Quick Excerpts, from a Library of 492 Titles

Generated 2022-07-28 13:26:49

Excerpt #1, from Tales of the Samurai, by Asataro Miyamori

…three days. But for you we should have known nothing till too late. You are a hero indeed. Now go and get food and rest before you start on your return journey.” * * * * * The afternoon of the same day, Iyeyasu, at the head of 20,000 men proceeded to the castle of Ushikubo, where he was joined by the two Lords Oda with their combined forces of 50,000 men. Arrangements were set on foot for an early start the next morning. Iyeyasu then spoke to Katsutaka again:— “As you see, our allied armies will be able to reach Nagashino in two days at the latest. So rest assured that the relief will be in time. You must be greatly fatigued. Remain here a few days till you are fully rested.” “Your Excellency is too considerate, but I cannot take advantage of your kindness. I must return at once and tell the garrison of the success of my mission and that help is coming. Allow me to set out without delay.” “By your own showing it would be quite impossible for you to re-enter the castle in the manner in which you came out. Do not be rash, but stay here as I advise you.” “A thousand pardons, Your Excellency,” said Katsutaka, respectfully,…

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Excerpt #2, from Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling

…Then the Elephant’s Child grew all breathless, and panted, and kneeled down on the bank and said, ‘You are the very person I have been looking for all these long days. Will you please tell me what you have for dinner?’ ‘Come hither, Little One,’ said the Crocodile, ‘and I’ll whisper.’ Then the Elephant’s Child put his head down close to the Crocodile’s musky, tusky mouth, and the Crocodile caught him by his little nose, which up to that very week, day, hour, and minute, had been no bigger than a boot, though much more useful. ‘I think, said the Crocodile–and he said it between his teeth, like this–‘I think to-day I will begin with Elephant’s Child!’ At this, O Best Beloved, the Elephant’s Child was much annoyed, and he said, speaking through his nose, like this, ‘Led go! You are hurtig be!’ Then the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake scuffled down from the bank and said, ‘My young friend, if you do not now, immediately and instantly, pull as hard as ever you can, it is my opinion that your acquaintance in the large-pattern leather ulster’ (and by this he meant the Crocodile) ‘will jerk you into yonder limpid stream before you can say Jack Robinson.’ This is the way Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snakes always talk. Then the Elephant’s Child sat back on his little haunches, and pulled,…

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Excerpt #3, from History of the World War: An Authentic Narrative of the World’s Greatest War

…special indignation, and Pope Benedict sent a protest to Berlin. An examination of exploded shells indicated that the new German gun was less than nine inches in caliber, and that the projectiles, which weighed about two hundred pounds, contained two charges, in two chambers connected by a fuse which often exploded more than a minute apart. It took three minutes for each shell to travel to Paris and it was estimated that such a shell rose to a height of twenty miles from the earth. Three of these guns were used. One of these guns exploded on March 29th, killing a German lieutenant and nine men. The Kaiser was present when the gun was first used. It was said by American scientists that seismographs in the United States felt the shock of each discharge. On April 9th French aviators discovered the location of the new guns, and French artillery began to drop enormous shells weighing half a ton each near the German monsters. A few days later a French shell fell on the barrel of one of these guns and put it out of commission. Great craters were made around the other, interfering with its use, and toward the end of the period it was only occasionally that the remaining gun was fired, and no great damage resulted. Another feature of the great German drives was the tremendous destruction that accompanied them. Not only were churches, public buildings, and private houses throughout almost the whole district…

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Excerpt #4, from The Lock and Key Library: Classic Mystery and Detective Stories: Modern English

…I tore open the cupboard in which he kept his linen–seized a handful of his handkerchiefs–gagged him with one of them, and secured his hands with the others. There was now no danger of his alarming the servants. After tying the last knot, I looked up. The door between the Englishman’s room and mine was open. My fair friend was standing on the threshold–watching him as he lay helpless on the bed; watching me as I tied the last knot. “What are you doing there?” I asked. “Why did you open the door?” She stepped up to me, and whispered her answer in my ear, with her eyes all the time upon the man on the bed: “I heard him scream.” “Well?” “I thought you had killed him.” I drew back from her in horror. The suspicion of me which her words implied was sufficiently detestable in itself. But her manner when she uttered the words was more revolting still. It so powerfully affected me that I started back from that beautiful creature as I might have recoiled from a reptile crawling over my flesh. Before I had recovered myself sufficiently to reply, my nerves were assailed by another shock. I suddenly heard my mistress’s voice calling to me from the stable yard….

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Excerpt #5, from Ancient, Curious, and Famous Wills, by Virgil M. Harris

…clergyman to have them exhumed, she had the two little coffins carried back to the house, and glass lids made to them. They were kept in a room set apart for the purpose, and remained there until her death–a period of a quarter of a century. On that event they were again buried by one of her sons, a clergyman, who, having been born long after their death, used to remark: “There was not probably another clergyman who could say he had buried two people who died before he was born.” WILL OF MR. GREFTULKE An individual named Greftulke, who entertained a great dread of being buried alive, added to his will this clause: “I do not wish to be buried; but desire that my body be embalmed, and placed in a coffin, the lid of which shall be glazed; also I desire it be not nailed down, so that my body may not be deprived of air and light. Ultimately it may be buried, if the law permit.” This will was proved October, 1867, and signed John Louis Greftulke. WILL OF THOMAS HOLLIS This testator, Thomas Hollis of Cusicombe, Dorsetshire, England, ordered his corpse to be buried in one of his cornfields, ten feet below the surface, and the ground to be immediately ploughed, so that no trace of the spot might remain. WILL OF MRS. MARIA REDDING…

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Excerpt #6, from Diary of Anna Green Winslow, a Boston School Girl of 1771, by Anna Green Winslow

…Go on I pray, & let me still pursue Those Golden ARTS the Vulgar never knew." Yr Dutifull Daughter ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. The poetry I transcrib’d from my Copy Book. March 19.–Thursday last I spent at home, except a quarter of an hour between sunset and dark, I stepped over the way to Mr. Glover’s with aunt. Yesterday I spent at Unkle Neddy’s & stitched wristbands for aunt Polly. By the way, I must inform you, (pray dont let papa see this) that yesterday I put on No 1 of my new shifts, & indeed it is very comfortable. It is long since I had a shift to my back. I dont know if I ever had till now–It seem’d so strange too, to have any linen below my waist–I am going to dine at Mrs. Whitwell’s to day, by invitation. I spent last evening at Mrs Rogers. Mr Hunt discoursed upon the doctrine of the Trinity–it was the second time that he spoke upon the subject at that place. I did not hear him the first time. His business last eve^g was to prove the divinity of the Son, & holy Ghost, & their equality with the Father. My aunt Deming says, it is a grief to her, that I don’t always write as well as I can, I can write pretily. March 21.–I din’d & spent the afternoon of Thursday last, at Mrs Whitwell’s. Mrs Lathrop, & Mrs Carpenter din’d there also. The latter…

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Excerpt #7, from A history of Canada, 1763 to 1812, by Sir Charles Prestwood Lucas

…were made at Ticonderoga for forwarding supplies by Lake George. On the 23rd of July the advanced guard moved forward to Fort Anne: on the 25th the whole army had reached that point; on the 29th, the van arrived at Fort Edward, which the Americans had already evacuated, and on the 30th Burgoyne arrived at the same place. A large convoy of provisions sent by Lake George reached the head of that lake by the 29th, Fort George like Fort Edward having been abandoned by the enemy, who had carried off their stores. Thus the end of July found Burgoyne on the Hudson, well on his way to Albany; the main difficulties of the expedition seemed to be past; but as a matter of fact the most trying time was yet to come. His communications were insecure, for he could not spare men to guard them. His transport was inadequate, and so were his supplies. Delay in bringing up stores meant time to the Americans to recover their spirits and gather in his front: he had no tidings from Howe, and no sure knowledge of St. Leger’s progress. He only knew that at all hazards he was expected to make his way to Albany. [Sidenote: The beginning of misfortunes. Murder of Jane McCrae by the Indians.] While he halted at Fort Edward, two untoward incidents took place. The first was a brutal murder by Indians of a young white woman…

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Excerpt #8, from On the Trail of the Space Pirates, by Carey Rockwell

…perfect order. “It’s a tough break that we couldn’t get that fix on Coxine’s position. I was counting on it. But at least we found Tom. That’s plenty to be thankful for.” “How is he, sir?” asked Roger. “He’ll be all right,” replied the Solar Guard captain, his face showing the strain of the past weeks. “We gave him pure oxygen and he came to long enough to tell us what happened aboard the Avenger. Get me teleceiver contact with Space Academy as soon as possible. I’ve got to send a report to Commander Walters.” “Right, sir.” “You’ve done a good job, Manning. Your work here on the radar bridge did as much toward saving Tom’s life as anything.” “Thank you, sir. After what Tom did on the Avenger, though, I don’t feel like I’ve done very much. It took real courage to go aboard that ship with Coxine.” Strong smiled wearily. “Well, the boy is safe now and we have a good idea what part of the belt Coxine is operating in. With a little luck and a thorough fleet patrol, we might be able to get him before he can do any more harm.” Strong went below to the cadet’s quarters where Astro was sitting quietly, watching Tom. The cadet was sound asleep. When Strong entered,…

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Excerpt #9, from A Humorous History of England, by Charles Harrison

…The Tar, those times a breezy boy With shiny hat and pigtail long And love for lass and glass and song. Discovery of About this date Electric Force Electric Force Dawns on mankind. Before, of course, In Lightning it was all about, With noise enough to be found out. Coelo eripuit fulmen, ‘Twas said of Franklin, as ye ken. Philosopher of bygone age Accept our homage on this page. But who’d have thought it that Galvani When making soup, (this is no blarney) By his power of observation On a frog’s legs’ oscillation Should find how by chemic ways Electric currents we can raise? To call him ‘great’ is no flattery; He set us on the wondrous battery. This simple little frog, Heigh Ho! The frog who would a-wooing go;…

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Excerpt #10, from Mr. Munchausen , by John Kendrick Bangs

…bear-shooer performs?" “What useful what?” asked Beelzy. “Function–duty–what does the duty of a bear-shooer consist in?” explained Mr. Munchausen. “Is he a blacksmith who shoes bears instead of horses?” “He’s a bear-chaser,” explained Beelzy, “and I’m it,” he added. “That, Ma’am, is the function of a bear-shooer in the menagerie of a hotel.” Sapphira having expressed herself as satisfied, Beelzebub continued. “You see this here house is shut up all winter, and when everybody’s gone and left it empty the bears come down out of the mountains and use it instead of a cave. It’s more cosier and less windier than their dens. So when the last guest has gone, and all the doors are locked, and the band gone into winter quarters, down come the bears and take possession. They generally climb through some open window somewhere. They divide up all the best rooms accordin’ to their position in bear society and settle down to a regular hotel life among themselves.” “But what do they feed upon?” asked Sapphira. “Oh they’ll eat anything when they’re hungry,” said Beelzy. "Sofa cushions, parlor rugs, hotel registers–anything they can fasten their teeth to. Last year they came in through the cupola, burrowin’ down through the snow to get at it, and there they stayed enjoyin’ life out…

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Excerpt #11, from The World’s Greatest Books — Volume 15 — Science, by J. A. Hammerton and Arthur Mee

…unchangeability of species. Even when quite different remains of animals were discovered by the advancing science of geology, they were forced into the existing narrow framework of science by Cuvier. Sir Charles Lyell completely undid the fallacious work of Cuvier, but in the meantime the zoologists themselves were moving toward the doctrine of evolution. Jean Lamarck made the first systematic attempt to expound the theory in his “Zoological Philosophy” (1809). He suggested that animals modified their organs by use or disuse, and that the effect of this was inherited. In the course of time these inherited modifications reached such a pitch that the organism fell into a new “species.” Goethe also made some remarkable contributions to the science of evolution. But it was reserved for Charles Darwin to win an enduring place in science for the theory. “The Origin of Species” (1859) not only sustained it with a wealth of positive knowledge which Lamarck did not command, but it provided a more luminous explanation in the doctrine of natural selection. Huxley (1863) followed with an application of the law to man, and in 1866 I gave a comprehensive sketch of its application throughout the whole animal world. In 1874 I published the first edition of the present work. The doctrine of evolution is now a vital part of biology, and we might…

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Excerpt #12, from The Jest Book, by Mark Lemon

…to him? “How should I understand,” replied the narrator, “what he said? I am not skilled in any of the dead languages.” CMXCVI.–TAKING A HINT. THE Bishop preached: “My friends,” said he, “How sweet a thing is charity, The choicest gem in virtue’s casket!” “It is, indeed,” sighed miser B., “And instantly I’ll go and–ask it.” CMXCVII.–SWEARING THE PEACE. AN Irishman, swearing the peace against his three sons, thus concluded his affidavit: “And this deponent further saith, that the only one of his children who showed him any real filial affection was his youngest son Larry, for he never struck him when he was down!” CMXCVIII.–THE RULING PASSION. THE death of Mr. Holland, of Drury Lane Theatre, who was the son of a baker at Chiswick, had a very great effect upon the spirits of Foote, who had a very warm friendship for him. Being a legatee, as well as appointed by the will of the deceased one of his bearers, he attended the corpse to the family vault at Chiswick, and there very sincerely paid a plentiful tribute of tears to his memory. On his return to town, Harry Woodward asked him if he had not been paying the last compliment…

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