently find two or even a greater number of Augusti. From the time of Probus the title became perpetuus Augustus, and from Philippus or…

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Excerpt #4, from R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), by Karel Čapek

…HELENA. (Drawing back) No, no, I must do it myself. Just look at the flames. They are like hands, like tongues, like living shapes. (Raking fire with the poker) Lie down, lie down. NANA. That’s the end of them. (Fireplace slowly out.) HELENA. Nana, Nana! NANA. Good gracious, what is it you’ve burned? (Almost to herself.) HELENA. Whatever have I done? NANA. Well, what is it? (MEN’S laughter off L.2.) HELENA. Go quickly. It’s the gentlemen calling. NANA. Good gracious, what a place! (Exits L.1.) DOMIN. (Opens door L.2) Come along and offer your congratulations. (Enter HALLEMEIER and DR. GALL.) HALLEMEIER. (Crosses to R.C.) Madame Helena, I congratulate you on this festive day. HELENA. Thank you. (Coming to C.) Where are Fabry and Busman? DOMIN. They’ve gone down the harbor. (Closes the door and comes to C.) HALLEMEIER. Friends, we must drink to this happy occasion. HELENA. (Crosses L.) Brandy? With soda water? (Exits L.1.) HALLEMEIER. Let’s be temperate. No soda. DOMIN. What’s been burning here? Well, shall I tell her about it? DR. GALL. (L.C.) Of course. It’s all over now….

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Excerpt #5, from Legends of the Gods, by Sir E. A. Wallis Budge

…shook, his lips trembled, and the poison took possession of all his flesh just as Hapi (i.e., the Nile) taketh possession of the land through which he floweth. Then the great god made firm his heart (i.e., took courage) and he cried out to those who were in his following:–"Come ye unto me, O ye who have come into being from my members,[FN#67] ye gods who have proceeded from me, for I would make you to know what hath happened. I have been smitten by some deadly thing, of which my heart hath no knowledge, and which I have neither seen with my eyes nor made with my hand; and I have no knowledge at all who hath done this to me. I have never before felt any pain like unto it, and no pain can be worse than this [is]. I am a Prince, the son of a Prince, and the divine emanation which was produced from a god. I am a Great One, the son of a Great One, and my father hath determined for me my name. I have multitudes of names, and I have multitudes of forms, and my being existeth in every god. I have been invoked (or, proclaimed?) by Temu and Heru-Hekennu. My father and my mother uttered my name, and [they] hid it in my body at my birth so that none of those who would use against me words of power might succeed in making their enchantments have dominion over me.[FN#68] I had come forth from my tabernacle to look upon that which I had made, and was making my way through the two lands which I had made, when a blow was aimed at me,…

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Excerpt #6, from Uncle Wiggily’s Adventures, by Howard Roger Garis

…So the man stopped the auto, and picked up Uncle Wiggily’s crutch and valise, which the old gentleman rabbit had dropped when he jumped upon the seat beside the boy, and then the car went on. And Uncle Wiggily wasn’t a bit frightened at being in an auto, for he knew the boy and man would be kind to him. “Perhaps I shall find my fortune now,” the rabbit gentleman said. And the little boy patted him on the back, and stroked his long ears. Now, in the story after this I’ll tell you what happened to Uncle Wiggily at the little boy’s house, and in case our door key doesn’t get locked out, and have to sleep in the park, you are going to hear about Uncle Wiggily in a boat. STORY XIV UNCLE WIGGILY IN A BOAT “Poor rabbit!” exclaimed the little boy in the automobile, as he rubbed Uncle Wiggily’s ears. “I wonder if his foot is much hurt, papa?” “I don’t know,” answered the man, as he steered the machine down the road. “I’ll have the doctor look at it.” “Oh, indeed, it isn’t hurt much,” spoke up Uncle Wiggily. “The rubber tire was soft, you see. But my rheumatism is much worse on account of running so fast.” “What’s this? Well, of all things! This rabbit can talk!” cried the man in…

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Excerpt #7, from Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Complete, by Michel de Montaigne

…are afraid of; and seeing we have nothing in us that is stable, they say that a too brisk and vigorous perfection of health must be abated by art, lest our nature, unable to rest in any certain condition, and not having whither to rise to mend itself, make too sudden and too disorderly a retreat; and therefore prescribe wrestlers to purge and bleed, to qualify that superabundant health), or else a repletion of evil humours, which is the ordinary cause of sickness. States are very often sick of the like repletion, and various sorts of purgations have commonly been applied. Some times a great multitude of families are turned out to clear the country, who seek out new abodes elsewhere and encroach upon others. After this manner our ancient Franks came from the remotest part of Germany to seize upon Gaul, and to drive thence the first inhabitants; so was that infinite deluge of men made up who came into Italy under the conduct of Brennus and others; so the Goths and Vandals, and also the people who now possess Greece, left their native country to go settle elsewhere, where they might have more room; and there are scarce two or three little corners in the world that have not felt the effect of such removals. The Romans by this means erected their colonies; for, perceiving their city to grow immeasurably populous, they eased it of the most unnecessary people, and sent them to inhabit and cultivate the lands conquered by them; sometimes also they purposely maintained wars with…

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Excerpt #8, from My Reminiscences, by Rabindranath Tagore

…employ an epic to teach language is like using a sword to shave with–sad for the sword, bad for the chin. A poem should be taught from the emotional standpoint; inveigling it into service as grammar-cum-dictionary is not calculated to propitiate the divine Saraswati. All of a sudden our Normal School career came to an end; and thereby hangs a tale. One of our school teachers wanted to borrow a copy of my grandfather’s life by Mitra from our library. My nephew and classmate Satya managed to screw up courage enough to volunteer to mention this to my father. He came to the conclusion that everyday Bengali would hardly do to approach him with. So he concocted and delivered himself of an archaic phrase with such meticulous precision that my father must have felt our study of the Bengali language had gone a bit too far and was in danger of over-reaching itself. So the next morning, when according to our wont our table had been placed in the south verandah, the blackboard hung up on a nail in the wall, and everything was in readiness for our lessons with Nilkamal Babu, we three were sent for by my father to his room upstairs. “You need not do any more Bengali lessons,” he said. Our minds danced for very joy. Nilkamal Babu was waiting downstairs, our books were lying open on the table, and the idea of getting us once more to go through the…

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Excerpt #9, from Guide to Fortune Telling, by Dreams, by Anonymous

…in trouble of any kind, it will speedily vanish; it denotes, also, that you will see some friend who has long been absent, and that he will be in good health. Bells.–To dream you hear the bells ringing denotes a speedy marriage, and that you will receive some very good news. Buildings.–To dream of being amongst buildings denotes that you will change your present place of residence, and that you will make many new friends in life; if you are in love, it foretells your sweetheart is about to remove at a distance from you, and that you will be in danger of losing the affections of your lover by new faces. Cats.–To dream of these domestic animals is indicative of much trouble and vexation; it denotes to the lover that your sweetheart is treacherous; if you keep servants, they are unfaithful and will rob you. To dream you kill a cat denotes that you will discover a thief, and prosecute him to conviction; expect, also, to lose your own liberty through the insincerity of some pretended friend. Climbing.–To dream you are climbing a tree denotes some honor in the State, and success in life; if you are in love, you will marry your sweetheart after a long courtship. To dream you are climbing up a very steep hill or place foretells many difficulties and much sickness; if you reach the top, you will get over all your difficulties, and recover…

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Excerpt #10, from Something New, by P. G. Wodehouse

…abuse their host and the rest of their relations. This was the favorite amusement; and after breakfast, on a morning ten days after Joan and Ashe had formed their compact, the terraces were full of perambulating couples. Here, Colonel Horace Mant, walking with the Bishop of Godalming, was soothing that dignitary by clothing in soldierly words thoughts that the latter had not been able to crush down, but which his holy office scarcely permitted him to utter. There, Lady Mildred Mant, linked to Mrs. Jack Hale, of the collateral branch of the family, was saying things about her father in his capacity of host and entertainer, that were making her companion feel like another woman. Farther on, stopping occasionally to gesticulate, could be seen other Emsworth relations and connections. It was a typical scene of quiet, peaceful English family life. Leaning on the broad stone balustrade of the upper terrace, Aline Peters and George Emerson surveyed the malcontents. Aline gave a little sigh, almost inaudible; but George’s hearing was good. “I was wondering when you are going to admit it,” he said, shifting his position so that he faced her. “Admit what?”…

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Excerpt #11, from Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana

…time to be lost. We had nothing on but thin clothes, yet there was not a moment to spare, and at it we went. The boys of the other watch were in the tops, taking in the top-gallant studding-sails, and the lower and topmast studding-sails were coming down by the run. It was nothing but “haul down and clew up,” until we got all the studding-sails in, and the royals, flying-jib, and mizen top-gallant sail furled, and the ship kept off a little, to take the squall. The fore and main top-gallant sails were still on her, for the “old man” did not mean to be frightened in broad daylight, and was determined to carry sail till the last minute. We all stood waiting for its coming, when the first blast showed us that it was not be trifled with. Rain, sleet, snow, and wind, enough to take our breath from us, and make the toughest turn his back to windward! The ship lay nearly over on her beam-ends; the spars and rigging snapped and cracked; and her top-gallant masts bent like whip-sticks. “Clew up the fore and main top-gallant sails!” shouted the captain, and all hands sprang to the clewlines. The decks were standing nearly at an angle of forty-five degrees, and the ship going like a mad steed through the water, the whole forward part of her in a smother of foam. The halyards were let go and the yard clewed down, and the sheets started, and in a few minutes the sails smothered and…

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Excerpt #12, from The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli

…to give or take away authority when it pleases him. Therefore, to make this point clearer, I say that the nobles ought to be looked at mainly in two ways: that is to say, they either shape their course in such a way as binds them entirely to your fortune, or they do not. Those who so bind themselves, and are not rapacious, ought to be honoured and loved; those who do not bind themselves may be dealt with in two ways; they may fail to do this through pusillanimity and a natural want of courage, in which case you ought to make use of them, especially of those who are of good counsel; and thus, whilst in prosperity you honour them, in adversity you do not have to fear them. But when for their own ambitious ends they shun binding themselves, it is a token that they are giving more thought to themselves than to you, and a prince ought to guard against such, and to fear them as if they were open enemies, because in adversity they always help to ruin him. Therefore, one who becomes a prince through the favour of the people ought to keep them friendly, and this he can easily do seeing they only ask not to be oppressed by him. But one who, in opposition to the people, becomes a prince by the favour of the nobles, ought, above everything, to seek to win the people over to himself, and this he may easily do if he takes them under his protection. Because men, when they receive good from him of whom they were expecting evil, are bound more…

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