his life to the practice of his profession. He was an able orator, and his voice and pen always responded to the call of charity and the demands of true patriotism. He died in 1895.

O'Hara, Theodore (page 247), was born in Kentucky in 1820. He was an officer in the United States army during the Mexican War, and served with the Confederates in the Civil War. He died in 1867. His only writing which preserves his memory is the poem which comprises our extract.

Parkman, Francis (page 167), an American historian, was born in Boston in 1823, and was educated at Harvard College. The greater part of his life was spent in a careful study of the French explorations and settlements in America; and he published the fruits of his labor in twelve large volumes. Although troubled with an affection of the eyes, which sometimes wholly prevented reading or writing, his work was most carefully and successfully done. His narratives are written in a clear and animated style, and his volumes are a rich contribution to American history. He died in 1893.

Plutarch (page 106) was a famous Greek historian, born in Boeotia, Greece, about 46 A.D. His principal work, "Parallel Lives of Illustrious Greeks and Romans," has been often translated into English and is known to every schoolboy. He wrote also several works on philosophy and ethics.

Read, Thomas Buchanan (page 151), was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1822. In 1839 he entered a sculptor's studio in Cincinnati, where he gained reputation as a portrait painter. He afterwards went to New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, and, in 1850, to Italy. He died in 1872. Our selection is abridged from "The Wagoner of the Alleghanies."

Richter, Jean Paul (page 157), a celebrated German author, was born at Wunsiedel, Bavaria, in 1763. He was a very prolific writer, his complete works filling sixty volumes. All of his best books have been translated into English. died in 1825.

He

Russell, John (page 233), an American journalist, was born in Vermont in 1793. He was at one time editor of the

Backwoodsman, published at Grafton, Illinois, and later of the Louisville Advocate. He was the author of numerous sketches and essays now no longer current. He died in 1863.

Ryan, Abram J. (page 119), popularly known as "Father Ryan," was a Catholic priest, born in Virginia in 1840. The poems by which he became so well known, especially in the South, were published in 1881. He died in 1886.

Scott, Sir Walter (page 272), was born in Edinburgh in 1771. He was educated at the University, and in 1792 was made an advocate at the bar, but his early mental habits soon led him to devote himself to literature. Scott's earliest works were narrative poems, of which the "Lay of the Last Minstrel" was the first, and "Marmion" and the "Lady of the Lake," the best. In 1814 "Waverley " appeared, the first of that series of romances which has placed Scott's name among the greatest in English literature. In 1825 the failure of his publishers involved his own financial ruin; from that time until his death he was engaged in a heroic and successful struggle to free himself from the debts thus incurred. He died in 1832.

Shakespeare, William (pages 237, 283), regarded by many as the greatest poet the world has ever produced, was born at Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564. He went to London in 1589, wrote poems and plays, was an actor, accumulated some property, and retired to Stratford three or four years before his death which occurred in 1616. Shakespeare's works show a wonderful knowledge of human nature, expressed in language remarkable for its point and beauty.

Shelley, Percy Bysshe (page 328), a famous English poet, was born at Field Place, Sussex, in 1792. He studied at Oxford, but was expelled in 1811 for advocating revolutionary opinions. From this time until his death in 1822, Shelley lived in a state of excitement and unrest, occasioned partly by family troubles, and partly by his consuming desire to reform the world. He united a wide and deep scholarship with a keen intellect and an almost idolatrous love of the beautiful in every form. Had he lived to give to the world

the product of mature years, he would probably now be acknowledged as one of the greatest men of all times.

Southey, Caroline Bowles (page 104), was born near Lyming ton, England, in 1787. Her first work, "Ellen Fitz-Arthur," a poem, was published in 1820; and for more than twenty years her writings were published anonymously. In 1839 she was married to Robert Southey, the poet. She died in 1854. Our extract first appeared in 1822 in a collection entitled, "The Widow's Tale, and other Poems.”

Stephens, Alexander H. (page 307), an American statesman, was born at Crawfordville, Georgia, in 1812. He was educated at the University of Georgia, and adopted the profession of law. In 1843 he was elected a member of Congress, and for sixteen years he retained his seat in that body. He was opposed to secession, but in 1861 was elected Vice President of the Confederate States. In 1873 he was again sent to Congress, and ten years later was elected governor of his native state. He died, however, in the same year, 1883. He was the author of a number of able speeches and political essays. Stevenson, Robert Louis (page 32), a Scottish essayist and novelist, was born at Edinburgh in 1850. He was educated at Edinburgh University, and studied law, but never practiced. He wrote a number of excellent stories and romances, the most popular of which are "Treasure Island," "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and "David Balfour." He died at Apia, Samoa, in 1894.

Sumner, Charles (page 302), was born in Boston in 1811. He studied at the Latin school in his native city, graduated from Harvard University, studied law at the same institution, and was admitted to practice in 1834. In 1851, he was elected to the United States Senate, and continued in that position till his death in 1874.

Taine, Hippolyte A. (page 221), was born in France in 1828. His literary reputation dates from 1854, when his essay on "Livy" appeared. His best works are a "History of English Literature," "The Philosophy of Art," and "The Origins of Contemporary France." He died in 1893.

Talmage, Thomas DeWitt (page 140), an American preacher, was born near Bound Brook, New Jersey, in 1832. He was educated at the University of the City of New York, and in 1869 became pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn. In 1895 he removed to Washington, and assumed the pastorate of one of the large churches in that city. He was the author of a number of works on religious and social topics, besides several collections of sermons.

Taylor, Jane (page 44), an English writer, was born at London in 1783. She wrote numerous stories and poems for children all now very old-fashioned- - and was the author of a volume of essays on morals and manners. She died in 1824.

Tennyson, Alfred (page 80), one of the greatest of English poets, was born at Somerby, Lincolnshire, in 1809. His first volume of poems appeared in 1830; it made little impression, and was severely treated by the critics. On the publication of his third series, in 1842, his poetic genius began to receive general recognition. On the death of Wordsworth he was made poet laureate, and he was then regarded as the foremost living poet of England. He died in 1892.

Thackeray, William Makepeace (page 320), a distinguished English novelist and essayist, was born at Calcutta, India, in 1811. While a boy he removed from India to England, where he was educated at the Charterhouse in London, and at Cambridge. His first novel under his own name, "Vanity Fair," appeared in monthly numbers during 1846-48, and is generally considered his finest production; although "Pendennis," "Henry Esmond," the "Virginians," and "The Newcomes" are also much admired. At the close of 1859 Thackeray became editor of the Cornhill Magazine, and made it one of the most successful serials ever published. He died in 1863.

Thompson, John R. (page 304), an American journalist and author, was born in Virginia in 1823; died at Richmond in 1873. He was editor of the Southern Literary Messenger from 1847 to 1859, and his poems are much admired for their lyrical quality.

Thore u, Henry David (page 315). This eccentric American author and naturalist was born at Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817. He graduated at Harvard University in 1837 and afterwards supported himself mainly by teaching, lecturing, landsurveying, and carpentering. In 1845 he built himself a small wooden house near Concord, on the shore of Walden Pond, where he lived about two years. He died in 1862. In descriptive power Mr. Thoreau has few if any superiors.

Ticknor, Francis Orrery (page 325), was born in Baldwin County, Georgia, 1822. He died near Columbus, Georgia, 1874. His poems, many of which are highly meritorious, have been collected and published in a single volume.

Tyndall, John (page 223), one of the most celebrated of modern scientists, was born in Ireland in 1820; died in Surrey, England, in 1893. He was a pupil of the distinguished Faraday. In 1853 he was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Royal Institution of London. He is known chiefly for his brilliant experiments and clear writing respecting heat, light, and sound. He also wrote one or two interesting books concerning the Alps and their glaciers.

Van Dyke, Henry (page 69), a popular American author, was born in Pennsylvania in 1852. He was for many years a prominent Presbyterian clergyman in New York city, and later a professor in the University of Princeton. Among his bestknown works are "The Gospel for an Age of Doubt," "Fisherman's Luck," and "The Builders, and other Poems."

Webster, Daniel (page 250), an American statesman and orator, was born at Salisbury, New Hampshire, in 1782. He attended the common school, and graduated at Dartmouth in 1801. In 1812 he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, and at once took his place as one of the most prominent men of that body. In 1816 he removed to Boston; and in 1827 he was elected to the United States Senate, where he continued for twelve years. In 1841 he was made Secretary of State, and soon after negotiated the famous "Ashburton Treaty" with England, settling the northern boundary of the United States. In 1845 he returned to the Senate; and in