The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1888-12-08


Here was Ech's !cHg wished for opportunity
His long repressed wrath had put him In prime
condition. lie seized his CAD and spoke TO the cat
tie in q tone that they knew meant business. At
the same time too, he began TO pour forth tor
rent Of the most strange and original oaths that
ever fell from any mans lips. The oxen laid noby
to their work and In trice pulled the log out and
onto dry hard ground.
There" aid Bob, CLEAN of triumph in his eye,
~ told you cussin' would do 1t. Them cattle, nor
no others at ever seed, III pull worth hooter
'thout you at 'em, an do Ii in earnest too y
well" said Uncle Billy slowly ait does pear "a
though there's some virtue In il after all, an |
reckon when you git in a mighty tight place you
are justified in doin' most anything to get out
But wouldn't a-believed it If | hadn't a-seen IL
with my own eyes"
Have you ever thought what large part good
books play in promoting not only the intelligence
but the happiness of mankind, to-day? How init
matey they bring you to the grandest and best
minds of every day and age! You know and love
Macaulay, Hume, Gibbons Pope, Dryden, Shakes
peare, Byron, Scott, Dickens, Cooper, Longfellow
Whittier, Tennyson Keats, Rogers, Burns Gold
smith and hosts of Others and how did you make
their acquaintance? Through books, their books,
of course. What pleasure, and one may we'll say
what privilege TO know such men and to know
them in a way that benefits us so materially as
we'll gives such permanent pleasure. No per-
sonal acquaintance with the authors themselves
could do more, II indeed much Most OF them,
in their books take the reader into closer relations
revealing to him more of their beauty and worth
of character than years of personal acquaint-
ance could do. OF verify books become our
friends because associated with them always the
personality of the author shining out from the
printed page, impelliDg us to look with love and
reverence to him, the pupil turns from his les
and his interest in them to feast his eyes upon
the kindly, sympathetic. face of his teacher.
And how sweet the companionship of our friends,
the booksl How delightful, how thoroughly rest
full anu entertaining Is hour spent with favor
lite author How convenient il is to have friend
that you can put into your pocket and carry about
with you, to hold communion with on the cars, the
ferry boat, or even in the crowded street. 1t is
said of Dr. johnson that he always went about
with his pockets-and he had plenty of them too
filled with books On one occasion, il Is related
he found fault with garment which his tailor had
made for him because the pockets were too small
The tailor insisted that they were nice, large
pockets, and quite the fashion EYES," replied the
gruff old doctor, "but not large enough to get q
book into ; and what use have for pocket that
will not hold books5" In Dr. Johnson's day books
were not plentiful now, and were therefore
greatly priced. Now, they fall from the printing
press like autumn leaves Though many Of them
not worth the trouble of reading, there still
many that are In cultivatiDg books 1t is much the
same as cultivating individuals, one needs to be
careful in his selections. good book like true
and noble friend, is always worth striving for, and
when once obtained should be tenderly and sacredly
cherished.