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47,382 public-domain books, summarised. Page 979 of 988.

A Romany of the Snows, vol. 4: Being a Continuation of the Personal Histories of "Pierre and His People" and the Last Existing Records of Pretty Pierre
Gilbert Parker
A traveler of the frozen North recounts the desperate, haunting histories of men pushed to the edge of endurance by grief, isolation, and the unforgiving wild.

Beauchamp's Career
George Meredith
A headstrong, idealistic young naval officer enters the volatile world of English politics, finding that his passionate quest for reform is constantly derailed by his complicated entanglements with women.

Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 737, February 9, 1878
Various
This periodical captures the intellectual and social pulse of 1878, offering a curious blend of practical economic analysis, gritty frontier reportage, and Victorian storytelling. It serves as a fascinating window into the concerns of a bygone era.

Extract from a Sermon Delivered at the Bulfinch-Street Church, Boston, Jan. 9, 1853, the Sunday Following the Interment of the Late Amos Lawrence
Frederick T. (Frederick Turell) Gray
This sermon serves as a formal memorial to the life and public service of Amos Lawrence, a prominent Boston merchant and philanthropist who died in 1852. It functions both as a eulogy and a blueprint for moral living.

History of the United Netherlands, 1588b
John Lothrop Motley
A continent teeters on the brink of collapse as shifting loyalties and religious fervor collide in the shadow of the Spanish Armada. This account traces the intricate, often agonizing dance of diplomacy and military preparation that defined the late sixteenth century.

Justice
J. F. (Joy Ferris) Hutton
A traveler from the future accidentally leaves behind a piece of indestructible technology in ancient Britain, inadvertently sparking the legend of King Arthur. The resulting trial serves as a test of the cold, mechanical logic of the law versus the messy, human reality of history.

The Caxtons: A Family Picture
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
A quiet, studious home becomes a stage for the complexities of adult life as a young man leaves his books to test his mettle in the bustling, ambitious world of London.

The Christmas Miracle: 1911
Charles Egbert Craddock
A man searching for a divine sign amid the rugged peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains encounters a literal miracle, yet struggles to reconcile the profound reality of human grace with his desire for a supernatural display.

The Dean's Watch
Erckmann-Chatrian
This atmospheric tale follows two traveling musicians who, upon arriving in Heidelberg during a winter of terror, find themselves at the center of a local murder mystery. It is a compact, suspenseful narrative that blends folklore-style dread with the grit of a police procedural.

The Esperantist, Vol. 1, No. 5
Unknown
This artifact of early twentieth-century idealism captures the earnest, pioneering spirit of a global linguistic movement at a crossroads. It serves as both a historical record and a manifesto, documenting the early efforts to standardize Esperanto while revealing the internal debates over orthography and outreach…

The Independent Statesmen, and Liberal Landlord: or a respectful tribute to T. W. Coke, M.P. for the County of Norfolk
James Parkerson
This wide-ranging poetic commentary serves as a spirited defense of agrarian interests and political reform, championing the noble character of a Norfolk Member of Parliament during an era of national economic hardship. It offers a rare, ground-level glimpse into the grievances of the early 19th-century British…

The Priest's Tale - Père Etienne: From "The New Decameron", Volume III
Robert Keable
A quiet, haunting encounter on a ship’s deck reveals a life spent in the service of mystery and the persistence of faith in the African interior.

The Tree That Saved Connecticut
Henry Fisk Carlton
The Charter Oak remains one of American history’s most enduring symbols of defiance, a legend brought to vivid life through the intimate, immediate medium of a radio play.

Wanderings of French Ed
J. Adelard (Joseph Adelard) René
The journey of a young man seeking fortune in the United States uncovers the fragility of his own ambitions and the profound power of human connection. Through heartbreak, professional reinvention, and a harrowing brush with tragedy, the protagonist learns that the true value of home is found only after one has…

By the Roadside
Katherine M. (Katherine Merritte) Yates
A young girl sets out on a journey with a silent, observant guide, learning that true growth comes not from grand gestures, but from the quiet, honest labor of helping others.

English walnuts
Unknown
The Persian walnut is a storied, versatile, and highly nutritious tree, waiting to become a staple of the American landscape through informed cultivation and appreciation.

Fan fare, May 1953
Various
This artifact captures the idiosyncratic spirit of 1950s science fiction fandom, blending surrealist short fiction with the candid, often chaotic administrative updates of a small-press magazine. It serves as a time capsule of a pre-digital subculture.

Farewell message
David Mason
A visitor from the stars attempts to lecture humanity on the dangers of self-destruction, only to find his own arrogance shattered by the sudden, violent death of his home world.

Harper's Young People, August 31, 1880: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
This issue of a Victorian-era weekly serves as a charming portal into the past, blending moralistic fiction, natural history, and the vibrant, inquisitive voices of children writing in from across the United States.

Here Lies
Howard Wandrei
Two elderly friends share a life defined by an eccentric communal pact, until a final, macabre act of generosity forces one to reckon with the limits of his own tolerance.

Household Words, No. 11, June 8, 1850
Unknown
This collection offers a vivid, multifaceted window into the mid-nineteenth century, blending sharp social critique with tales of adventure and early industry. It captures a world in the midst of profound, often turbulent change.

In the Tideway
Flora Annie Webster Steel
A high-society marriage founder on the cold, treacherous shores of the Hebrides, where a creeping tide forces a reckoning with duty and passion.

No Defense, Volume 3
Gilbert Parker
A man branded by a false accusation of murder seeks redemption in the tropical heat of Jamaica, finding his past and his future colliding in a struggle for justice and love.

Our Pirate Hoard: 1891
Thomas A. (Thomas Allibone) Janvier
A young couple’s quest to recover a fabled family fortune reveals that the most lasting treasures are often found in the unexpected kindnesses of living relatives rather than the buried loot of the past.

Paulina and her Pets
Anonymous
A young girl’s unwavering compassion for the vulnerable transforms her home into a sanctuary for the injured and forgotten, proving that true character is revealed in how we treat the smallest among us.

Pelham
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
A polished young aristocrat navigates the treacherous waters of nineteenth-century high society, where a well-tied cravat is often more vital than a clear conscience.

Picture frames
Thyra Samter Winslow
This collection of stories captures the quiet desperation and social maneuvering of middle-class Americans in the early 20th century. It offers a candid, unsentimental look at lives defined by the tension between small-town roots and the hollow promises of city life.

Regulations for the establishment and government of the Royal Military Asylum
Duke of York's Royal Military School
This document serves as the formal foundation for the Royal Military Asylum, outlining the precise administrative and moral architecture required to care for the children of soldiers in the early nineteenth century. It provides an unvarnished look at how the British state codified the upbringing of orphans and…

Rich enough
Hannah Farnham Sawyer Lee
The pursuit of fortune often obscures the true value of a quiet life, leaving the soul bankrupt long before the purse. Wealth, when chased at the expense of domestic peace and moral reflection, becomes a hollow prize.

Rough Translation
Jean M. Janis
A linguist struggling to decipher a Martian traveler’s nonsensical speech discovers that the barrier between worlds is not a matter of vocabulary, but of a fundamental, irreversible change in human consciousness.

The Key to Peace
Anna Marie Miles
The Bible is a vast, intimidating map, but the author provides a guide to navigating its moral topography to secure an eternal, peaceful life.

The Living Letter, Written with the Pen of Truth: Being the Substance of a Sermon, Preached at the Obelisk Chapel, St. George's Fields, on Sunday Morning, Sept. 26, 1813
J. (John) Church
This sermon serves as a passionate defense of a preacher’s ministry, arguing that a true believer’s life acts as a divine letter written by the Holy Spirit. It is a document of 19th-century religious polemic.

The spark of Skeeter Bill
W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle
The rugged, lawless frontier of Sunbeam acts as the final proving ground for a man who lives by a private, uncompromising code. This is an account of redemption, unlikely companionship, and the high cost of standing for truth in a town built on lies.

The tarpon
F. Gray (Frank Gray) Griswold
An experienced angler shares a lifetime of observations on the "Silver King," blending practical technique with a profound admiration for one of the most majestic game fish in the Atlantic.

The World English Bible (WEB): Habakkuk
Anonymous
This ancient prophetic text grapples with the agonizing silence of the divine in the face of human injustice. It offers an unflinching look at the tension between faith and the reality of global suffering.

Warrior-Maid of Mars
Alfred Coppel
The fate of a dying world hangs on the courage of a warrior and the strange, life-giving machines of travelers from the stars.

You Never Know Your Luck
Gilbert Parker
A man hides from his past in a remote settlement, only to be found by the wife he abandoned five years before. Can a village girl’s meddling mend a fractured marriage, or is the damage permanent?

A Farewell Sermon: delivered on Sunday, October 23, A.D. 1842, at the Parish Church of St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington
Joseph Holden Pott
Time’s passage is a sacred rhythm, and the final moments of a long ministry offer a unique perspective on the purpose of a life well-lived.

Choice sayings
Robert Cleaver Chapman
The path of the believer is not one of ease, but of constant, tender vigilance and reliance upon the unseen grace of the Creator. To walk this road is to find that every trial is merely an invitation to deeper fellowship.

Harper's Young People, July 27, 1880: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
This vibrant 1880 periodical captures the curiosity and innocence of the nineteenth-century American child through a blend of moral instruction, outdoor adventure, and practical science.

James Sherman Kimball
James William Kimball
This biographical account chronicles the short, purposeful life of a young man whose unwavering religious devotion defined his character and guided his final service to soldiers during the American Civil War. It is a testament to the influence one individual can exert when driven by singular conviction.

Little Scenes for Little Folks: In Words Not Exceeding Two Syllables
Anonymous
Small vignettes of childhood life, written with deliberate simplicity, offer a gentle window into the manners and morals of a bygone era. Through brief, descriptive sketches, the lessons of a nineteenth-century nursery come to life.

My Terminal Moraine: 1892
Frank R. Stockton
A young man turns his fortunes around by discovering a hidden relic of the Ice Age beneath his family estate. What begins as a search for prosperity ends as an unlikely tale of survival and romance.

Nine Men in Time
Noel M. Loomis
An ambitious printing manager turns to a mysterious, time-traveling physicist to save his failing business, only to find that duplicating his workforce creates a chaotic nightmare of labor ethics and existential confusion.

Out of the depths
Madeline Leslie
A man of faith faces a crushing accusation, yet finds that even the darkest valley cannot hide the light of providence. This story explores how integrity and trust in God withstand the most severe personal trials.

The Blossoming Rod
Mary Stewart Cutting
A modest middle-class father discovers that the greatest joys are not the ones we claim for ourselves, but those rooted in the quiet sacrifices of the people who love us most.

The Canadian view of the Alaskan boundary dispute as stated by Hon. David Mills, Minister of Justice
David Mills
This volume presents a formal, reasoned argument for Canada’s territorial claims against the United States during a period of rising diplomatic tension. It serves as a primary historical record of the Canadian perspective on the Alaskan boundary.

The Frontier Fort
William Henry Giles Kingston
A young English traveler and a seasoned frontier family find their lives intertwined when a vengeful Indigenous chief lays siege to their isolated trading post in the untamed North-West Territory.