CHOICE SELECTIONS No. 12. [UNIFORM WITH THE SERIES.] A REPOSITORY OF READINGS, RECITATIONS, AND DECLAMATIONS, COMPRISING BRILLIANT ORATORY, THRILLING PATHOS, SPARKLING HUMOR, IMPASSIONED ELOQUENCE, CENTENNIAL EFFUSIONS, &C. COMFILED AND ARRANGED BY PHINEAS GARRETT, PUBLISHED BY P. GARRETT & CO., 708 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa., and "100 Choice Selections" Series, Will be found on the last pages of this book. THE SPEAKER'S GARLAND (in 4 Vols.) Contains the first SIXTEEN NUMBERS of "100 Choice Selections." For EXHIBITIONS and PARLOR THEATRICALS, get EXCELSIOR DIALOGUES, for advanced Speakers. Entirely Original. Abounding in Humor. Price, $1.25. Also, MODEL DIALOGUES. New and Spicy. Price, $1.25. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. Merchants, Lawyers, Doctors, Travelers, Ministers, Teachers and others are hereby invited to Copy their Letters IN THE 'PENN LETTER BOOK" Without the Use of Copying Press or Water, By means of the "Penn Instantaneous Sympathetic Copying Ink." This is the greatest Time, Labor and Money-Saving Invention of the age, and is rapidly growing into favor wherever introduced, as its Simplicity and Convenience recommend it to all. It is only necessary to place the written letter under the copying leaf and rub with the hand. Every one will acknowledge the importance of keeping a facsimile copy of every business-letter written, and the PENN LETTER BOOK brings the means of doing so within the reach of ALL. Full directions for use accompany each book.-Price for Book and Ink complete, $2.00 and upward. For a full List of Prices, see last pages, or send for a descriptive circular containing Testimonials, References, etc. AGENTS WANTED EVERYWHERE. PREFACE. This volume makes the twelfth number of our popular "100 CHOICE SELECTION" SERIES, and yet the demand for additional numbers continues unabated, which is the best evidence of the success of the undertaking. While we shall still endeavor, as far as in our power lieth, to gratify this desire on the part of our readers, we most respectfully extend thanks to our many patrons and friends, both for the interest manifested in giving publicity to our enterprise, and the kind assistance voluntarily rendered us in the work of selection and compilation. 4 In preparing the present volume, the same care has oeen observed as before to present selections of acknowledged literary excellence and unquestionable elocutionary merit, embracing every variety of emotion,—Sentimental and Religious, Eloquent and Oratorical, Pathetic and Impassioned, Humorous and Amusing,gathered both from known and anonymous sources, the question in their compilation not being, "From whence did it originate?" so much as, "Is IT GOOD FOR SPEAKING OR READING?" Taken together, the "Series" presents an array of choice Poetry and Prose, so comprehensive and varied in style, as to offer a responsive chord to every possible mood or phase of human feeling-presenting a complete LIBRARY OF LITERARY GEMS heretofore obtained only by long and continued research among many expensive volumes,—and furnished at a merely nominal price, thus bringing many of the best specimens of American and English Literature within the reach of all. Philadelphia, 1876. THE PUBLISHERS. |