Quick Excerpts, from a Library of 492 Titles

Generated 2022-07-28 13:26:33

Excerpt #1, from Diary of Anna Green Winslow, a Boston School Girl of 1771, by Anna Green Winslow

…Miss Polly Glover was Mary Glover, born in Boston, October 12, 1758, baptized at the Old South Church, married to Deacon James Morrell, of the Old South, on April 23, 1778, and died April 3, 1842. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Glover (who was born May 16, 1704, in Dorchester; died December, 1773), and his wife, Anne Simpson. They were married in 1750. Nathaniel Glover was a graduate of Harvard, and a wealthy man; partner first of Thomas Hancock, and then of John Hancock. NOTE 10. Miss Bessy Winslow was Elizabeth, Anna’s cousin, who was then about ten years old. See Note 5. NOTE 11. Miss Nancy or Anne Glover was Mary Glover’s sister. See Note 9. She was born in Boston, March 28, 1753, baptized in the Old South Church, died in Roxbury, August, 1797. She married Samuel Whitwell, Jr., son of Samuel Whitwell, a prominent Boston merchant. See Note 7. NOTE 12. Miss Sally Winslow was Sarah, daughter of John Winslow (see Note 5), and was, therefore, Anna’s cousin. She was born April 12, 1755, died April 3, 1804. She married, November 27, 1787, Samuel Coverly,…

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Excerpt #2, from The Fifth Ace, by Isabel Ostrander

…too, I’ll admit that." “Do you want to try a little of it for me?” Willa asked. “An old Spanish woman disappeared early this morning from that house back on Second Place, and I want her found without delay. It’s she whom those other men are after; she used to live with her grandson, a hunchback, in that cottage upon the Parkway. There will be double wages in it for you while you’re working on it, and a thousand dollars reward if you find her and bring her to me.” She went on to describe Tia Juana, and Dan listened in rapt attention to every detail, fired with instant enthusiasm for the new job. “You leave it to me, Miss!” he announced confidently when she had finished. “I’ll get into that house to-morrow, one way or another, and have a talk with the landlady and the kid. I’ll soon find out if they know more than they’ve told. In the meantime, I’ll make the round of the hospitals to-night and have a look-in at headquarters to see if she’s turned up missing. Those fellers trailing us this afternoon don’t make it look as if they or the man they’re workin’ for could have got hold of her already and there’s a chance that she just wandered off, like, on her own hook. I’ll let you know the minute I’ve got a line on her. Wish I spoke her lingo!” "Oh, Tia Juana understands English well enough when she wants to, and…

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Excerpt #3, from Everybody’s Book of Luck, by Anonymous

…the disc bearing the lucky symbols. Count up the numbers shown in this space and consult the lists below. Whatever message is attached to your number, so is your fate. It is well to remember that if any part of a projection comes within the disc-space, its particular number counts, whether it can be seen or not. The fact that the projection is visible is what matters. You can consult the discs on love, marriage or fortune, but you must decide which you are engaging before the discs are rotated. [Illustration: No. 34.–The Discs of Fate.] Love Answers 1.–Do not be cold. More affection will help on your cause. 2.–Take no thought of interfering relatives. Make up your own mind. 3.–A proposal is not far distant. Give it very careful consideration. 4.–A quarrel, followed by a speedy reconciliation, is predicted. 5.–A misunderstanding will cause a good deal of dissatisfaction; but all’s well that ends well. 6.–A pleasant adventure will be experienced by you within the next twelve months. 7.–You are more successful than, apparently, you imagine. 8.–Make up your mind which one you want. There is danger ahead if you keep more than one hanging to your apron strings….

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Excerpt #4, from Cliff Castles and Cave Dwellings of Europe, by S. Baring

…latter are bare to the face of day, and no concealment is possible or attempted. Those who had recourse to the first trusted in being able, should the entrance be discovered or betrayed, to defend themselves by various devices, whereas those who resorted to the latter relied on their inaccessibility. Where a cliff stood up precipitous or overhanging, and in its face gaped caverns, those who sought refuge in time of danger naturally looked to them, and contrived means of reaching them, therein to ensconce their goods and secure their persons. They might have to contemplate the devastation of their fields, and their farms burning, from their eyries, but they knew that their persons were safe. There were various ways by which these caves could be reached; one was by cutting notches in the face of the cliff for fingers and toes, so that it could be climbed to from below, but not accessible to an enemy exposed to the thrust of pikes, and to stones being cast down upon him. Or else the notches were cut laterally from an accessible ledge, but if so, then this mode of approach was carefully guarded. A second method was by ladders, but as some of these caves are so high up that no single ladder could reach their mouths, a succession was contrived notched below and above into the rock where ledges either existed naturally or were contrived artificially, so as to enable the climber…

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Excerpt #5, from Principles of Geology, by Sir Charles Lyell

…proposed for the origin of Monte Nuovo, Von Buch supposes that the present cone of Vesuvius was formed in the year 79, not by eruption, but by upheaval. It was not produced by the repeated superposition of scoriæ and lava cast out or flowing from a central source, but by the uplifting of strata previously horizontal. The entire cone rose at once, such as we now see it, from the interior and middle of Somma, and has since received no accession of height, but, on the contrary, has ever since been diminishing in elevation.[529] Although I consider this hypothesis of Von Buch to be quite untenable, I may mention some facts which may at first sight seem to favor it. These are recorded by M. Abich in his account of the Vesuvian eruptions of 1833 and 1834, a work illustrated by excellent engravings of the volcanic phenomena which he witnessed.[530] It appears that, in the year 1834, the great crater of Vesuvius had been filled up nearly to the top with lava, which had consolidated and formed a level and unbroken plain, except that a small cone thrown up by the ejection of scoriæ rose in the middle of it like an island in a lake. At length this plain of lava was broken by a fissure which passed from N. E. to S. W., and along this line a great number of minute cones emitting vapor were formed. The first act of formation of these minor cones is said to have consisted of a partial upheaval of beds of lava previously horizontal, and which had…

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Excerpt #6, from The Best British Short Stories of 1922, by Stacy Aumonier et al.

…daring it. It was five-and-twenty minutes to nine. Five-and-twenty minutes to nine, and the concert was to have begun at eight!–Five-and-twenty minutes to nine, and there was no one there–no one whatever! The clock hands dragged themselves on for another five-minutes; then one of the men disappeared behind the scene; came back, speaking excitedly, gesticulating with white hands: “We’re to turn on the light. ‘E swears as ’e won’t give it up–’e’s goin’ ter play.” “Goin’ ter play? Well, I’ll be blowed!–Goin’ ter play! An’ with nothing ’ere but That” Jenny saw how he jerked his head in her direction. So she was “That”–she, Jenny Bligh!–and so far gone that she did not even care. As the lights went up the hall seemed to swim in a sort of mist: the terra-cotta walls, the heavy curtains at either side of the platform, those awful empty seats! Jenny spread her skirt wide, catching at the chair to either side of her, stretching out her arms along the backs of them. She had a wild feeling as though it were up to her to spread herself sufficiently to cover them all. She half rose. Perhaps she could hide more of that emptiness if she moved nearer to the front: that was her thought….

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Excerpt #7, from David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens

…which I wondered how they knew. I heard that the man with the wooden leg, whose name was Tungay, was an obstinate barbarian who had formerly assisted in the hop business, but had come into the scholastic line with Mr. Creakle, in consequence, as was supposed among the boys, of his having broken his leg in Mr. Creakle’s service, and having done a deal of dishonest work for him, and knowing his secrets. I heard that with the single exception of Mr. Creakle, Tungay considered the whole establishment, masters and boys, as his natural enemies, and that the only delight of his life was to be sour and malicious. I heard that Mr. Creakle had a son, who had not been Tungay’s friend, and who, assisting in the school, had once held some remonstrance with his father on an occasion when its discipline was very cruelly exercised, and was supposed, besides, to have protested against his father’s usage of his mother. I heard that Mr. Creakle had turned him out of doors, in consequence; and that Mrs. and Miss Creakle had been in a sad way, ever since. But the greatest wonder that I heard of Mr. Creakle was, there being one boy in the school on whom he never ventured to lay a hand, and that boy being J. Steerforth. Steerforth himself confirmed this when it was stated, and said that he should like to begin to see him do it. On being asked by a mild boy (not me) how he would proceed if he did begin to see…

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Excerpt #8, from The Prose Tales of Alexander Pushkin, by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin

…“Interesting!” said Troekouroff: “she knows him already. He taught her music for three whole weeks, and thank God, took nothing for his lessons.” Then Kirila Petrovitch began to relate the story of the pretended French tutor. Maria Kirilovna felt as if she were sitting upon needles. Vereisky, listening with deep attention, found it all very strange, and changed the subject of conversation. On returning from the drive, he ordered his carriage to be brought, and in spite of the earnest requests of Kirila Petrovitch to stay for the night, he took his departure immediately after tea. Before setting out, however, he invited Kirila Petrovitch to pay him a visit and to bring Maria Kirilovna with him, and the proud Troekouroff promised to do so’; for taking into consideration his princely dignity, his two stars, and the three thousand serfs belonging to his estate, he regarded Prince Vereisky in some degree as his equal. CHAPTER XIV. Two days after this visit, Kirila Petrovitch set out with his daughter for the abode of Prince Vereisky. On approaching Arbatova, he could not sufficiently admire the clean and cheerful-looking huts of the peasants, and the stone manor-house built in the style of an English castle. In front of the house stretched a close green lawn, upon which…

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Excerpt #9, from A Few Practical Suggestions, by Logan Pearsall Smith and Society for Pure English

…the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. 1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. 1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from…

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Excerpt #10, from Mr. Punch’s Golf Stories, by J. A. Hammerton

…unerpreshiated riter of himmortal books," ‘e ses. Well, yer can’t argue wif a man like that. Yer can only yumour ’im by respeckful silence, and be reddy all the time to dodge if ’is manyer turns ’ommersidal all of a sudden. ’E took on Mister Washer the other day, a member ’oom both ’e and I ’ave little liking fer. At least, I can arnser fer meself. Fer ’e’s one of your pompus, strutting sort of fellers, ’oo thinks ’e’s good at golf, but ain’t. I ’eard ’im chalenge Mister Brellett to play a rarnd fer ’arf-a-crown, and a less skilful stoodent of yuman nachure than ’Enery Wilks could ’ave told as they didn’t love each other. I ’ad a privit tuppence on the match meself, wif old Washer’s caddy, although not very ’opeful. ’Owever, when ’Enery Wilks’ money is down, as the sying is, ’e’s ’ard to beat. But things went badly wif us from the start. I could see as ’ow Mister Brellett was wurried abart somethink, and in addition to that ’e was acktaly trying to play a keerful, sientifick gime. Oh, lumme, it was orful, I can tell yer! We was skarcely touching a ball, and old Washer, as pleesed as a turkey-kock but far less hornimental, was playing right above ’isself. Fer a man like meself, ’oo’d staked above ’is means, it was ’art-breaking. We lost five ’oles bang orf, and then Mister Brellett spoke ’arf to me and ’arf to ’isself as we walked to the sixth…

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Excerpt #11, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare

…The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent, When we have chid the hasty-footed time For parting us—O, is all forgot? All school-days’ friendship, childhood innocence? We, Hermia, like two artificial gods, Have with our needles created both one flower, Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion, Both warbling of one song, both in one key, As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds, Had been incorporate. So we grew together, Like to a double cherry, seeming parted, But yet a union in partition, Two lovely berries moulded on one stem; So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart; Two of the first, like coats in heraldry, Due but to one, and crownèd with one crest. And will you rent our ancient love asunder, To join with men in scorning your poor friend? It is not friendly, ’tis not maidenly. Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it, Though I alone do feel the injury….

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Excerpt #12, from Under the German shells, by Emmanuel Bourcier

…repeated along the line. We crept, we crawled like slugs, profiting by the smallest tuft of grass, the shallowest recess in the ground that might serve as a shield, but with little hope of escape. Some furious discharges of seventy-fives cracked with such rapidity and precision that they comforted us. We felt sustained and protected and steadied ourselves. We were annoyingly hampered by our heavy equipment, our inconvenient cartridge-boxes and all our cumbersome accoutrement. Suddenly a man was wounded. He cried out, and, losing all prudence, arose, ran, crossed the embankment and fled to the shelter. Instinctively we followed his example. On the way another man was wounded and fell. Two of his companions seized him and, dragging him between them, struggled to safety, in the shelter of the railroad-bank. It was finished. We reassembled. We were muddy, bruised, and wounded; eyes red from loss of sleep, and mouths drawn, but, just the same, we were content. Thenceforth we were soldiers. We had faced danger. True, we had not fought, but we were ready. Our rôle had just commenced. We had occupied this sector to fit it up as this novel thing, this underground war, demanded. This task achieved, we were to be its defenders. It was necessary to dig trenches that we might no longer watch from the scanty shelter of trees; to improve on these primitive holes that had been dug, to serve…

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