The happiness of some lives is distributed pretty evenly over the whole stretch from the cradle to the grave, while that of others comes all at once, glorifying some particular epoch and leaving the rest in shadow. During one, five, or ten blithe years, as the case may be, all the springs of life send up sweet waters; joy is in the very air we breathe; happiness seems our native element. During this period we know what is the zest of living, as compared with the mere endurance of existence, which is, perhaps, the most we have attained to before or since. With men this culminating epoch comes often in manhood, or even at maturity, especially with men of arduous and successful careers. But with women it comes most frequently perhaps in girlhood and young womanhood. Particularly is this wont to be the fact with women who do not marry, and with whom, as the years glide on, life becomes lonelier and its interests fewer. By the time Miss Ida Ludington was twenty-five years old she recognised that she had done with happiness, and that the pale pleasures of memory were all which remained to her.

DigiCat presents to you this unique Halloween collection of the greatest horror classics, the darkest mysteries and supernatural tales: H. P. Lovecraft: The Dunwich Horror. From Beyond... Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Rip Van Winkle The Spectre Bridegroom James Malcolm Rymer & Thomas Peckett Prest: Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Edgar Allan Poe: The Fall of the House of Usher The Cask of Amontillado The Pit and the Pendulum... Algernon Blackwood: The Willows The Wendigo Ancient Sorceries... Mary Shelley: Frankenstein The Heir of Mondolfo The Invisible Girl... Henry James: The Turn of the Screw The Ghostly Rental... John William Polidori: The Vampyre Bram Stoker: Dracula The Lair of the White Worm... Robert Louis Stevenson: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Gaston Leroux: The Phantom of the Opera Marjorie Bowen: Black Magic Charles Dickens: The Mystery of Edwin Drood The Haunted House To Be Read At Dusk... Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray Théophile Gautier: Clarimonde The Mummy's Foot Richard Marsh: The Beetle Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles The Silver Hatchet... Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu: Carmilla Uncle Silas... Matthew Gregory Lewis: The Monk Ann Radcliffe: The Mysteries of Udolpho Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights Wilkie Collins: The Woman in White The Devil's Spectacles Rudyard Kipling: The Phantom Rickshaw Guy de Maupassant: The Horla M. R. James: Ghost Stories of an Antiquary A Thin Ghost and Others Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Birth Mark The House of the Seven Gables... Ambrose Bierce: Can Such Things Be? William Hope Hodgson: The House on the Borderland The Night Land Horace Walpole: The Castle of Otranto William Thomas Beckford: Vathek George W. M. Reynolds: Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf Catherine Crowe: Ghosts and Family Legends Thomas Hardy: What the Shepherd Saw The Grave by the Handpost Elizabeth Gaskell: The Old Nurse's Story The Poor Clare... Fitz-James O'Brien: The Lost Room The Diamond Lens Marie Belloc Lowndes: From Out the Vast Deep...

DigiCat presents to you this unique collection, designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Content: H. P. Lovecraft: The Dunwich Horror. From Beyond... Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Rip Van Winkle The Spectre Bridegroom James Malcolm Rymer & Thomas Peckett Prest: Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Edgar Allan Poe: The Fall of the House of Usher The Cask of Amontillado The Pit and the Pendulum... Algernon Blackwood: The Willows The Wendigo Ancient Sorceries... Mary Shelley: Frankenstein The Heir of Mondolfo The Invisible Girl... Henry James: The Turn of the Screw The Ghostly Rental... John William Polidori: The Vampyre Bram Stoker: Dracula The Lair of the White Worm... Robert Louis Stevenson: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Gaston Leroux: The Phantom of the Opera Marjorie Bowen: Black Magic Charles Dickens: The Mystery of Edwin Drood The Haunted House To Be Read At Dusk... Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray Théophile Gautier: Clarimonde The Mummy's Foot Richard Marsh: The Beetle Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles The Silver Hatchet... Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu: Carmilla Uncle Silas... Matthew Gregory Lewis: The Monk Ann Radcliffe: The Mysteries of Udolpho Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights Wilkie Collins: The Woman in White The Devil's Spectacles Rudyard Kipling: The Phantom Rickshaw Guy de Maupassant: The Horla M. R. James: Ghost Stories of an Antiquary A Thin Ghost and Others Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Birth Mark The House of the Seven Gables... Ambrose Bie...

Beware The Silence stands as a testament to the enduring allure and inherent mystery of the unsaid, the unexplained, and the eerily quiet moments that precede a storm. Spanning an impressive range of literary styles, from the gothic to the speculative, the realist to the supernatural, this collection delves into the silence that speaks volumes, exploring themes of isolation, the unknown, and the uncanny. This anthology is notable not just for its breadth but also for its depth, featuring standout pieces that showcase the unique intersections of culture, time, and psychology, marking a significant contribution to the literary landscape. The authors and editors represented in Beware The Silence collectively bring a rich mosaic of backgrounds, from the well-trodden halls of classic literature by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to the shadowy corners explored by H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. These authors, hailing from varied eras and regions, contribute to a multifaceted exploration of the anthology's theme, each drawing from their unique personal, historical, and cultural contexts. Their works reflect the diverse literary movements they belonged to, from Romanticism to Victorian literature, from realism to the birth of modern horror and speculative fiction, enriching the reader's understanding of how silence can signify across different temporal and cultural landscapes. Beware The Silence invites readers into a rich tapestry of narratives that promise to captivate, haunt, and challenge. It stands as a unique opportunity to traverse a wide spectrum of human emotion and experience, offering insights into the often underexplored themes of silence and the unsaid. For scholars, students, and enthusiasts of literature, this collection provides not only a voyage into the many facets of silence but also fosters a dialogue between the past and present, the said and the unsaid, making it a must-read for anyone intrigued by the complexities that define the human condition.

THE SPELL HAS BEGUN: 550+ Supernatural Mysteries, Macabre & Horror Classics' is a meticulously curated anthology that spans a vast literary landscape of the supernatural, horror, and mystery genres. This expansive collection showcases the diversity and depth of literary styles, from the gothic horror of the 19th century to the psychological thrills of the early 20th century, capturing the evolving nature of fear and the supernatural within the human psyche. The anthology is a testament to the thematic richness and stylistic variety of its contents, featuring seminal works that have defined and transcended their time, influencing countless readers and writers alike. The inclusion of masterpieces by a broad spectrum of authors underlines the anthology's significance as a comprehensive compendium of supernatural literature. The backgrounds of the contributors to 'THE SPELL HAS BEGUN' read like a whos who of literary greatness, encompassing a range of nations, time periods, and personal histories. This collection brings together the likes of Poe's macabre genius, Wilde's piercing wit, Stoker's unparalleled knack for tension, and Lovecraft's cosmic dread, among others. These authors, through their inventive narratives and unique perspectives, contribute to a collective exploration of humanity's darkest fears and unexplained phenomena. The anthology aligns with and contributes to various historical, cultural, and literary movements, offering a panoramic view of the evolution of supernatural and horror literature. Their collective works enrich the anthology, providing a multifaceted exploration of themes such as the human condition, existential dread, and the supernatural, each author adding layers of complexity and depth to the overarching narrative of horror and mystery literature. 'THE SPELL HAS BEGUN' is more than just an anthology; it is an invitation to traverse the shadowy paths of fear, suspense, and the supernatural. Readers eager to explore the breadth of human imagination, to delve into tales that have haunted minds for centuries, and to engage with the minds of some of literature's greatest will find this collection invaluable. It presents a unique opportunity to understand the themes of horror and the supernatural from varied cultural and individual perspectives, making it essential reading for enthusiasts of the genre, scholars, and anyone captivated by the exploration of the human psyche through literary craft.