The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-13


books about cruelty to animals.
1t is mistake to suppose that all born
oook worms are people who have no inter
est in practical life, and no power of deal
ing with men and with circumstances.
There never was a more confirmed book
worm than Napoleon, who for all that.
was, it will be allowed, "a man of action"
ln all his campaigns he carried q travelling
library of novels. He had an official in
Paris to look after his literary en- cas-.
Just as the life of servant was devoted to
keeping roast fowl always ready to be
eaten, 80 this literary faster had to supply
Napoleon with novels eternally fresh.
From Moscow, from Madrid, he kept
writing for new novels. He often com
planned that they were really too bad. He
carriage, and then throw the dull volumes
out of the window, and turn, voracious, to
] fresh packet. He projected miniature
travelling edition of all readable French
literature, but the publication in the de
sired form proved too expensive, evtn for
an Emperor. This taste for trashy novels
was not peculiar to Napoleon. Many men
of active minds, even when refined taste
is combined with activity, many judges,
barrlt ters, scholars, fad rest and solace in
the very poorest novels. AS long as there
is q plot and narrative, aud a mystery,
they are content.
The habit of reading is only noxious
when 1t becomes, as it often does among |
indolent people, disease. Their mental
emptiness prodnces a morbid hunger !;
they must for ever have q tsttling paper in |
their hands. They can read only Iitera- |
ture which deals with known people and
with "personalities" and gossip, but of |
that they are insatate. They have grated
on malice and idleuess, the form, but not
the essence of the habit of reading. It is
a habit which is depriving lecturers in the
Universities of their Office, and which
n
tunateiy it has been found that the
speeches of orators are very useful az texts
for the endless flow of printed matter
which streams from the literary men. If
Mr.. Gladstone and Lord Beaconsfeld did |
not speak there would be nothing to write
about, therefore, nothing TO read, and seri-
ous 7oid in the breakfast hour ofrespectable
families. Bookworms ought to be anxious
20 have themselves marked off as a species
distinct from mere newspaper worms.
There is something respectable in the
labit of the bookworm, which causes libra
les to be kept up and knowledge to be
tored, while the devourer of the flying
caves of literature is another creature, a
ort OF butterfly or locust. He is iudolent,
gnorant, and retains nothing but confu-
ed memory Of gossip, with the wrong
acts affixed to the wrene names. No
lonest bookworm would willingly share
he habit of the newspaper devourer be
would rather consort with the depraved
nechanie who lives in, fantastic world of
omHnce. In him there rnay be the
ndeveioped germs of the scholar or poet;
ut the languid butterfly who settles on
be lesvss of the lighter prees is generally
othing bat q scandsimonger too lazy to
Valk and talk and pursue his profession in
be old manner of the Backbites and
neerwells. For the worthieE habit Of
eading, Fulke Grevills is the best apollo
ist, with his confession of the advantages
I pvH nf
nne" to "the safe society of books and Of
cad men,"