The realities of the world are few and small; the illusions many and vast. Not a sense that we possess, and hardly a faculty of the mind, but serves to deceive us; wholly in some cases, and partially in all. Yet, strip nature and life of these deceits, and what would earth become?--what our existence here? See a small fly stepping over the irregularities of a looking-glass and thinking the polished surface but a rough and rugged plain, and we have some idea of what the world would be, if we saw it as perhaps it is. Amongst the sweetest and most friendly delusions, of all the many, is the landscape-painting of imagination. Love, himself, I believe, does not cheat us more, or more pleasantly. Let any traveller ask himself, when he sets eyes upon a scene which he pronounces, at once, most beautiful, how much of the loveliness is added by fancy. It may be a grand, an expansive view, over a wide and varied country; but what is the mind doing while the eye is contemplating it? Peopling it with villages--laying it out in corn-fields and vineyards--filling it with busy life and gay enjoyment; not distinctly, not tangibly; but still the associations rise up in a golden mist, and spread a lustre over all. It may be, on the contrary, a narrower scene: a cottage in a deep glen, with old oaks overshadowing, and the thin blue smoke rising up amongst the green leaves. There too, is imagination busy, with the thoughts of calm retirement from a troublous world, and still, quiet contemplation--the labourer's repose after his labour--the sweet domestic home--the tender joy of tongues and faces loving and beloved. There is but one great magician left on earth, and that is Imagination. Reader, I very often draw from my own heart and its experience--more often than the world knows; and even now, I can conceive the sensations of those two horsemen as they come at a foot pace over the edge of the hill, where the splendid valley of the Neckar, with its castled town and ancient woods, and giant mountains, first breaks upon the eye. See how the sunshine of the summer evening, softened by the light smoke of the city, pours through the long tall streets and over the high walls and towers of massive stone: see how it catches on each rocky point or prominent crag, as rounding the granite mass of the King's Seat, in its decline towards the west, it covers the brows of all his mountain peers with coronets of gold; and lo! where high raised above the town, upon its platform of stone, stands out the lordly castle in bright light and shade. The green, green Neckar, flowing along in the midst, winds on through the long waving valley, showing ripples of gold wherever, in the sunshine, the winds stir it or the rocks obstruct, and, at each calmer spot, serves as a mirror to the loveliness around; giving back the bright tints of hills and woods, and town and bridge, with a lustrous clearness no other stream can match. Even that boat, with its many coloured crew of peasantry, shines out upon the face of the river in red and blue, and white and brown, as if the very hues acquired a finer dye from the water that but reflects them; and the fishing eagle, swooping down upon his finny prey, strikes at it the more fiercely when he sees the image of himself rushing to seize it also from below.

Getting engaged had seemed like a good idea. But now Sister Eugenia Smith wasn't so sure. She was fond of Humphrey, but did she love him? When surgeon Gerard Grenfell offered her the chance to work in Europe, she gladly accepted. Perhaps a break would help her think things through. But Eugenia hadn't expected to fall in love with Gerard. It all seemed pretty hopeless, though, since he was already engaged to the glamorous Miriam. Fortunately, wedding plans could be changed!

Ella Stevens never knew a mother's love. Her fierce independence was the keystone of her whole identity-unfettered by romantic involvements or family demands-until the day she moved to Germany and her world began to unravel. There, she discovered the terrible secret her mother died to protect. There, she stumbled onto a hidden time portal that took her to 1620 Heidelberg where the brutal realities of life were not restricted to just the poor and the infirm. Fighting to survive in a world she's ill-equipped to understand let alone function, Ella is befriended by a convent of nuns who stand on the executioner's block of one of the bloodiest butchers in all of Europe: the Warlord Krüger. Determined to help her new friends, Ella, with the aid of a very sexy United States Marshal, learns the hard way that when it comes to the things that really matter-love, trust and friendship-sometimes the truth is the least important thing of all.

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

This comprehensive edition of 'The Complete Novels of Thomas Hardy (Illustrated)' provides readers with a remarkable insight into the world of 19th-century English literature. Hardy's literary style blends realism with romanticism, showcasing the harsh realities of rural life alongside themes of love, tragedy, and social class. From the pastoral settings of 'Far from the Madding Crowd' to the bleak landscapes of 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' and 'Jude the Obscure', Hardy's novels captivate readers with their vivid imagery and emotional depth. The inclusion of illustrations further enhances the reading experience, bringing Hardy's characters and settings to life. Hardy's exploration of the human condition and society's impact on individual lives continues to resonate with modern readers, making this collection a timeless classic. Readers interested in Victorian literature and the intersections of love, fate, and societal constraints will find this compilation a valuable addition to their library.