His Level Best

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 edition. Excerpt: ... THE BRICK MOON. FROM THE PAPERS OF CAPTAIN FREDERIC INGHAM. I. -- PREPARATION. I Have no sort of objection now to telling the whole story. The subscribers, of course, have a right to know what became of their money. The astronomers may as well know all about it, before they announce any more asteroids with an enormous movement in declination. And experimenters on the longitude may as well know, so that they may act advisedly in attempting another brick moon or in refusing to do so. It all began more than thirty years ago, when we were in college; as most good things begin. We were studying in the book which has gray sides and a green back, and is called "Cambridge Astronomy " because it is translated from the French. We came across this business of the longitude, and, as we talked, in the gloom and glamour of the old South Middle dininghall, we had going the usual number of students' stories about rewards offered by the Board of Longitude for discoveries in that matter, -- stories, all of which, so far as I know, are lies. Like all boys, we had tried our hands at perpetual motion. For me, I was sure I could square the circle, if they would give me chalk enough. But as to this business of the longitude, it was reserved for Q. to make the happy hit and to explain it to the rest of us. I wonder if I can explain it to an unlearned world, which has not studied the book with gray sides and a green cambric back . Let us try. You know then, dear world, that when you look at the North Star, it always appears to you at just the same height above the horizon or what is between you and the horizon: say the Dwight School-house, or the houses in Concord Street; or to me, just now, North College. You know also that, if you were to travel to the North...


Genre: Literary Fiction