Best of
Fiction

1895

The Importance of Being Earnest


Oscar Wilde - 1895
    The rapid-fire wit and eccentric characters of The Importance of Being Earnest have made it a mainstay of the high school curriculum for decades.Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gwendolen as Ernest while Algernon has also posed as Ernest to win the heart of Jack's ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at Jack's country home on the same weekend the "rivals" to fight for Ernest's undivided attention and the "Ernests" to claim their beloveds pandemonium breaks loose. Only a senile nursemaid and an old, discarded hand-bag can save the day!This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a glossary and reader's notes to help the modern reader appreciate Wilde's wry wit and elaborate plot twists.

The Story of the Other Wise Man


Henry Van Dyke - 1895
    One thing is certain, it is not written in any other book, nor is it to be found among the ancient lore of the East. And yet I have never felt as if it were my own. It was a gift, and it seemed to me as if I knew the Giver."--Henry Van DykeLong, long ago, a wise man named Artaban, a priest of the Magi, discerned from heavenly signs that the time was at hand for the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy--the birth among the Hebrews of a holy Prince and Deliverer of Man. Hastening to join three fellow Magi for the long journey into Judaea, he paused to help a dying man and was left behind. And so Artaban began his pilgrimage alone, striking out not toward the realization of his life's deepest longing, as he hoped, but only toward misfortune and suffering. Or so he believed until one blessed, radiant moment.With an introduction by Leo Buscaglia

The Jungle Books


Rudyard Kipling - 1895
    But they also constitute a complex literary work of art in which the whole of Kipling's philosophy of life is expressed in miniature. They are best known for the 'Mowgli' stories; the tale of a baby abandoned and brought up by wolves, educated in the ways and secrets of the jungle by Kaa the python, Baloo the bear, and Bagheera the black panther. The stories, a mixture of fantasy, myth, and magic, are underpinned by Kipling's abiding preoccupation with the theme of self-discovery, and the nature of the 'Law'.

A Knight of the White Cross


G.A. Henty - 1895
    John. Starting as a page of the Grand Master, Gervaise quickly attains knighthood and defends Europe and Christendom against the anarchy of piracy in the Mediterranean at that time and the expansion of the Turkish empire. Sir Tresham is there to defend the fortress at Rhodes during the first siege of that city by Soleiman.

The Hungry Stones and Other Stories


Rabindranath Tagore - 1895
    Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Etidorhpa: Strange History of a Mysterious Being and an Incredible Journey Inside the Earth


John Uri Lloyd - 1895
    Written well over a century ago, John Uri Lloyd was a visionary who spoke of far distant worlds, dead civilizations, other dimensions and in particular, a world few of us will ever get to visit. A world hidden beneath our feet inside the earth. Inspired by the fantastic -- in particular the art of alchemy -- the author reveals in this long lost manuscript how he joined a secret society and was introduced into the sphere of mysticism. A part of this spiritual journey included the opportunity to establish contact with a super-human, eyeless being, inside a cave in Kentucky. Together they journey to another realm filled with magic and wonderment. Some have placed it in the category of Alice in Wonderland; where does the mind magic start and end? You decide.

Katharine's Yesterday and Other Stories


Grace Livingston Hill - 1895
    Her friends from the summer have all gone back to their homes, and she feels deserted and lonely. Then she discovers a gift left for her by one of her friends...a gift that will change her life in astonishing ways!

Master and Man


Leo Tolstoy - 1895
    Nicholas's Day. There was a fete in the parish and the innkeeper, Vasili Andreevich Brekhunov, a Second Guild merchant, being a church elder had to go to church, and had also to entertain his relatives and friends at home. But when the last of them had gone he at once began to prepare to drive over to see a neighbouring proprietor about a grove which he had been bargaining over for a long time. He was now in a hurry to start, lest buyers from the town might forestall him in making a profitable purchase.

Stephen: A Soldier of the Cross


Florence Morse Kingsley - 1895
    After hearing the reports of miracles in Jerusalem, they find themselves in the midst of the greatest, most life-changing event in history.

Joel a Boy of Galilee


Annie Fellows Johnston - 1895
    You will talk about this treasure for years.

Making Fate (Marjorie's Story)


Pansy - 1895
     Ralph Bramlett and Marjorie Edmonds have been best friends and sweethearts since childhood. Of course they’ll be married; why, the entire town expects it! But in the space of one momentous week, Ralph’s life takes a turn. Fate, it seems, is against him as he suffers one setback after another. Marjorie struggles to be understanding and supportive, but when Ralph tries to solve his problems by taking a job that directly conflicts with Marjorie’s moral convictions, she cannot look the other way. And when the entire town begins to gossip about Ralph’s new job, Marjorie knows she must choose between Ralph and her principles. With a broken heart, Marjorie prepares for her first Christmas without Ralph. She’s in special need of a blessing and she’ll receive it from a most unexpected source. Leonard Maxwell has rented a room in Marjorie’s house for months, quietly observing Marjorie’s tumultuous relationship with Ralph. Leonard is certain Marjorie she can help herself by helping others. Before long, he is taking Marjorie to visit the elderly and help the poor. His Christian witness has an influence on Marjorie. Soon she realizes her heart isn’t dead, after all, but awakening to the promise of an “intimate acquaintance” with Jesus Christ. Marjorie’s story continues in Overruled.

Probable Sons


Amy Le Feuvre - 1895
    Yet gradually over the coming months he becomes very fond of Milly, as he listens to her bright chatter about her life at his house and the people she meets, particularly the Maxwells who live in the forest. Through Milly's complete trust in God, Sir Edward is made aware of how far he has grown away from Christianity, and he reflects on this further when recovering from an accident. Milly's favourite story is that of the Prodigal Son, which is given special meaning by the return of the Maxwells' missing son. When Sir Edward nearly loses Milly forever, he realises that he has the courage to turn away from his previous life, and is himself a Prodigal Son.

Flor del fango


José María Vargas Vila - 1895
    This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Slain by the Doones


R.D. Blackmore - 1895
    This book includes four novellas:Slain by the Doones,Frida;or, the Lover's Leap,George Bowring,Crocker's Hole

Meadow Grass


Alice Brown - 1895
    Many of the earliest books particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable high quality modern editions using the original text and artwork.

The Romance of Judge Ketchum


Horace Annesley Vachell - 1895
    

Nightmares of an Ether Drinker


Jean Lorrain - 1895
    Contents: -Introduction by Brian Stableford-Early Stories: The Egregore/ Funeral Oration/ The Locked Room/ Magic Lantern/ The Glass of Blood/ Beyond/ Glaucous Eyes-Sensations: One of Them/An Undesirable Residence/ A Troubled Night/ A Posthumous Protest/ An Uncanny Crime/ The Holes in the Mask/ The Visionary/ The Possessed/ The Double-Souvenirs: The Toad/ Night-Watch/ The Spirit of the Ruins/ Récits: Dolmance/ One January Night/ The Spectral Hand/ Prey to Darkness-Contes: The Princess of the Red Lilies/ The Princess at the Sabbat/ Narkiss/ The Princess au miroirs-Notes

English Fairy and Folk Tales


Edwin Sidney Hartland - 1895
    Classic collection of over 70 time-honored tales includes such popular stories as "Jack the Giant-killer," "The History of Tom Thumb," narratives of Lady Godiva and Dick Whittington and his cat, plus stories about witches, goblins, ghosts, and the devil — all favorites with generations of collectors and fairy tale enthusiasts.

Miscellaneous Studies


Walter Pater - 1895
    After graduating from Oxford he became acutely interested in literature, beginning to write articles and criticisms. The first of these to be printed was a brief essay upon Coleridge, contributed in 1866 to the Westminster Review. A few months later (January, 1867), his essay on Winckelmann, the first expression of his idealism, appeared in the same review. In the following year his study of Aesthetic Poetry appeared in the Fortnightly Review. By the time his philosophical novel Marius the Epicurean appeared, however, he had gathered quite a following. This, his chief contribution to literature, was published early in 1885. In 1887 he published Imaginary Portraits, a series of essays in philosophic fiction; in 1889, Appreciations, with an Essay on Style; in 1893, Plato and Platonism; and in 1894, The Child in the House. His Greek Studies and his Miscellaneous Studies were collected posthumously in 1895; his posthumous romance of Gaston de Latour in 1896; and his essays from The Guardian were privately printed in 1897.

A Full and True Account of the Wonderful Mission of Earl Lavender, which Lasted One Night and One Day; with a History of the Pursuit of Earl Lavender and Lord Brumm by Mrs. Scamler and Maud Emblem


John Davidson - 1895
    Their hilarious romp across London leads them to all sorts of strange adventures, such as a wild hansom cab chase, a sojourn among a subterranean society of flagellants, and the discovery of the evolutionary 'Missing Link'.A key Decadent text, "Earl Lavender" (1895) is also Davidson's response to what he saw as some of the more ridiculous ideas and behaviours of the age. This new edition features a new introduction by Mark Valentine and a reproduction of the original frontispiece by Aubrey Beardsley.John Davidson (1857-1909) was a Scottish poet, playwright, and novelist. Although during his lifetime he was compared favourably with Hardy, Housman, and Yeats, and admired by Shaw and T. S. Eliot, Davidson's reputation has languished since his tragic suicide. Long out of print, "Earl Lavender" is now restored to modern audiences, who will find that Davidson's humour and satire are as fresh today as in 1895.

The Front Yard, And Other Italian Stories


Constance Fenimore Woolson - 1895