# bib

id: 16340
title: A Cynic Looks at Life
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/16340.txt
cache: ./cache/16340.txt
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summary:
  civilized countries is so complex that men there have more ways to be know more: and if knowledge makes them happy it is useful and desirable. men and women from civilized countries, yet after two and a half Many and many years ago lived a man who was so good and wise that none eloquence is the art of saying things in such a way as to make them pass great forensic speeches by the world''s famous orators good reading? The New Woman is against the death penalty, naturally, for she is hot can not know--to good women in whose innocent minds female immorality is Nay, if the young man about town, knowing nothing of how things were in True, man does not know woman. What a woman most admires in a man is distinction among men. art Man. See that thou turn not back, but pass on to the place whence


id: 23172
title: The Damned Thing 1898, From "In the Midst of Life"
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/23172.txt
cache: ./cache/23172.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
summary:
  By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book. The person reading was a trifle different; one would have said of him When the coroner had finished reading he put the book into his breast The coroner was apparently not greatly affected by the young man''s coroner lifted his eyes and said: "We will resume the inquest." "Relate the circumstances of this man''s death," said the coroner. "The bushes were now quiet, and the sounds had ceased, but Morgan was as The coroner rose from his seat and stood beside the dead man. "Gentlemen," the coroner said, "we have no more evidence, I think. "I should like to ask one question, Mr. Coroner," he said. "Mr. Harker," said the coroner, gravely and tranquilly, "from what his body the book was not put in evidence; possibly the coroner thought


id: 374
title: Fantastic Fables
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/374.txt
cache: ./cache/374.txt
extension: .txt
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summary:
  "My sister," said an adjacent Man of God, solemnly, "you cannot stop the "Great and good friend," said the Editor, blandly, looking up from his "Let the prisoner be discharged," said the Judge; "a man who has no "He said it was about three o''clock," replied the Man in a Hurry; "but he "What, then," said the Man in a Hurry, eagerly, "is the time of day?" "My great and good friends," he said to his brother sovereigns, "it will "I referred," said the Witch, "to the head of her good man." The Constituents said he was an honourable man and elected him to the "I ''sought the man,''" said the Office. A Man with a Shotgun said to a Bird: "I take it you are one of my constituents," the Man said. "Well," said the Man, looking about, "the country doesn''t seem to be very "Why should you not rather rejoice?" said the Man.


id: 375
title: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/375.txt
cache: ./cache/375.txt
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summary:
  A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down sentinel at each end of the bridge stood with his rifle in the The sentinels, facing the banks of the stream, might have been statues He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and He unclosed his eyes and saw again the water below him. free my hands," he thought, "I might throw off the noose and spring As Peyton Farquhar fell straight downward through the bridge he lost noose about his neck was already suffocating him and kept the water He looked at the forest on the bank of the stream, saw the individual Suddenly he heard a sharp report and something struck the water The man in the water saw the eye of the man on the bridge The water, the banks, the forests, the now distant bridge, fort and


id: 972
title: The Devil''s Dictionary
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/972.txt
cache: ./cache/972.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
summary:
  Said a man to a crapulent youth: "I thought weep at the death of an enemy?" "Ah, ''tis true," replied the great A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern In American politics, a person who having failed to secure A long time ago a man lost his life in a duel. picturesque incidents in that great and good man''s career. He thought, poor man, ''twas right to be a thief. believed that the ancient dead, like the modern, were light eaters. e''en roast." "But look you, my son," persisted the good man, "this The good man was coming away from dinner at For peace is a blessing," the White Man said. "I did great service to a man one day of the human race is commonly known (to the female) as Mere Man. The good man said, "see that you chain it by the leg, and in the morning


id: 3715
title: The Parenticide Club
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/3715.txt
cache: ./cache/3715.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
summary:
  Nigger Head, where my father opened a road agency and prospered beyond A few days later, when I went to Nigger Head and asked My father said he was proud of me, and my mother promised that uncle''s house, near Nigger Head, asked my Aunt Mary, his wife, if he humbler walks of life, my father being a manufacturer of dog-oil and business of making dog-oil was, naturally, less unpopular, though the One evening while passing my father''s oil factory with the body of a The next day, somewhat to my surprise, my father, rubbing his hands way; then my poor, wounded father, feeling the hand of death upon him, mother was likely to enter the library at any moment. former father," I said, "I presume that it is known to you that you hands and knees, and backing up to the old man squealed like a demon


id: 5661
title: A Son of the Gods, and A Horseman in the Sky
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/5661.txt
cache: ./cache/5661.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
summary:
  crest of a hill a mile away in the direction of the interrupted advance. For this powerful army, moving in battle order through a forest, has met hill a mile away has a sinister look; it says, Beware! stone wall extending to left and right a great distance. facing the distant crest, holding his field-glass against his eyes with every rifle turns toward the man on a white horse; no one but has salutes again, wheels his horse, and rides straight toward the crest of motionless, holding his sabre in his right hand straight above his head. turned his head and looked in the direction of his concealed fixity of attention---Druse turned his head and looked through the deeps group of man and horse in the sky, and again it was through the sights answered, he turned away his eyes and said no more.


id: 12474
title: Write It Right: A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/12474.txt
cache: ./cache/12474.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
summary:
  Few words have more than one literal and serviceable meaning, however A good and useful word, but used without meaning by have the same meaning, but in their use by good writers there is a charity." The word relates, not to meanness, but to demeanor, conduct, form: "firstly," "secondly," and the rest are words without meaning. This word, meaning polite, or well mannered, was once in As a noun, this word means something that cannot be thought the better word (and in most cases it is) put it this way: "It what the misusers of the word mad mean to affirm. meant anything it would mean fight, but there is no such word. If a word has a good plural use each form in its We make a better use of the word if we say of one (for example) who This word rightly means to make solemn, not to perform,


id: 12658
title: Shapes of Clay
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/12658.txt
cache: ./cache/12658.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
summary:
  As thou, his soul as thine, long dead, That poet lived--yourself long dead--his mind Nay, titles, ''tis said in defense of our fair, God, lift thy hand and make us free Let Man salute the rising day Sought the great temple of the living God. The great man slowly moved away. ''Tis said they mean to take away I said: "I''ve seen an honest man "Young man," he said, "your words are wild: "God help you, gentle sir," I said. Saw the man in the room from across the way, God said: "Let there be Man," and from the clay "''Let there be Liberty!'' God said, and, lo! "I beg you to note," said a Man to a Goose, For there''s not a soul to love me and no living thing respects me, So I said: "If nothing human, and if neither man nor woman old man, just think of it! Good-bye, old man.


id: 12977
title: Black Beetles in Amber
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/12977.txt
cache: ./cache/12977.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
summary:
  sin he should spare the sinner were bound to let the life of his work You left us." "I have come to bring," said Nick, With man long warring, quarreling with God, I hear a great sound like the people''s cheers." Let this be said: ''twas generously eared. And God lies dead before the great white throne! In fair San Francisco a good man did dwell, O bad old man, must thy remaining years Time''s dread advance till thou hast had thy day? Dog being dead, Man''s lawless flame Shall pass, like mortal men, away, Till his bonny blue eyes, like his love, were no more. God said, "Let there be Crime," and the command And the dead man''s eyes shall ever Faith, sir, I''d like the place if not too young. "Quite likely," said the other; "but I swear Heaven knows I''d like the Faith to think


id: 12793
title: Cobwebs from an Empty Skull
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/12793.txt
cache: ./cache/12793.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
summary:
  "Ah!" said the cat, "a rat who knows he has but a few minutes to live, "Very good, sir," assented the old man; "lay your load upon my "I beg you to observe," said the lamb, "that water does not commonly "It was very good of you, sir," then said the fowl; "pray tell me to Seeing the man walking away without making any remark, the bull said: "Should your friend pass this way," said the voice, "I will show him "I don''t think of questioning your right to worry me," said the cat, "I know what is the matter," said the King: "there is a dead serpent "I think, my good friend, you have been among the theologians," said "Yes," said the man, "the weather is like yourself--raw, and long a time he did not know what it was like. times, and he never said a word against it."


id: 36218
title: The Letters of Ambrose Bierce, With a Memoir by George Sterling
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/36218.txt
cache: ./cache/36218.txt
extension: .txt
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summary:
  Much of Bierce''s best work was done in those years in San Francisco. know that I think that a pretty good way to depart this life. I think, a good thing for a pupil of the art, youth being apt to gush lines I know no reason why you should not do good work. If you want to learn to write that kind of thing, so as to do good the Oakland _Times_ of the 3rd (I think) * * * (I know of course it By the way, my New York publishers (The United States Book Company) always liked my work--or me--well enough to want to publish my books I know how to write a story (of the "happy ending" sort) for magazine I know how to write a story (of the "happy ending" sort) for magazine _kind_ of country she writes of, and reading the book was like


id: 43951
title: The Cynic''s Word Book
author: Bierce, Ambrose
txt: ./txt/43951.txt
cache: ./cache/43951.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
summary:
  Said a man to a crapulent youth: "I thought A person, commonly a woman, who has the power of seeing A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern In American politics, a person who having failed to secure an A long time ago a man lost his life in a duel. incidents in that great and good man''s career. He knew by heart the laws of God and man, things of its class, as an honest man, a truthful woman, etc. "But look you, my son," persisted the good man, "this act hath rank as For peace is a blessing," the White Man said. but it makes no great difference to the person slain whether he fell by Then slipped it in the good man''s hand, The holy man said they must feel his brow "I did great service to a man one day


