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Shapes of Clay

by Ambrose Bierce

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  1. 1Dedication
  2. 2Preface
  3. 3The Passing Show
  4. 4Elixer Vitae
  5. 5Convalescent
  6. 6At the Close of the Canvass
  7. 7Novum Organum
  8. 8Geotheos
  9. 9Yorick
  10. 10A Vision of Doom
  11. 11Politics
  12. 12Poesy
  13. 13In Defense
  14. 14An Invocation
  15. 15Religion
  16. 16A Morning Fancy
  17. 17Visions of Sin
  18. 18The Town of Dae
  19. 19An Anarchist
  20. 20An Offer of Marriage
  21. 21Arma Virumque
  22. 22On a Proposed Crematory
  23. 23A Demand
  24. 24The Weather Wight
  25. 25My Monument
  26. 26Mad
  27. 27Hospitality — For a Certain Critic
  28. 28Religious Progress
  29. 29Magnanimity · To Her — To a Summer Poet
  30. 30Arthur McEwen
  31. 31Charles and Peter
  32. 32Contemplation
  33. 33Creation — Business
  34. 34A Possibility
  35. 35To a Censor
  36. 36The Hesitating Veteran
  37. 37A Year’s Casualties
  38. 38Inspiration
  39. 39To-Day
  40. 40An Alibi
  41. 41Rebuke
  42. 42The Dying Statesman
  43. 43The Death of Grant
  44. 44The Fountain Refilled
  45. 45Laus Lucis
  46. 46Nanine
  47. 47Technology
  48. 48A Reply to a Letter
  49. 49To Oscar Wilde
  50. 50Prayer — A “Born Leader of Men”
  51. 51To the Bartholdi Statue
  52. 52An Unmerry Christmas
  53. 53By a Defeated Litigant
  54. 54An Epitaph
  55. 55The Politician — An Inscription
  56. 56From Virginia to Paris
  57. 57A “Mute Inglorious Milton”
  58. 58The Free Trader’s Lament
  59. 59Subterranean Phantasies
  60. 60In Memoriam
  61. 61The Statesmen
  62. 62The Brothers
  63. 63The Cynic’s Bequest
  64. 64Corrected News
  65. 65An Explanation
  66. 66Justice
  67. 67Mr. Fink’s Debating Donkey
  68. 68To My Laundress
  69. 69Fame
  70. 70Omnes Vanitas
  71. 71Aspiration
  72. 72Democracy — The New “Ulalume”
  73. 73Consolation
  74. 74Fate
  75. 75Philosopher Bimm
  76. 76Reminded
  77. 77Salvini in America
  78. 78Another Way
  79. 79Art
  80. 80An Enemy to Law and Order
  81. 81To One Across the Way
  82. 82The Debtor Abroad
  83. 83Foresight — A Fair Division
  84. 84Genesis
  85. 85Liberty
  86. 86The Passing of “Boss” Shepherd
  87. 87To Maude
  88. 88The Birth of Virtue
  89. 89Stoneman in Heaven
  90. 90The Scurril Press
  91. 91One of the Unfair Sex
  92. 92The Lord’s Prayer on a Coin
  93. 93A Lacking Factor
  94. 94The Royal Jester
  95. 95A Career in Letters
  96. 96The Following Pair
  97. 97Political Economy
  98. 98Vanished at Cock-Crow
  99. 99The Unpardonable Sin
  100. 100Industrial Discontent
  101. 101Tempora Mutantur
  102. 102Contentment
  103. 103The New Enoch
  104. 104Disavowal
  105. 105An Average
  106. 106Woman — Incurable
  107. 107The Pun
  108. 108A Partisan’s Protest — To Nanine
  109. 109Vice Versa
  110. 110A Black-List
  111. 111A Bequest to Music
  112. 112Authority
  113. 113The Psoriad
  114. 114Oneiromancy
  115. 115Peace
  116. 116Thanksgiving
  117. 117The God’s View-Point
  118. 118The Aesthetes
  119. 119July Fourth — With Mine Own Petard
  120. 120Constancy
  121. 121Sires and Sons
  122. 122A Challenge
  123. 123Two Shows
  124. 124A Poet’s Hope
  125. 125The Woman and the Devil
  126. 126Two Rogues
  127. 127Beecher
  128. 128Not Guilty
  129. 129Presentiment
  130. 130A Study in Gray
  131. 131A Paradox
  132. 132For Merit
  133. 133A Bit of Science
  134. 134The Tables Turned
  135. 135To a Dejected Poet
  136. 136A Fool
  137. 137The Humorist
  138. 138Montefiore
  139. 139A Warning — Discretion
  140. 140An Exile
  141. 141The Division Superintendent
  142. 142Psychographs — To a Professional Eulogist
  143. 143For Wounds — Election Day
  144. 144The Militiaman
  145. 145A Welcome
  146. 146A Serenade
  147. 147The Wise and Good
  148. 148The Lost Colonel
  149. 149For Tat
  150. 150A Dilemma
  151. 151Metempsychosis
  152. 152The Saint and the Monk
  153. 153The Opposing Sex
  154. 154A Whipper-in
  155. 155Judgment
  156. 156The Fall of Miss Larkin
  157. 157In High Life
  158. 158A Bubble
  159. 159A Rendezvous — Francine
  160. 160An Example
  161. 161Revenge
  162. 162The Genesis of Embarrassment
  163. 163In Contumaciam
  164. 164Re-Edified · A Bulletin — From the Minutes
  165. 165Woman in Politics
  166. 166To an Aspirant
  167. 167A Ballad of Pikeville
  168. 168A Builder
  169. 169An Augury
  170. 170Lusus Politicus
  171. 171Bereavement
  172. 172An Inscription for a Statue of Napoleon, at West Point
  173. 173A Pickbrain
  174. 174Convalescent
  175. 175The Naval Constructor
  176. 176Detected
  177. 177Bimetalism
  178. 178The Rich Testator — Two Methods
  179. 179Foundations of the State
  180. 180An Imposter
  181. 181Unexpounded — France
  182. 182The Eastern Question
  183. 183A Guest
  184. 184A False Prophecy
  185. 185Two Types — Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs
  186. 186A Hymn of the Many
  187. 187One Morning
  188. 188An Error — At the “National Encampment”
  189. 189The King of Bores
  190. 190History
  191. 191The Hermit
  192. 192To a Critic of Tennyson
  193. 193The Yearly Lie
  194. 194Cooperation — An Apologue
  195. 195Diagnosis
  196. 196Fallen
  197. 197Dies Irae
  198. 198One Mood’s Expression
  199. 199Something in the Papers
  200. 200In the Binnacle
  201. 201Humility — One President
  202. 202The Bride
  203. 203Strained Relations — The Man Born Blind
  204. 204A Nightmare
  205. 205A Wet Season
  206. 206The Confederate Flags
  207. 207Haec Fabula Docet
  208. 208Exoneration
  209. 209Azrael
  210. 210Again
  211. 211Homo Podunkensis
  212. 212A Social Call

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