Quick Excerpts, from a Library of 492 Titles

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Excerpt #1, from The Secret Service, the Field, the Dungeon, and the Escape, by Albert D. Richardson

…his troops was without parallel. At this moment the official ax fell. He received an order to turn over his command to Hunter. It was a trying ordeal, but he did a soldier’s duty, obeying silently and instantly. The first intelligence which the army received was conveyed by this touching farewell: SOLDIERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI ARMY: Agreeably to orders this day received, I take leave of you. Although our army has been of sudden growth, we have grown up together, and I have become familiar with the brave and generous spirit which you bring to the defense of your country, and which makes me anticipate for you a brilliant career. Continue as you have begun, and give to my successor the same cordial and enthusiastic support with which you have encouraged me. Emulate the splendid example already before you, and let me remain, as I am, proud of the noble army which I have thus far labored to bring together. [Sidenote: DISAFFECTION AMONG THE SOLDIERS.] Soldiers! I regret to leave you. Sincerely I thank you for the regard and confidence you have invariably shown me. I deeply regret that I shall not have the honor to lead you to the victory which you are just about to win, but I shall…

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Excerpt #2, from Radio Activity, by Ernest Rutherford

…example, the emanations and Th X, can consist of any known kind of matter; for there is no evidence to show that inactive matter can be made radio-active, or that two forms of the same element can exist, one radio-active and the other not. For example, half of the matter constituting the radium emanation has undergone change after an interval of four days. After the lapse of about one month the emanation as such has nearly disappeared, having been transformed through several stages into other and more stable types of matter, which are in consequence difficult to detect by their radio-activity. The striking difference in chemical and physical properties which exists in many cases between the various products themselves, and also between the primary active substance and its products, has already been drawn attention to in chapter IX. Some of the products show distinctive electro-chemical behaviour and can be removed from a solution by electrolysis. Others show differences in volatility which have been utilized to effect a partial separation. There can be no doubt that each of these products is a definite new chemical substance, and if it could be collected in sufficient quantity to be examined by ordinary chemical means, would be found to behave like a distinct chemical element. It would differ, however, from the ordinary chemical element in the shortness of its life, and the fact that it is continuously changing…

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

…answer. But he was looking at me soberly enough; and he wasn’t in the habit of saying startling things, unless there was a fairly solid basis of truth in them. He was the last man in the world to accuse of saying or doing anything merely for the sake of effect. “That depends,” I returned. “Why?” “Because if we find what we’re going after that’s the sort of formation we may have to buck against until we get that stuff to Walsh,” he replied coolly. “Beautiful prospect, eh? I reckon you’ll understand better if I tell you how it came about.”The day you left, Lessard had me up on the carpet again. When he got through cross-questioning me, he considered a while, and finally said that under the circumstances he felt that losing my stripes would be punishment enough for the rank insubordination I’d been guilty of, and he would therefore revoke the thirty-day sentence. I pricked up my ears at that, I can tell you, because Lessard isn’t built that way at all. When a man talks to any officer the way I did to him, he gets all that’s coming, and then some for good measure. I began to see light pretty quick, though. He went on to say that he had spoken to Miss Rowan about her father, and had learned that without doubt those two old fellows were headed this way with between forty and fifty thousand dollars in gold-dust, that they’d washed on Peace River. Since I’d been on the spot…

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Excerpt #4, from Seven O’Clock Stories, by Robert Gordon Anderson

…Who could they be talking about? Then they went through the gate. “Be very quiet,” said Mother as they entered the door, “and you’ll see the end of another true fairy story.” So they tiptoed in. There in a bed lay Mrs. Brown, looking very happy. And curled up in her arm she had–well, what do you think she had? A little sleeping baby! Like the little Orioles Baby had been born just a few days ago. “That,” said Mother, “is the prettiest fairy story of all.” And the children thought so too. There–we’ve finished just in time. We hear the Little Clock. There goes his silver tongue now. Good-night! Sweet Dreams. ELEVENTH NIGHT MOTHER HEN AND ROBBER HAWK Jehosophat and Marmaduke were whispering together. “Let’s try it,” said Jehosophat. “An’ see what happens,” added Marmaduke. So they tiptoed into the House of the White Wyandottes and placed the big duck’s eggs in with the smaller eggs under the setting hen. Mother Hen did not like that, oh no!…

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Excerpt #5, from Clairvoyance and Occult Powers, by William Walker Atkinson

…chapter–there will be found a close agreement in principle and practice. And, now let us pass on to a consideration of the various forms and phases of the clairvoyant phenomena itself. The subject is fascinating, and I am sure that you will enjoy this little excursion into the strange realm of thought regarding the astral phenomena of clairvoyance. But, be sure to master each lesson before proceeding to the rest, as otherwise you will have to turn back the leaves of the course in order to pick up some point of teaching that you have neglected. LESSON IX. SIMPLE CLAIRVOYANCE. In a previous chapter we have seen that there are three well-defined classes of clairvoyance, namely, (1) Simple clairvoyance; (2) Clairvoyance in space; and (3) Clairvoyance in Time. I shall now consider these in sequence, beginning with the first, Simple Clairvoyance. In simple clairvoyance the clairvoyant person merely senses the auric emanations of other persons, such as the auric vibrations, colors, etc., currents of thought vibrations, etc., but does not see events or scenes removed in space or time from the observer. There are other phenomena peculiar to this class of clairvoyance which I shall note as we progress with this chapter. An authority on the subject of astral phenomena has written interestingly,…

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Excerpt #6, from Gulliver’s Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, by Jonathan Swift

…down every precipice, and bouncing his head against every post; and in the streets, of justling others, or being justled himself into the kennel. It was necessary to give the reader this information, without which he would be at the same loss with me to understand the proceedings of these people, as they conducted me up the stairs to the top of the island, and from thence to the royal palace. While we were ascending, they forgot several times what they were about, and left me to myself, till their memories were again roused by their flappers; for they appeared altogether unmoved by the sight of my foreign habit and countenance, and by the shouts of the vulgar, whose thoughts and minds were more disengaged. At last we entered the palace, and proceeded into the chamber of presence, where I saw the king seated on his throne, attended on each side by persons of prime quality. Before the throne, was a large table filled with globes and spheres, and mathematical instruments of all kinds. His majesty took not the least notice of us, although our entrance was not without sufficient noise, by the concourse of all persons belonging to the court. But he was then deep in a problem; and we attended at least an hour, before he could solve it. There stood by him, on each side, a young page with flaps in their hands, and when…

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Excerpt #7, from The Aztec Treasure

…I tried afterwards to measure it, and found that for craniological purposes it was utterly valueless. Even had I required Pablo’s aid in this encounter he could not possibly have given it to me, for he was himself just then very hotly engaged. Indeed, but for assistance that come to him from an unexpected quarter his life assuredly would have been lost. He was in the act of hauling back to strike at the fellow facing him, and he did not at all know that he was in imminent danger of a thrust in the back from a wounded wretch who, having struggled upon his knees, was using what little life was left in him to deliver yet another blow. Just at this critical instant it was that Fray Antonio dashed into the thick of the fighting, and covered Pablo’s body with his own against this assault in the rear; so that, as the Indian struck, the knife only cut through the monk’s habit and slightly scratched his arm, instead of making a hole between Pablo’s shoulder-blades that would have let the life out of him. Young, who was close beside Pablo, saw what was going on, and checked it before further harm was done by turning quickly and shooting off the top of the wounded Indian’s head; and then Fray Antonio retired out of the fighting in which, without himself striking a blow, he had taken so gallant a part. So far as I was concerned, the fight was at an end when I had so cleverly mashed the head of my second assailant. No more Indians came at…

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Excerpt #8, from Derelicts: An Account of Ships Lost at Sea in General Commercial Traffic, by Sprunt

…Colonel Scharf, writing of the Confederate States Navy, mentions the shore lights: “At the beginning of the war,” he says, “nearly all the lights along the Southern coast had been discontinued, the apparatus being removed to places of safety. In 1864 it was deemed expedient to re-establish the light on Smith’s Island, which had been discontinued ever since the beginning of hostilities, and to erect a structure for a light on the ‘Mound.’ The ‘Mound’ was an artificial one, erected by Colonel Lamb, who commanded Fort Fisher.” Captain Wilkinson says of the “Mound” and the range lights: "Two heavy guns were mounted upon it, and it eventually became a site for a light, and very serviceable for blockade runners; but even at this period it was an excellent landmark. Joined by a long, low isthmus of sand with the higher mainland, its regular conical shape enabled the blockade runners easily to identify it from the offing; and in clear weather, it showed plain and distinct against the sky at night. I believe the military men used to laugh slyly at the colonel for undertaking its erection, predicting that it would not stand; but the result showed the contrary; and whatever difference of opinion may have existed with regard to its value as a military position, there can be but one as to its utility to the blockade runners, for it was not a landmark alone, along this monotonous coast, but one of the range lights for crossing New Inlet…

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Excerpt #9, 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 #10, from Rounding up the Raider: A Naval Story of the Great War, by Percy F. Westerman

…veer out her cable. “The anchor’s not holding, sir!” shouted the German petty officer in charge of the fo’c’sle party. “Then let go a second anchor,” yelled Klick excitedly. “Make them look sharp, or we’ll be foul of the Pelikan.” The unter-leutnant had no cause to complain of the lack of energy on the part of the prisoners. With the utmost dispatch the second anchor was let go. Before twenty fathoms, which alone ought to be sufficient to bring the Myra to a standstill, were paid out the whole of the cable of the first anchor had been made use of. Suddenly a sullen roar was heard coming from down-stream. The Mohoro River at certain intervals, especially at extraordinary spring-tides, is subject to a bore. The bore is very erratic. Sometimes it is very much in evidence, at other times it is hardly perceptible; but there was no doubt that now it was of unusual magnitude. Nearer and nearer came the wall of solid water, maintaining an unbroken wave towards the centre of the river. Close to the banks it broke heavily. “Go full speed ahead or we’ll be into you!” shouted Kapitan von Riesser frantically. The Myra’s engine-room telegraph clanged. Either by accident or…

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Excerpt #11, from Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling

…and the rocks whirled through the air and fell far off into the sea. ‘Kun?’ said All-the-Turtle-there-was. ‘Payah kun,’ said the Eldest Magician; and he breathed upon the sand and the rocks, where they had fallen in the sea, and they became the most beautiful islands of Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra, Java, and the rest of the Malay Archipelago, and you can look them out on the map! By and by the Eldest Magician met the Man on the banks of the Perak river, and said, ‘Ho! Son of Adam, are all the Animals obedient to you?’ ‘Yes,’ said the Man. ‘Is all the Earth obedient to you?’ ‘Yes,’ said the Man. ‘Is all the Sea obedient to you?’ ‘No,’ said the Man. ‘Once a day and once a night the Sea runs up the Perak river and drives the sweet-water back into the forest, so that my house is made wet; once a day and once a night it runs down the river and draws all the water after it, so that there is nothing left but mud, and my canoe is upset. Is that the play you told it to play?’ ‘No,’ said the Eldest Magician. ‘That is a new and a bad play.’ ‘Look!’ said the Man, and as he spoke the great Sea came up the mouth of the Perak river, driving the river backwards till it overflowed all the dark forests for miles and miles, and flooded the Man’s house….

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Excerpt #12, from Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, by Charlotte Brontë

…make out a connection between the first words and the verse of Scripture, when the sound of a cough close behind me made me turn my head. I saw a girl sitting on a stone bench near; she was bent over a book, on the perusal of which she seemed intent: from where I stood I could see the title—it was “Rasselas;” a name that struck me as strange, and consequently attractive. In turning a leaf she happened to look up, and I said to her directly— “Is your book interesting?” I had already formed the intention of asking her to lend it to me some day. “I like it,” she answered, after a pause of a second or two, during which she examined me. “What is it about?” I continued. I hardly know where I found the hardihood thus to open a conversation with a stranger; the step was contrary to my nature and habits: but I think her occupation touched a chord of sympathy somewhere; for I too liked reading, though of a frivolous and childish kind; I could not digest or comprehend the serious or substantial. “You may look at it,” replied the girl, offering me the book. I did so; a brief examination convinced me that the contents were less taking than the title: “Rasselas” looked dull to my trifling taste; I saw nothing about fairies, nothing about genii; no bright variety…

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