Old Mrs. Solomon Smith considers herself "nothing but an ignorant old woman" who didn't have the advantages others did when growing up. However, those around her know that she's actually full of biblical wisdom and the experience of walking with Christ through the years. She shares her wisdom -- and more importantly, Christ -- to those she meets in everyday life, in a wise and gentle manner. She touches lives wherever she goes. But can her life and example touch the heart of Laura, a young woman who loves and respects her, but doesn't seem interested in religion?

Nick Carter is a fictional detective who first appeared in 1886 in dime store novels. Over the years, different authors, all taking the nom de plume Nicholas Carter, have penned stories featuring "America's greatest detective". It is time for Nick to take a much-earned vacation, but Chick is disconcerted to see him continuing to read the newspaper. Who know what mystery will catch his eye? Suddenly, he notices the announcement of the death of his old adversary 'Green-Eye Gordon'.

This is a collection of science fiction short stories.

Come and hear some of the wonderful, magical, fantastic and macabre works of the inestimable Edgar Allan Poe. This collection contains the world famous poems Annabel Lee, The Bells, Eldorado and The Raven. Also included is his masterful short story, the horror classic The Tell-Tale Heart. Poe's vocabulary and ability to rhyme and 'turn a phrase' have made him one of the most celebrated and well regarded writers of all time!

Vairagya Shatakam is one of the best books that gives the true picture of Renunciation. The book talks on how a common man gets lured by the endless desires which when satisfied fetches him nothing but the desires again. It concludes saying how these unsatiable desires mislead the man from knowing his real nature-omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience!

A dark tale of adventure, piracy, murder, and revenge set on a rugged Cornish island in the mid-1700s. Told with the literary excellence to be expected from the author of The Four Feathers, the tale begins with a dangerous youth who sat in the stocks, and a girl named Helen, and a gang of men watching a granite house at the edge of the sea. NOTE: Contains some language that would be considered offensive to the modern ear. (Christine Dufour)

This is a wonderful combination of far future science fiction with Conan like sword and sorcery; lots of blood, gore, honor and evil. The immensely powerful hero, Tedric, is a man's man who refuses to accept the cruel human sacrifices demanded by the 'god' Sarpedion and is set on destroying him. To do this he needs some secrets of metallurgy that future social scientists are willing to give him. He manages to overcome all obstacles until of course he meets the dazzlingly lovely Lady Rhoaan who stops him cold...

This story is an honest record of what we, who are all writers, and all very intimate friends, have seen and heard as we looked on at the lives of certain people in whom we are deeply interested. We used to talk about these people when we sat together after the day's work was done."They don't understand one another," said one of the ministers, "else there wouldn't be much trouble.""I think the little girl means better than she is supposed to," said Grace."And I know the two boys are not half so mean as they are made out to be," declared Paranete...

Romer Wilson's first novel is a study in the life of Genius, a theme that would preoccupy her throughout her life. The eponymous Martin Schüler is a young German composer of genius in the years leading up to the Great War. His great passion is to create one magnificent work that will live forever. With his passions so consumed in his art, he makes sacrifices in his human relationships, going through a series of wrenching, unequal love affairs. The novel is of interest not only for Schüler's lifelong struggle to reconcile his fleshly desires with his lust for fame, but also for the Continental setting as Europe falls toward catastrophe.

The story begins with a storm outside an old house and stormy scenes inside between the house’s occupants. It details the eventful life of Zoe Blount, including her involvement in a mystery and her place in a complicated family history. It also follows the course of her romantic attachment and sympathetically portrays her suffering as a result of sexual double standards. The characters’ experiences, particularly within marriage, depict changing ideas of gender roles and relationships in the beginning years of the twentieth century.

A selection of short works about Christmas.

Following a shipwreck Stella is preparing to die but is unexpectedly rescued. A love triangle of an unusual sort develops where an inventor of the mobile phone, back in 1900, who is engaged, becomes involved with a woman who has a passionate mystical influence on him. The story explores the nature of death and how we should look forward to it as being a great step to a greater world.

Honora Klaper is beautiful, distinguished, smart, and charming. A woman who turns heads. She is on an errand. No, it is not an errand to get a man. No, it is not an errand to make money. It is a revolutionary errand: to get an education! Not just "an education", she wants to be educated in Cambridge University. Set in a time when education of women was uncommon, and written by a lady who was educated in Cambridge herself, this book tells about the rewards and the struggles of a woman to win an education. - Summary by Stav Nisser.

VANISHING ENGLANDby P. H. DITCHFIELDINTRODUCTIONThis book is intended not to raise fears but to record facts. We wish to describe with pen and pencil those features of England which are gradually disappearing, and to preserve the memory of them. It may be said that we have begun our quest too late; that so much has already vanished that it is hardly worth while to record what is left. Although much has gone, there is still, however, much remaining that is good, that reveals the artistic skill and taste of our forefathers, and recalls the wonders of old-time...

This is a robust, rough and tumble, first-hand account of the early California gold rush years 1851-1854 by a Scottish adventurer and artist J. D. Borthwick. The first edition, published in 1857 was called Three Years in California. Reprints have used the more descriptive title The Gold Hunters.

Young Percy Maitland is a naval pilot and guides his late father's brig to safety, thereby saving the ship, her crew and cargo despite being pursued by the King's excise collectors. But has his father's successor taken over the smuggling business or are Ralph Tryon's plans more sinister? And what does Percy's widowed mother know? What hold does Ralph have over her?

Hilda is saved from destitution by Edwin Clayhanger who marries her. The two, with Hilda's son by her disastrous 'marriage' to George Cannon, are living in Bursley. Edwin does not enjoy an entirely happy marriage with Hilda because of her outspokenness. Hilda has strong opinions on matters which at the time were considered to be a male preserve – for example, on Edwin’s business. She also does things without telling him. As a consequence, Edwin has his doubts about their marriage and is angered by his wife just as he had been by his father...

A charming collection of short stories, dealing with ghosts, magic, and other-worldly events that even the faint of heart will enjoy. 1. The Intoxicated Ghost - a woman tries to outsmart a ghost to save the family from financial ruin. 2. A Problem In Portraiture - can a man's portrait influence the man he becomes? 3. Knitters In The Sun - will a father's curse keep two lovers apart? 4. A Comedy In Crape - the death of the town playboy causes a dispute over who is entitled to be chief mourner 5. A Meeting Of The Psychical Club - who is the hooded stranger, and are his powers real? 6...

Originality and humor characterize the plots of these clever detective stories. The mysteries are solved by the detective priest, Father Brown. His application of shrewd, common sense to the unraveling of a succession of strange crimes and happenings rob them of the supernatural element attributed to them by the credulous. This is the third collection of similar stories.

ENGLISH LITERATUREBY WILLIAM J. LONG, PH.D.PREFACEThis book, which presents the whole splendid history of English literature from Anglo-Saxon times to the close of the Victorian Era, has three specific aims. The first is to create or to encourage in every student the desire to read the best books, and to know literature itself rather than what has been written about literature. The second is to interpret literature both personally and historically, that is, to show how a great book generally reflects not only the author's life and thought but also the spirit of the age and the ideals of the nation's history...

After reading and re-reading the book many time as a boy and wishing that Lewis Carroll would have written another Alice In Wonderland Book, John Rae began imagining what that girl would have gotten up to if he had done so. Telling these stories to his children over the years, where they were enthusiastically received, he finally decided to share them with the world. And here they are! The New Adventures of Alice

This is a collection of international fairy tales clocking in at 5-15 minutes apiece, suitable for childrens' winter cocoa breaks, or other times when quality entertainment is needed.

Taken from Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes, Switzerland and Austria: Vol. XVI, edited by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Story of Ella Clinton who regardless of her desire to be good is ruled by her passions. Then one day she submits her desires to the only source of good - Almighty God. She is known to be His child by her fruits, for "By Their Fruits Ye shall know them". - Summary by Michelle Hannah

CLARA VAUGHAN, the young heroine, narrator, and namesake for R. D. Blackmore’s early detective novel, is determined to solve the mystery of her father’s murder—a crime that occurred when she was only 10 years of age. The book gives an account of Clara’s adventures, romances, and encounters with many eccentric characters, when, years later, she devotes herself to unraveling the mystery. As Clara states at the beginning of Chapter II, “How that deed was done, I learned at once, and will tell. By whom and why it was done, I have given my life to learn.” R. D. Blackmore, undoubtedly better known for his later novel LORNA DOONE, published this book anonymously in 1864.

When the God-fearing Herzog of Thuringia dies, the Irish missionary settlements face the wrath of his bitterly heathen wife, Geila, and her son, now Herzog Hedan. But when Hedan falls in love with Bilihild, a young Christian maiden, he offers peace to his Christian subjects if Bilihild will become his wife. As Bilihild strives to love her new husband and protect her people, she faces increasing difficulty and danger, especially from her jealous mother-in-law. As the clouds thicken around her, Bilihild must put her entire reliance on the God whom she honors and loves.

Thirteen year old Nettie Decker is called home after having lived with another family for 7 years, to find that her father is a drunkard and her family is in poverty and hopelessness because of it. Her stepmother has given up, and her stepbrother is headed down the same path as her father. As she struggles with the reality of her home life, she meets a friendly neighbor boy, with whom she pledges to do all she can to save her father and stepbrother.

The Secret Planet. No human had ever landed on the hidden planet of Arisia. A mysterious space barrier turned back both men and ships. Then the word came to Earth, "Go to Arisia!", Virgil Samms of the Galactic Patrol went--and came back with the Lens, the strange device that gave its wearer powers no man had ever possessed before. Samms knew the price of that power would be high. But even he had no idea of the ultimate cost, and the weird destiny waiting for the First Lensman. First Lensman is the sequel to Triplanetary, and the second book of E.E. "Doc" Smith's classic Lensman series. (from the original book cover and Mark Nelson)

Malcolm MacPhail has lived, for all of his twenty or so years, in a fishing village on the north coast of Scotland. He lives with his grandfather and, though he has never met his parents, has no curiosity about the details of his birth. However, others in the town have their own curiosity, and their own suspicions, about where this highland man and his infant grandson came from, those twenty or so years ago. When the local marquis and his daughter come to live in their grand estate just outside the town, unoccupied for many years, events begin to move which introduce to them the humble Malcolm, and which may shed some light on Malcolm's past while changing the course of his future.

Nick Carter is a fictional detective who first appeared in 1886 in dime store novels. Over the years, different authors, all taking the nom de plume Nicholas Carter, have penned stories featuring "America's greatest detective". In this story, Nick has been contacted by his old friend, Chief Weston, of the Boston Police Department. When he arrives, he is shown a photograph, depicting a crime in progress and is informed there has been a spate of holdups on local highways. Something has to be done but Nick doesn't usually resort to consulting a fortune teller!

HER VENEER WAS BIG CITY ... But one look and you knew that Toni Raselle's instincts were straight out of the river shack she came from. I watched her as she toyed with the man, laughing, her tumbled hair like raw blue-black silk, her brown shoulders bare. Eyes deep-set, a girl with a gypsy look. So this was the girl I had risked my life to find. This was the girl who was going to lead me to a buried fortune in stolen loot.

In this suspensful whodunit a mean-spirited and wealthy dowager is found murdered in her boudoir supposedly killed once by poison and also by a blow to the head. Most bizarre is the fact that she is found sitting in front of her mirror lavishly dressed wearing a fortune in pearls and gems. Her niece, her social secretary, her cousin managing her finances, a mysterious count and a maid acting rather suspiciously are the suspects. The police are getting nowhere so famous criminologist Fleming Stone is called in. However is it possible he is so taken with the primary suspect that she could prevent him from solving the mystery??? - Summary by Celine Major

That one who is not a recognized authority or an expert in literature should attempt the solution of a problem which has so far baffled specialists must doubtless appear to many as a glaring act of over- boldness; whilst to pretend to have actually solved this most momentous of literary puzzles will seem to some like sheer hallucination. What I have to propose, however, is not an accidental discovery, but one resulting from a systematic search. And it is to the nature of the method, combined with a happy inspiration and a fortunate chance, that the results here described were reached...

When she mistakenly receives an offer of work addressed only to "Mary Brown," the lonely young heiress Mary Thornton Brown forms an audacious plan--to spend her summer not as a guest at a fashionable resort but as a hired girl in Mrs. Roberts' boarding house. Over the course of her adventure, she meets people from many different walks of life, a number of them, to her amusement, sharing her own last name. A certain gentleman boarder is particularly pleasant--but even he is not the best friend Mary will meet during her summer at Mt. Hermon.

In this collection three of the original titans in the field of fantasy literature (Edgar Allan Poe, George MacDonald, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu) take you on a magical guided tour of fairyland and adjoining countries and introduce you to whimsical, strange and even scary encounters and adventures with inhabitants such as good and bad fairies, ghosts and even the Devil. The stories included are “Cross Purposes” “The Carasoyn” “Bon-Bon” “The Child That Went With The Fairies” “Madam Crowl’s Ghost” and as an added bonus the beautiful (and cautionary) fairy poem “Queen Mab” by Thomas Hood.

This is an edition by Professor Curtis Page of the Lovell translation of a seminal work of science fiction by Cyrano de Bergerac. Arguably a whimsical forerunner to the adventure stories of Jules Verne, and the French sci-fi tradition generally, it is a utopian novel of space travel complete with rocket powered flight and extra-terrestrial beings.

A Deal with the Devil is a classic tale with a humorous twist. We find that on the night preceeding his 100th birthday Grandpapa, a cantankerous yet loveable sort, has made a deal with the devil, which his granddaughter, in part, will pay. - Summary by Angelique G. Campbell

Full of delightful fairy tales, charming poems and engaging stories, this is the third volume of the "My Bookhouse" series for little ones. Originally published in the 1920's as a six volume set, these books, edited by Olive Beaupre Miller, contained the best in children's literature, stories, poems and nursery rhymes. They progressed in difficulty through the different volumes.

The four men had been scrutinized, watched, investigated, and intensively trained for more than a year. They were the best men to be found for that first, all-important flight to the Moon--the pioneer manned rocket that would give either the East or the West control over the Earth.Yet when the race started, Adam Crag found that he had a saboteur among his crew ... a traitor! Such a man could give the Reds possession of Luna, and thereby dominate the world it circled.Any one of the other three could...

This is a brief sketch of the last years of the life of Johannes (John) Gutenberg, the man who invented the movable letter press. We join him in Mayence, where he lives in poverty. We get to know his enemies and his friends, and some information about why he isn't the rich man we'd expect him to be. This book was prepared and completed within two days by the volunteers at Distributed Proofreaders to mark their 15th anniversary with the 50,000th published book at Project Gutenberg. ( Claudia Salto)

This is a classic horror story, and one of the earliest examples of science fiction. The main characters are Dr. Frankenstein and his creation, the daemon. Shelley called the scientist a "pale student of unhallowed arts" and his creation a "hideous phantasm of a man." This story is not only delightfully frightful, but arguably represents one of the clearest criticisms of science during a time when, like the daemon, it was leaving its own infancy and, like Dr. Frankenstein, testing its ethical boundaries...

A collection of short and humorous one-act "sequels" to 14 major plays (many already in the catalog). Plays end too soon. They never show the whole of what I want to know. The curtain falls and I'm perplexed with doubts about what happened next. Did HAMLET'S father haunt no more the battlements of Elsinore? Does LADY TEAZLE never call at LADY SNEERWELL'S now at all? Was BENEDICK'S a happy marriage? And will the MELNOTTES keep a carriage? Will AUBREY take to wife one day another MRS. TANQUERAY? Do ECCLES and his stepson wrangle? Has anything been heard of DANGLE? What has become of MRS...

This is the twelfth collection of our "coffee break" series, involving public domain works that are between 3 and 15 minutes in length. These are great for study breaks, commutes, workouts, or any time you'd like to hear a whole story and only have a few minutes to devote to listening. The theme for this collection is "The Performing Arts", with works about theatre, music, dance, and film! Summary by Rosie.

When the role of ‘Lady Superintendent’ becomes available at the Commercial and Technical College for South West England, the calm and capable Pauline Marchrose is the successful applicant. This is good news for Sir Julian, the college director, who greatly admires her diligence and ability. Mark Easter, Sir Julian’s agent, feels admiration for her too, which rapidly becomes romantic attraction. But Mark already has a wife, albeit in name only. And Sir Julian’s wife, Lady Edna Rossiter, discovers that Pauline Marchrose is the same woman who jilted her cousin Clarence after he was paralysed in an accident...

The first flight to outer space became an actual fact – Mars would be the first stop. But before the spaceship took off, two insane enemies almost succeeded in preventing the departure. This science fiction story for teens was written by a Catholic priest.

Arnold Bennet's masterly novel is a gritty tale about a bookseller whose life and love of a woman are afflicted by miserliness. It is set in London's characterful Clerkenwell district shortly after the First World War. - Summary by Anthony Ogus

A wealthy and successful author, John Stuart King is preparing to write his next book, which includes a homeless tramp. He has done all the research and thinks he knows what he needs to on the subject. But in a sermon he hears with a friend, the minister exhorts his flock to be kind to the homeless, as if they were Jesus himself. Taking the minister’s sermon to heart, John Stuart resolves to live the life of a tramp so he can truly understand the tramp's plight. He not only finds information for his upcoming book, but he learns life lessons about truth and integrity, and finds the truth about loving Christ from the heart. - Summary by TriciaG

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This is the second issue of volume 2 with the following five short stories: "Silas F. Quigley - To Arrive", by Lewis Hopkins Rogers: a puzzling letter incites Mr Quigley to explore an unusual way to secure a job "The Polar Magnet", by Philip Verrill Mighels: discover the terrible technique a sculptor uses to create very life-like casts for his art "Fitzhugh", by W...

”From a Swedish Homestead” by the Swedish author Selma Lagerloef (translated by Jessie Brochner) is a varied collection of stories, mostly set in Dalarne or Vaermland in Sweden, but also some stories or legends from Kungahalla on the west-coast at the time between Heathendom and early Christianity plus some Legends from Italy and Belgium. The first nine sections, “The Story of a Country House”, is a short Novel, originally published on its own, but here part of the collection. It is the story...

Eleven stories of war by the author of The Red Badge of Courage. Stephen Crane was an American author. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation. Crane's writing is characterized by vivid intensity, distinctive dialects, and irony. Common themes involve fear, spiritual crises and social isolation. His writing made a deep impression on 20th-century writers, most prominent among them Ernest Hemingway, and is thought to have inspired the Modernists and the Imagists.

Before he went to join the Armed Forces in World War I France, Anthony Trent had a successfull secret 'career' as a master criminal in the USA, never caught by the police (see 'Anthony Trent, Master Criminal'). The war has just ended - but now Anthony Trent seriously fears exposure. While in the trenches, an explosion buried him alive, along with an English soldier. Thinking they would never get out alive, Anthony revealed his identity to the other soldier - just before they were rescued and separated...

Written by Gothic writer Matthew Lewis, whose novel The Monk is one of the most enduring Gothic works from the eighteenth century, The Castle Spectre is one of Lewis' earliest forays into drama, and a strong indication of his talents as a controversial and frightening entertainer. Set in medieval Conway, Wales, the play is filled with every delicious Gothic trope imaginable: a menacing castle, a villainous nobleman hiding terrible secrets, a virginal damsel in distress, an heroic lover trying to save her, several comedic supporting characters, and, yes, the presence of a ghost...

Under the terms of a will, the Wildersham children have to relocate from the family house in the city to "Crossings" in the country, and to spend the first fortnight alone fending for themselves in the house. The children encounter interesting country neighbors, including ghosts and fairies. Or are they dreaming? Walter De La Mare was a poet, and we have a number of his poems available at. This is his only play: "Crossings was produced for the first time in 1919, at the Wick School, Hove, to celebrate the coming of Peace...

Mildred and Charlie Landreth begin married life together and enjoy many simple home pleasures. Together with Mildred's younger sister, they journey South to visit friends and relatives. - Summary by Amy

Stephen Mitchell is a young man without a place in the world. He hates farming, although he works endless hours on the poor family farm. He isn't qualified for many jobs in town since he's had very little formal schooling. And he is a loner because he’s too self-conscious and awkward to speak to other boys his age, let alone a young lady. But Providence puts Stephen in the middle of a lecture at the Chautauqua camp meeting. For the first time in his life, Stephen is inspired to take one small step toward improving himself. And that single small step soon begets another. - Summary by TriciaG

Join Rough and Ready for his adventure on the streets of New York City. Working as a newsboy, Rough and Ready tries to support himself and his sister on his meager earnings. Unfortunately, their stepfather is seeking to kidnap little Rose, getting an education is hard work, swindlers are trying to trick him out of his money, and thieves are planning nefarious deeds. Luckily for Rough and Ready, he makes some good friends along the way. Summary by Tori Faulder

Nick Carter is a fictional private detective who first appeared in 1886 in dime store novels. Over the years, different authors, all taking the nom de plume Nicholas Carter, have penned stories. Here, the tale begins with the trial of a woman, sure to be convicted and face the gallows. Or is she?

Take It From Dad is a collection of letters written by a father to his son, Ted, at boarding school, away from home for the first time. In each letter "Dad" comments on some aspect of Ted's experience, attitude, or behavior, illustrating and driving home his point with an entertaining tale about human nature. This book is appropriate for all ages from adolescence on, and its lessons are as relevant today as when they were written. --Lee Smalley

Judith Lee is a young woman with an unusual gift, she can read lips at a distance as well as she can hear the person next to her. Her skill leads her into a number of adventures. Written by Richard Marsh and published in the Strand Magazine in 1911, Marsh creates a strong independent female detective.

Nick Carter is a fictional private detective who first appeared in 1886 in dime store novels. Over the years, different authors, all taking the nom de plume Nicholas Carter, have penned stories featuring "America's greatest private detective". This tale opens in South America, with a lone man lying in wait in the mountains. He lets a caravan of peasants pass. Ten minutes later, the sound of a horse's hooves signal the arrival of his quarry. Who is the man and why is he trying to shoot his victim?

This post-humous collection of stories, sketches and essays by celebrated quintessential New England author Nathaniel Hawthorne gives us glimpses of the many different facets of Hawthorne's personality. The titular tale The Dolliver Romance was an unfinished manuscript that was edited and prepared for publication after Hawthorne's death and relates the story of an aged man with a small child in his care who swallows a magical tincture daily that rejuvenates his vitality, reversing the aging process...

Stuart Duncan arrives home from college to find the workers in his father's mine on the brink of a strike. Leading the strike is Stuart's boyhood friend, Eric Vassal. Will they be estranged by the opposing forces? Or can they learn to work together as Stuart learns the true meaning of being His Brother's Keeper?

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. The eleventh issue offers the following 5 stories: "The Mysterious Card Unveiled", by Cleveland Moffett: the long-awaited sequel has arrived and a man's dark soul is finally revealed "Mrs. Bilger's Victory", by Emma S. Jones and Geik Turner: a woman fights for justice against a big corporation "A Defender of the Faith", by John D...

”War and Peace” is a panoramic novel: It is its own justification, and perhaps needs no introduction. It always reminds the translator of a broad and mighty river flowing onward with all the majesty of Fate. On its surface, float swiftly by logs and stumps, cakes of ice, perhaps drowned cattle or men from regions far above. These floating straws, insignificant in themselves, tell the current. Once embark upon it, and it is impossible to escape the onward force that moves you so relentlessly. What landscapes you pass through, what populous towns, what gruesome defiles, what rapids, what cataracts! The water may be turbid, or it may flow translucent and pure, – but still it rushes on...

This is a story about a town in Ohio during the civil war. The town is divided by ideology, but can they be united by love and respect? - Summary by Stav Nisser.Note to listeners: Because of the subject of this book, some of the ideas described and the words used can be offensive.

A fictional town in Italy is conquered by a heartless tyrant. He issues a strange but cruel edict: in thirty days, each ninth person, chosen by lot, shall designate secretly whom he wishes put to death in the public place.

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This fifth issue of volume 2 presents the following six short stories: "The Lost Paradise", by Geik Turner and T. F. Anderson: a floating island gets its owner into political troubles "My Invisible Friend", by Katharine Kip: witness the tragic outcome of an ingenious invention "Pendarvis, the Cracker", by Allen Chamberlain: some people go to great lengths to avoid their daily work "Le Bretagne", by W...

Rev. Mark Spencer is about to give up on writing his sermon one Saturday night when the Devil comes to him and tries to discourage him by reminding him how few of the people who have pledged themselves to make their motto, 'For Christ and the Church' keep it. The minister decides to preach a sermon like nothing the people in his congregation have ever heard before--a sermon that stirs them to action and to give themselves fully to God. A sermon that urges them to pledge themselves again to Christ and the Church! - Summary by Esther ben SimonidesCast ListRev...

Celestina was adopted by Mrs. Willoughby from a convent in France. No one knows who her parents are. Her secret birth causes problems for her in the marriage market. But this novel is not only a courtship novel. It is about creating and keeping friendships, finding the meaning of family, the difference between love and obsession, and the development of Celestina from a dependent child to a strong woman of virtue. - Summary by Stav Nisser.

Marcia Brett has noticed unusual activity at the ramshackle and seemingly abandoned mansion next door: a mysterious, veiled lady is seen coming and going out the front door, a different woman is glimpsed through a shuttered window, and most mysterious of all, a pretty, blond girl is seen briefly looking forlornly out an upper window! Along with her best friend, Janet McNeil, the two girls are determined to learn the secrets of the old house and befriend the young girl, but once they do, the secrets only increase. The girl has no idea why she is at this house or even who the women she is living with are! Has she been kidnapped? Are they relatives? No one seems to know.

The value of the honey bee in cross pollinating the flowers of fruit trees makes it desirable that exact information be available concerning the actions of the bee when gathering and manipulating the pollen. The results recorded in this manuscript are also of value as studies in the behavior of the bee and will prove interesting and valuable to the bee keeper. The work here recorded was done by Dr. Casteel during the summers of 1911 and 1912.

After a brief romance, the 17 year old Marya falls in love with the much older Sergyei Mikhailitch, an old family friend, and the two are married. They share an initially blissful life but after moving to St. Petersburg, Marya becomes enchanted with society and a rift opens between the two.

An unforgettable family saga which revolves around the beautiful young Elizabeth. Elizabeth is orphaned and raised by her spinster aunts. As an adult, she finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage and ultimately falls in love with another man. After telling her lover the truth about her marriage - her husband is found murdered the very next day! This is a story of destiny, temptation, and courage of the heart. This book is sometimes attributed to Elizabeth von Arnim, but her authorship cannot be confirmed. There is no chapter four in this book, it seems to have been intentionally left out by the author.

"The storm had descended swiftly, sweeping in suddenly from the sea, driving across the downs to the hills at high speed, blotting out the faint rays of a crescent moon and hiding the country-side beneath a pall of blackness, which was forked at intervals by flashes of lightning." - Book's opening sentence

Science fiction is a genre encompassing imaginative works that take place in this world or that of the author’s creation where anything is possible. The only rules are those set forth by the author. The speculative nature of the genre inspires thought and plants seeds that have led to advances in science. The genre can spark an interest in the sciences and is cited as the impetus for the career choice of many scientists. It is a playing field to explore social perspectives, predictions of the future, and engage in adventures unbound into the richness of the human mind. - Summary by Amy Gramour

Mysteries abound in this crime novel by Fergus Hume. Mr. Fanks, detective of Scotland Yard, is not all he seems, for when off-duty, he assumes his real identity of Octavius Rixton, well-to-do idler. When the scent of a murder reaches him, he is instantly Mr. Fanks and on the pursuit. A guilty looking innkeeper nicknamed Queen Beelzebub and a suspicious doctor named Renshaw further complicate his beginning investigation, and he finds the body is a man with a tattoo on his arm that has been partially obliterated by a knife. Where no one is as he seems the mystery can only deepen before its solution. - Summary by Don W. Jenkins

Nick Carter is a fictional detective who first appeared in 1886 in dime store novels. Over the years, different authors, all taking the nom de plume Nicholas Carter, have penned stories featuring "America's greatest detective". He has his work cut out when a body is discovered in a corridor of the second floor of the Wilton Hotel. He is quickly identified as Gaston Todd. Is his death a result of the ongoing feud with another man over the hand of society belle, Edna Thurlow? Surely it can't be as cut and dried as that? - Summary by Lynne Thompson

A collection of twenty stories featuring ghoulies, ghosties, long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night. Expect shivers up your spine, the stench of human flesh, and the occasional touch of wonder.

Why is the neighbor so obsessed with his car? Where can we find a good gardener? Should we have a Santa Claus at our Christmas party? Yes, this is suburbia... much the same today as it was in 1911.

William – an Englishman is a 1919 novel by Cicely Hamilton. The novel explores the effect of the First World War on a married couple during the rise of Socialism and the Suffragette movement. It was originally published by Skeffington & Son before being reprinted by Persephone Books in 1999. Described as 'a passionate assertion of the futility of war' by The Spectator, William - an Englishman won the first Prix Femina-Vie Heureuse Anglais prize in 1920.

Published in 1899, Vassar Studies is a collection of twelve realistic glimpses into the character of attending students at Vassar College. It delves more with the inner workings of people rather than with dramatic incidents or what was studied in college. The glimpses themselves are both wordy and enlightening. The dialogue within each tends to have a background of various people, some with names and some who remain nameless as part of the scenery. The manner in which they speak may be surprisingly academic for those used to college girl stories of the adventurous or mysterious nature...

Enid Belfame: 42 years old, 22 of them as a married woman; eminently respectable; founder of The Friday Club; small town dignitary; a paragon of virtue. But does she have what it takes to commit murder? And will the young and handsome Dwight Rush benefit if she does?

Mary Fortune is best known for The Detective's Album, the longest-running early detective serial anywhere in the world. Written under the name Waif Wander and narrated by detective Mark Sinclair, The Detective's Album was serialized for forty years in the Australian Journal from 1868 to 1908. (Wikipedia) These stories were read from scans from the University of Queensland library - there is no online Etext

The Bryant family - widowed Mrs. Bryant and her children Benjamin, Caroline , and little Daisy - is on the thin edge of poverty due to debt incurred when Mr. Bryant was alive. We follow the family, especially Ben and Daisy, as they help shoulder some of the burden. Prominent in the story are children's dolls, which are the means to some of the family's income. - Summary by TriciaG

Home from college, Lynn is heartbroken to find her childhood friend Mark, has fallen away from his faith in God. After making some poor life choices, Mark is caught up in a local scandal. Billy, one of the bright young boys from Lynn's Sunday School class, is determined to clear Mark's name. But at what cost? And will Billy's betrayal hurt the people he's trying to protect? - Summary by Emily Grace

MANUAL OF SURGERY, OXFORD MEDICAL PUBLICATIONSBY ALEXIS THOMSON, F.R.C.S.Ed.PREFACE TO SIXTH EDITION Much has happened since this Manual was last revised, and many surgical lessons have been learned in the hard school of war. Some may yet have to be unlearned, and others have but little bearing on the problems presented to the civilian surgeon. Save in its broadest principles, the surgery of warfare is a thing apart from the general surgery of civil life, and the exhaustive literature now available on every aspect of it makes it unnecessary that it should receive detailed consideration in a manual for students...

Rebecca Harlowe is a young woman who strives to apply Christ's instructions in the Bible to her daily life and relationships. In this book we witness some of her successes and failures and the effect of her example on those around her.

A selection of eight short works, chapters, or poems about Christmas. - Summary by david wales

Twelve stories, one for each month of the year, which first list a few Bible verses then relate how those verses took effect in a young person's life. The first 10 chapters are letters written by Frank Hudson to his cousin Renie. Frank is a boy who gets into trouble when he doesn't think before acting. He receives Bible verses as a kind of "hedge fence" he has to jump through or climb over to do the wrong things; they scratch him and give him a prick, and remind him of what is the right way to go...

Cradock Nowell: a Tale of the New Forest is a three-volume novel by R. D. Blackmore published in 1866. Set in the New Forest and in London, it follows the fortunes of Cradock Nowell who, at the end of Volume 1, is thrown out of his family home and disowned by his father following the suspicious death of Cradock's twin brother Clayton, their father's favorite. In Volume 2, the story picks up with those left behind at Nowelhurst and the question of who is now heir apparent to the Nowell fortune. Meanwhile, Cradock discovers life independent of the Nowell name and fortune is not easy...

A disastrous experiment destroys the moon and kills millions on earth. The invention of artificial flesh lets them return to life as androids, a second and perhaps superior human species. Mounting tensions between the naturals and the “phonies” erupts in violence. Will this scientific advance bring eternal life and the gift of travel to the stars or bring about mankind’s self-destruction?

Fiction, or fact? The narrator asserts it's fact. The narrator is an author, whom her little nieces call "Auntie Belle". There's also an "Auntie Dule" , Grandpa and Grandma, Mama and Papa, and eventually an Uncle Ross . The book is made up of vignettes of the funny sayings or doings of little Minnie and little Gracie, and how these lead to Grandpa's wise lessons for both the little ones and the adults. - Summary by TriciaG

Nick Carter is a fictional detective who first appeared in 1886 in dime store novels. Over the years, different authors, all taking the nom de plume Nicholas Carter, have penned stories featuring "America's greatest detective". One evening, a stranger calls on our hero at home, with a tale of the kidnap of the governor's daughter and theft of some important papers; but when he begins to conceal information, Nick refuses to help and becomes suspicious. As Mr. Snell leaves, the detective's sidekick, Patsy, follows.

Between February and October 1919, Nikola Tesla submitted many articles to the magazine Electrical Experimenter. The most famous of these works is a six part series titled "My Inventions", which is an autobiographical account of Nikola Tesla's life and his most celebrated discoveries. This work has been compiled and republished as a stand-alone book several times under different names, but has been a cause of some controversy due to some versions deviating from the original text without explanation...

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This seventh issue of volume 2 presents the following five short stories: "The Peacock and the Copper Moon", by Frances Aymar Mathews: a sculptor's plan to save her lover suddenly receives a dramatic twist "Westward Ho !", by J. Wesley Glover: don't launch the party before the guests arrive ! "The Captain's Gray", by Ella F...

New Yorker Robert Pagebrook travels to Virginia to visit relatives. The Civil War has ended and family ties are in order to be re-established. All goes well; the family relationships are as they should be, perhaps even better than expected. Unique character studies develop as Pagebrook finds himself in a financial predicament, becoming indebted and with no resources available, as his bank back home has dissolved. It is up to Robert Pagebrook to find a way to prove to his kin that he is still a Man of Honor.

Published in 1917, this is a collection of a novella and seven short stories by one of the cleverest authors of the early twentieth century. ‘In Queen's Quorum , a survey of crime fiction, Ellery Queen listed Bennett's The Loot of Cities among the 100 most important works in the genre. This collection of stories recounts the adventures of a millionaire who commits crimes to achieve his idealistic ends. Although it was "one of his least known works," it was nevertheless "of unusual interest, both as an example of Arnold Bennett's early work and as an early example of dilettante detectivism".’ - Summary by David Wales

Nick Carter is a fictional detective who first appeared in 1886 in dime store novels. Over the years, different authors, all taking the nom de plume Nicholas Carter, have penned stories featuring "America's greatest detective". The scene is set at an upscale road house not far from New York City. Tucked away in a quiet room, five men sit at a poker game, when one is accused of cheating. A scuffle ensues and the man ends up dead. But surely he wasn't hit that hard? Did he have a heart condition? We can be sure Nick will get to the bottom of the affair. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

collection contains: -The £1,000,000 Bank-Note -Mental Telegraphy -A Cure for the Blues -The Enemy Conquered; or, Love Triumphant -About all Kinds of Ships -Playing Courier -The German Chicago -A Petition to the Queen of England -A Majestic Literary Fossil This Mark Twain short story collection was published in 1893, in a disastrous decade for the United States, a time marked by doubt and waning optimism, rapid immigration, labor problems, and the rise of political violence and social protest. It was also a difficult time for Twain personally, as he was forced into bankruptcy and devastated by the death of his favorite daughter, Suzy...

LibriVox’s Short Story Collection 054: a collection of 20 short works of fiction in the public domain read by a group of LibriVox members.