Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 edition. Excerpt:...forges past her!" "The Clown will outlast her!" "The Clown wins!" "The Clown!" The white railing races with all the white faces The chestnut outpaces, outstretches the brown. On still past the gateway she strains in the straight way, Still struggles " The Clown " by a short neck at most; He swerves, the green scourges, the stand rocks and surges, And flashes and verges, and flits the white post. Ay! so ends the tussle--I knew the tan muzzle Was first, though the ring-men were yelling " Dead heat I" A nose I could swear by, but Clark said, "The mare by A short head." And that's how the favourite was beat. From "Bush Ballads." MAJOR NAMBY. BY WILKIE COLLINS. I AM a single lady--single, you will please to understand, entirely because I have refused many excellent offers. Pray don't imagine from this that I am old. Some women's offers come at long intervals, and other women's offers come close together. Mine came remarkably close together--so, of course, I cannot possibly be old. Not that I presume to describe myself as absolutely young, either; so much depends on people's points of view. I have heard female children of the ages of eighteen or nineteen called young ladies. This seems to me ridiculous, and I have held that opinion, without once wavering from it, for more than ten years past. It is, after all, a question of feeling; and shall I confess it? I feel so young! I live in the suburbs, and I have bought my house. The major lives in the suburbs, next door, to me, and he has bought his house. I don't object to this, of course. I merely mention it to make things straight. Major Namby has been twice married. His first wife--dear, dear! how can I express it? Shall I say,...