Into Space, Sterner St. Paul, 1930

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A story on the theme of The Lost Cosmonaut, from the days when space travel was utterly fantastic. The scientist attempts to travel through the moon using an antigravity technology. It's interesting that the author didn't consider rocketry to be a plausible technology. The control systems are unspecified "apparatus".

Another interesting thing about this story is that the inventor is not mad-obssessive, in the 19th century manner. Instead, he's simply pursuing research, and makes the mistake of not testing his invention before putting himself in it. While the story still focuses on the individual inventor (rather than the team, as in later sf), it is more focused on the idea of technology as progress, rather than striking a cautionary note.

There's a small bit of casual racism, but it isn't that egregious.

The Shadow - A Parable, by Edgar Allen Poe, 1850

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The Shadow is a nice short work, with great atmosphere. To modern ears, there's nothing particularly shocking about it - it's even a bit cliche. But you have to put yourself into the context of Poe's time, where even educated people thought there might be a legitimate reason to believe in the supernatural.

This story is set during a plague, where the main characters are sitting at some kind of wake for a dead companion. During the night, they experience a glimpse of what life after death might entail.