Quick Excerpts, from a Library of 492 Titles

Generated 2022-07-28 13:26:10

Excerpt #1, from Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts, by Frank Richard Stockton

…notwithstanding his furiously dissenting voice it was determined to surrender, and when Mr. Rhett sailed up to the Royal James, intending to board her if the pirates still showed resistance, he found them ready to submit to terms and to yield themselves his prisoners. Thus ended the great sea-fight between the private gentlemen, and thus ended Stede Bonnet’s career. He and his men were taken to Charles Town, where most of the pirate crew were tried and executed. The green-hand pirate, who had wrought more devastation along the American coast than many a skilled sea-robber, was held in custody to await his trial, and it seems very strange that there should have been a public sentiment in Charles Town which induced the officials to treat this pirate with a certain degree of respect simply from the fact that his station in life had been that of a gentleman. He was a much more black-hearted scoundrel than any of his men, but they were executed as soon as possible while his trial was postponed and he was allowed privileges which would never have been accorded a common pirate. In consequence of this leniency he escaped and had to be retaken by Mr. Rhett. It was so long before he was tried that sympathy for his misfortunes arose among some of the tender-hearted citizens of Charles Town whose houses he would have pillaged and whose families he would have murdered if the exigencies of piracy had rendered such action desirable….

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Excerpt #2, from Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman, by Thomas Hardy

…seen sooner; and I won’t come.” “Then good morning, my four months’ cousin—good-bye!” He leapt up lightly, arranged the reins, and was gone between the tall red-berried hedges. Tess did not look after him, but slowly wound along the crooked lane. It was still early, and though the sun’s lower limb was just free of the hill, his rays, ungenial and peering, addressed the eye rather than the touch as yet. There was not a human soul near. Sad October and her sadder self seemed the only two existences haunting that lane. As she walked, however, some footsteps approached behind her, the footsteps of a man; and owing to the briskness of his advance he was close at her heels and had said “Good morning” before she had been long aware of his propinquity. He appeared to be an artisan of some sort, and carried a tin pot of red paint in his hand. He asked in a business-like manner if he should take her basket, which she permitted him to do, walking beside him. “It is early to be astir this Sabbath morn!” he said cheerfully. “Yes,” said Tess. “When most people are at rest from their week’s work.” She also assented to this. “Though I do more real work to-day than all the week besides.”…

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Excerpt #3, from Ten Months in a German Raider: A prisoner of war aboard the Wolf, by Cameron

…would be ready. Immediately after breakfast the dishes were cleaned and the quarters given their regular daily clean up. Usually during the forenoon, after their work was done, the prisoners were allowed to go up on deck and enjoy the fresh air. Dinner at 12:30 noon, coffee at 3:30 P.M., and supper at 6:30. Very seldom was anybody allowed on deck after coffee. At 8:00 P.M. all lights were extinguished excepting three, one over the steps at the exit and two at the back of the quarters. The distribution of the fresh water was also very poor. Each prisoner was allowed half a gallon per day for washing, drinking and bathing purposes. This amount, properly conserved, will answer the purpose, but unfortunately the method of distribution was so poor that not all got their regular allowance; and the loss of this water caused the unfortunate ones great inconvenience, especially during the time that the Wolf was in the tropics. Many of the men used tea to brush their teeth in; and I have heard of cases where tea had been used for shaving purposes, but imagine these cases to be rare. While there, a Captain of a big British oil tank steamer that had been captured and sunk told me the following piece of history. I afterwards verified this and can vouch for its truth. While the Wolf was lying at Sunday Island undergoing repairs to her boilers, the prisoners were…

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Excerpt #4, from With Lawrence in Arabia, by Lowell Thomas

…stage. CHAPTER VI THE GATHERING OF THE DESERT TRIBES Chafing under the red tape of army regulations, certain slight differences had arisen between the chiefs at G.H.Q. and independent young Lawrence. His aversion to saluting superiors, for instance, and his general indifference to all traditional military formalities did not exactly increase his popularity with some of the sterner warriors of the old school. In the Arab uprising Lawrence saw an avenue of escape from his Cairo strait-jacket. Ronald Storrs, then Oriental secretary to the high commissioner of Egypt, was ordered to make a trip down the Red Sea to Jeddah, with messages to Emir Hussein, instigator of the Mecca revolt. Although he had played no part in starting the Hedjaz revolution, Lawrence had long realized the possibility of the Arabs’ helping prick the kaiser’s imperialistic bubble; so he asked permission to take a fortnight’s vacation, and he has been on that leave of absence ever since! Some of his superiors at the Savoy Hotel in Cairo were delighted at the prospect of getting rid of this altogether too obstreperous upstart “shavetail” lieutenant, and his request was granted with alacrity. But Lawrence, contrary to the custom of war-worn veterans…

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Excerpt #5, from Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery

…and rimmed in by great palm-like clumps of water fern; and beyond it was a log bridge over the brook. That bridge led Anne’s dancing feet up over a wooded hill beyond, where perpetual twilight reigned under the straight, thick-growing firs and spruces; the only flowers there were myriads of delicate “June bells,” those shyest and sweetest of woodland blooms, and a few pale, aerial starflowers, like the spirits of last year’s blossoms. Gossamers glimmered like threads of silver among the trees and the fir boughs and tassels seemed to utter friendly speech. All these raptured voyages of exploration were made in the odd half hours which she was allowed for play, and Anne talked Matthew and Marilla half-deaf over her discoveries. Not that Matthew complained, to be sure; he listened to it all with a wordless smile of enjoyment on his face; Marilla permitted the “chatter” until she found herself becoming too interested in it, whereupon she always promptly quenched Anne by a curt command to hold her tongue. Anne was out in the orchard when Mrs. Rachel came, wandering at her own sweet will through the lush, tremulous grasses splashed with ruddy evening sunshine; so that good lady had an excellent chance to talk her illness fully over, describing every ache and pulse beat with such evident enjoyment that Marilla thought even grippe must bring its…

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Excerpt #6, from Meditations, by Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius

…XII. What those things are in themselves, which by the greatest part are esteemed good, thou mayest gather even from this. For if a man shall hear things mentioned as good, which are really good indeed, such as are prudence, temperance, justice, fortitude, after so much heard and conceived, he cannot endure to hear of any more, for the word good is properly spoken of them. But as for those which by the vulgar are esteemed good, if he shall hear them mentioned as good, he doth hearken for more. He is well contented to hear, that what is spoken by the comedian, is but familiarly and popularly spoken, so that even the vulgar apprehend the difference. For why is it else, that this offends not and needs not to be excused, when virtues are styled good: but that which is spoken in commendation of wealth, pleasure, or honour, we entertain it only as merrily and pleasantly spoken? Proceed therefore, and inquire further, whether it may not be that those things also which being mentioned upon the stage were merrily, and with great applause of the multitude, scoffed at with this jest, that they that possessed them had not in all the world of their own, (such was their affluence and plenty) so much as a place where to avoid their excrements. Whether, I say, those ought not also in very deed to be much respected, and esteemed of, as the only things that are truly good. XIII. All that I consist of, is either form or matter. No corruption…

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Excerpt #7, from The Art of Conversation: Twelve Golden Rules, by Josephine Turck Baker

…story-telling. It seems to me that if one would entertain one’s friends now and then with a good story, it would enliven what would otherwise be a very dull occasion. She.–Story-tellers–good story-tellers–are probably born, not made; and yet, the person who is not especially gifted in this art, may succeed in entertaining his listeners, provided that he has wit enough to remember the “point,” and to couch his language so that the dénouement is not surmised, for surprise is an important element in the telling of a story. He.–Occasionally, I hear a good story, and one that I wish to remember, but I can never trust myself to repeat it for fear that I shall commit the flagrant sin of missing the “point”; and that omission would, of course, be unpardonable. She.–I think you might become a very successful reconteur, if you would give some attention to the art in question. Of course, the important thing to remember is, what are the essentials, to omit all unnecessary details, to keep the listener in suspense and, above all, not to omit the point. We can not all be Charles Lambs nor Sydney Smiths, but we can each have our little store of “funnycisms” from which to draw when the occasion is opportune, or the story relevant. He.–Well, I suppose we must decide that one must be a good listener…

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Excerpt #8, from The Book of Hallowe’en, by Ruth Edna Kelley

…She says in to hersel; He bleez’d owre her, an’ she owre him, As they wad never mair part; Till fuff! he started up the lum,[2] And Jean had e’en a sair heart To see’t that night." BURNS: Hallowe’en. [1] Careful. [2] Chimney. Three “luggies,” bowls with handles like the Druid lamps, were filled, one with clean, one with dirty water, and one left empty. The person wishing to know his fate in marriage was blindfolded, turned about thrice, and put down his left hand. If he dipped it into the clean water, he would marry a maiden; if into the dirty, a widow; if into the empty dish, not at all. He tried until he got the same result twice. The dishes were changed about each time. This spell still remains, as does that of hemp-seed sowing. One goes out alone with a handful of hemp-seed, sows it across ridges of ploughed land, and harrows it with anything convenient, perhaps with a broom. Having said: "Hemp-seed, I saw thee,…

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Excerpt #9, from The Valley of the Moon, by Jack London

…Mercedes dropped the lid and shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows? I shall rest well.” “And punishment?” Saxon probed, remembering the unthinkable tale of the other’s life. “Impossible, my dear. As some old poet said, ‘God’s a good fellow.’ Some time I shall talk to you about God. Never be afraid of him. Be afraid only of the salt vats and the things men may do with your pretty flesh after you are dead.” CHAPTER VII Billy quarreled with good fortune. He suspected he was too prosperous on the wages he received. What with the accumulating savings account, the paying of the monthly furniture installment and the house rent, the spending money in pocket, and the good fare he was eating, he was puzzled as to how Saxon managed to pay for the goods used in her fancy work. Several times he had suggested his inability to see how she did it, and been baffled each time by Saxon’s mysterious laugh. “I can’t see how you do it on the money,” he was contending one evening. He opened his mouth to speak further, then closed it and for five minutes thought with knitted brows. “Say,” he said, “what’s become of that frilly breakfast cap you was workin’ on so hard, I ain’t never seen you wear it, and it was sure too…

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Excerpt #10, from The Story of the Barbary Corsairs, by J. D. Jerrold Kelley and Stanley Lane

…for which the smaller galleots and brigantines were particularly destined, the descents upon the Spanish coasts was to some degree obstructed by the final expulsion of the last of the Moors from Andalusia in 1610.[66] That stroke deprived the Corsairs of the ready guides and sympathisers who had so often helped them to successful raids, and larger vessels and more fighting men were needed if such descents were to be continued. Moreover, the Barbary rovers were ambitious to contend with their old enemies for golden treasure on the Spanish main itself; the science of navigation was fast developing; and they felt themselves as equal to venturing upon long cruises as any European nation. Now a long cruise is impossible in a galley, where you have some hundreds of rowers to feed, and where each pound of biscuit adds to the labour of motion; but sails have no mouths, and can carry along a great weight of provisions without getting tired, like human arms. So sails triumphed over oars. The day of the galley was practically over, and the epoch of the ship had dawned. As early as 1616 Sir Francis Cottington reported to the Duke of Buckingham that the sailing force of Algiers was exciting general alarm in Spain: "The strength and boldness of the Barbary pirates is now grown to that height, both in the ocean and the Mediterranean seas, as I have never known anything to have wrought a greater sadness and distraction in…

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Excerpt #11, from Principles of politeness, and of knowing the world, by Chesterfield

…side, and at the end of every sentence, asking him some such questions as the following: ‘Wasn’t I right in that?’—‘You know, I told you so?’—‘What’s your opinion?’ and the like; or perhaps they will be thrusting him, or jogging him with their elbow. For mercy’s sake, never give way to this; it will make your company dreaded. 7. LONG talkers are frequently apt to single out some unfortunate man present, generally the most silent one of the company, or probably him who sits next to him. To this man, in a kind of half-whisper they will run on for half an hour together. Nothing can be more ill-bred. But if one of these unmerciful talkers should attack you, if you wish to oblige him, I would recommend the hearing him with patience: Seem to do so at least, for you could not hurt him more than to leave him in the middle of his story, or discover any impatience in the course of it. 8. INCESSANT talkers are very disagreeable companions. Nothing can be more rude than to engross the conversation to yourself, or to take the words as it were, out of another man’s mouth. Every man in company has an equal claim to bear his part in the conversation, and to deprive him of it, is not only unjust, but a tacit declaration that he cannot speak so well upon the subject as yourself; you will therefore take it up: And, what can be more rude? I would as soon forgive a man that should stop my mouth when I was gaping, as take my words from me while I was…

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Excerpt #12, from The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance, by H. G. Wells

…you—” He helped himself to more whiskey and soda. Kemp got up, looked about him, and fetched a glass from his spare room. “It’s wild—but I suppose I may drink.” “You haven’t changed much, Kemp, these dozen years. You fair men don’t. Cool and methodical—after the first collapse. I must tell you. We will work together!” “But how was it all done?” said Kemp, “and how did you get like this?” “For God’s sake, let me smoke in peace for a little while! And then I will begin to tell you.” But the story was not told that night. The Invisible Man’s wrist was growing painful; he was feverish, exhausted, and his mind came round to brood upon his chase down the hill and the struggle about the inn. He spoke in fragments of Marvel, he smoked faster, his voice grew angry. Kemp tried to gather what he could. “He was afraid of me, I could see that he was afraid of me,” said the Invisible Man many times over. “He meant to give me the slip—he was always casting about! What a fool I was! “The cur! “I should have killed him!” “Where did you get the money?” asked Kemp, abruptly….

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