The Two Great Retreats of History Part 21

[169] =Dorogobouje=: a town about fifty miles west of Viazma and nearly two hundred west of Moscow. It is situated on the river Wop, a branch of the Dnieper.

[170] =Deployed=: formed a more extended front or line.

[171] =Dombrowna=: a town about fifty miles west of Smolensk and two hundred from Moscow.

[172] =Grenadiers=: these were men of long service and acknowledged bravery. Originally these soldiers threw hand grenades or small explosive sh.e.l.ls. When these grenades went out of use the name grenadiers was still retained.

[173] =Borizoff=: a town on the Berezina River, about 320 miles southwest of Moscow, and about 75 west of Orcha.

[174] =Minsk=: a town on a tributary of the Berezina River, about 400 miles southwest of Moscow. Here Napoleon had immense stores of provisions, clothing, and ammunition. He was pus.h.i.+ng forward to reach this place.

[175] Polish generals in Napoleon's Grand Army.

[176] =Malodeczno=: a town about seventy miles west of the Berezina River.

[177] =Smorgoni=: a village about thirty-five miles northwest of Malodeczno, and four hundred and fifty southwest of Moscow.

[178] =Silesia=: a province of southeastern Prussia.

[179] =Eagles=: Napoleon's colors were surmounted by the figure of an eagle.

[180] Marshal Ney, whom Napoleon called "the bravest of the brave,"

fought under the emperor in several subsequent battles. When Napoleon abdicated and was exiled to Elba, Ney supported the government of his successor and enemy, Louis XVIII. On the escape of Napoleon from Elba, in the spring of 1815, Ney was sent with an army against him, but instead of fighting for Louis XVIII., he took service under his old commander. At Waterloo he led the Old Guard, those men who could die but never surrender. After the final fall of Napoleon, Marshal Ney was tried and sentenced to be shot for treason to the government of Louis XVIII., whose cause he had deserted. Wellington tried to save his life, but in vain. If courage can expiate faults, then his are buried in his grave.

[181] On Napoleon's arrival in Paris he began at once to raise a fresh army. It has been said that it was "an army of boys," for France had lost most of her fighting men on the battle-field, or in Russia. In 1813 he was defeated at Leipsic, and obliged to retreat across the Rhine. The next year he abdicated and retired to Elba.

In the spring of 1815 he escaped from Elba, and raising an army fought and lost the battle of Waterloo.

After his second abdication he was sent an exile to St. Helena, where he died about six years later (1821). His remains were brought to Paris in 1840, and interred under the dome of the Hotel des Invalides, or Soldiers' Hospital. Above his tomb one reads these words: "I desire that my ashes shall repose on the banks of the Seine, among the French people, whom I have so greatly loved."

CLa.s.sICS FOR CHILDREN.

_In forming the mind and taste of the young, is it not better to use authors who have already lived long enough to afford some guaranty that they may survive the next twenty years?_

="Children derive impulses of a wonderful and important kind from hearing things that they cannot entirely comprehend."=--SIR WALTER SCOTT.

It is now some five or six years since we began publis.h.i.+ng the Cla.s.sics for Children, and the enterprise, which at first seemed a novel one, may fairly be said to have pa.s.sed the stage of experiment.

It has been the aim to present the best and most suitable literature in our language in as complete a form as possible; and in most cases but few omissions have been found necessary. Whether judged from the literary, the ethical, or the educational standpoint, each of the books has attained the rank of a masterpiece.

The series places within reach of all schools an abundant supply of supplementary reading-matter. This is its most obvious merit.

It is reading-matter, too, which, by the force of its own interest and excellence, will do much, when fairly set in compet.i.tion, to displace the trashy and even harmful literature so widely current.

It is believed also that constant dwelling upon such models of simple, pure, idiomatic English is the easiest and on all accounts the best way for children to acquire a mastery of their mother-tongue.

A large portion of the course has been devoted to history and biography, as it has seemed specially desirable to supplement the brief, unsatisfactory outlines of history with full and life-like readings.

The annotation has been done with modesty and reserve, the editors having aimed to let the readers come into direct acquaintance with the author.

The books are all printed on good paper, and are durably and attractively bound in 12mo. A distinctive feature is the large, clear type. Ill.u.s.trations have been freely used when thought desirable. The prices are as low as possible. It has been felt that nothing would be gained by making the books a little cheaper at the expense of crowding the page with fine type and issuing them in a style that would neither attract nor last.

The best proof of the need of such a course is the universal approbation with which it has been received.

CLa.s.sICS FOR CHILDREN.

_=Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales.=_ *FIRST SERIES: Supplementary to the Third Reader. *SECOND SERIES: Supplementary to the Fourth Reader.

*_=aesop's Fables,=_ with selections from Krilof and La Fontaine.

*_=Kingsley's Water-Babies:=_ A Story for a Land-Baby.

*_=Ruskin's King of the Golden River:=_ A Legend of Stiria.

*_=The Swiss Family Robinson.=_ Abridged.

_=Robinson Crusoe.=_ Concluding with his departure from the island.

*_=Kingsley's Greek Heroes.=_

*_=Martineau's Peasant and Prince.=_

_=Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare.=_ "Meas. for Meas." omitted.

_=Scott's Tales of a Grandfather.=_

_=Scott's Lady of the Lake.=_

_=Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel.=_

_=Lamb's Adventures of Ulysses.=_

_=Church's Stories of the Old World.=_

_=Scott's Talisman.=_ Complete.

_=Scott's Quentin Durward.=_ Slightly abridged.

_=Irving's Sketch Book.=_ Six selections, including ="Rip van Winkle."=