The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-10-02
MEN, WOMEN AND BOOKS.

L. A. will be held in the library room at
two o'clock, Wednesday afternoon, October
9Th. A selection will be given by Mrs A. e.
Adams. and paper by Mrs. George the
subject, 1.-THE Unbought Grace of Life"
The literary exercises are at three o'clock,
and as they promise to be very interesting,
it is hoped good number win be in at
tendance
GARFIELD AND LITERATURE.
| There have been brilliant epochs in the
worlds history when rulers have given
their entire influence and aided, by example
and financially, in the diffusion Of knowl-
edge and the development of intellectual
originality.
The age OF Pericles and Augustus, of
the Medicia, and Lous XIV, the later days
OF Elizabeth and Ann prove the effect that
one high in authority can have over his
people. No less is this influence from
those in high places felt now, although the
people are the patrons of letters and not the
rulers as Of old.
To President Garfield, the authors Eng
land were looking for the sympathy that
would bring to conclusion the in
ternational copy right treaty that would
cause them to be treated with less disre-
gard in the United States Garfield's in
| fuence in literature would not have been
in the creative field, bat in giving solid
study and reading from the best authors, a
wonderful impetus. The fact that we at
last had a president who gave an honored
place in the White House to such books as
Shakespeare, Tennyson, Horace, Goethe,
Buckle, Gulzot, Green and Hume, would
have strengthened the footing that books
have secured in our century. DR.. Gregory
we'll known in educational work, once said
that when student failed to enter the uni
versity by the regular examinations he sent
him to the library to read. There he was
watched and if he proved to be "hungry"
reader, chance was give him to make up
his studies. This was the idea that Gar
fields mother had when she put books into
the hands of her boy and taught him to
love them as his best friend And through
him had he been spared, after the political
strife had died away, that same mothers
influence would have extended by whole
some radiation throughout our land,
causing other mothers to give more
thought to the early years of their chill
dren. The child should never be able to
remember when he did not have love and
care for books. "Down in the valleys
where the children's feet are romping" is
the place to give our country bias toward
literature, science and art, instead of a love
for political power. As the "golden ages
of literature" stand in clearer light than
those of bloodshed and anarchy, so some
one, President Arthur if he will, can make
a brilliant record on the side of peace, gen
eral social and moral culture. We cannot
but feel that this is what we have lost in
Garfield while Mrs. Garfield was our typi'
cal woman, who, with knowledge, counsel
and authority, could teach her boys Latir
and know they did it well. So literature
turns down blank leaf and we can never
know what would have been written there
now that we have lost with one cruel blow
the man, the woman and the mother, who
would have made the "thought margins
of the world grow and expand under TIT
force of gentle, ibut gradual process.