The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-08-31
SALTWATER MINNESOTA AUGUST 81, 1898.

fellow-men begotten of bitter expert
ence. Don Juan is cynical satire of
the world and its ways. Accused of God
illness he never refuted the libel in so
many words, but throughout his writ
ings is reverence and humbleneSS be-
fore the Divine presence. In Cain he
says "alas [ seem nothing" and sit
burns my brow, but nought to that
which is within it," His Hebrew Me
lodies are instinct with humility and
high aspirations for the hereafter. His
every page breathes of devotion to hui
man liberty which his life was conse
Grated to. Nj.
Xxx
A better, truer friend than a good
book no one can find OF all the books
now in use none are so dear to my heart
as the one containing the poetical works
of H. w. LongfelloW. In it are found
some familiar lines that have soothed
my aching heart in time of sorrow,
calmed my mind in time of disappoint-
ment and strengthened my nerves in
time of danger. The following lines
saved me from infidelism:
"'DuSt thou art, to dust returneSt,
Was not spoken of the SOul.''
His works have enabled me to not
judge things by their outward appear
ance only, but to remember always
that this world is. full of deceit, and
''things are not as they SEEM" Though
in measured lines he wrote his ideas, he
has given us that which none but the
pure in thought can give. Let others
choose whom they will, but as for me,
will always be content with H. w. Long
fellow as my favOrite author.
A. H. G.
***
Were / placed in such a position as
should permit the selection of only one
book from the literary product of the
world, my choice would fall on Shakes
peare. Literature never produced a
greater master or truer artist. For him
the human mind was an instrument
sounding forth with equal vigor the
controlling passions of life. His in
spired hand swept the gamut, and
hope, friendship and love, pride and am
bitiOn, fear, hate and dispair, each played
their part in the measures of life
Where shall we find such characters as
he has given us in the mind haunted
Macbeth, the unrelenting Shylock, the
noble Anthony, the skeptical dispairing
Hamlet and the host of others that
flood memory. He suits all passions
and all sympathieS, JOY and sorrow, love
and hate, pleasure and pain; he is at
once poet, philosopher, statesman, ora
tor, clown and fool. Yet only man him
self, with simple or complex nature,
some good and some evil, part philoso-
pher and always friend.
LEoNARDUs.
*.
Charles Kingsley, though not my
favOrite author, gave to the world my
favOrite book. In Westward HO man
is put face to face with manhood of a
living breathing, earnest, honest pug
nacious, go-a-head Christian kind. In
Amyas Leigh, Kingsley has depicted
the man, of all others, you would want
by your side in desperate pinch. A
man whose counterpart you would most
proudly call brother or dearest friend.
A man of brain, Drawn and soul. In
Ayacanora he has given us an exquisite
picture of the evolution of woman from
savagery to civilization. In Mrs. Leigh
he shows the very soul of good pure
mother adoring her God, loving her
children and dutiful to her country
the woman that has made the Anglo
Saxon race carry every thing before it
when perseverance, courage and princi-
pie were needed to win victory or death.
And in it is told the story of the first,
great, forward, dominating stride of the
race in simple words that thrill and
burn. R.F.
Xxx
l may as we'll say at once am not a
great book worm. read for recreation
after hours of trial, and require pleas
ant soothing-syrup rather than brisk
stimulant to brain aweary with fig
ures and figuring. Such mental food l
have always found between the covers
bearing Bret Harte's name. The Luck
of Roaring Camp has "wrastled" away