The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-10-06
THE FRIENDSHIP OF BOOKS.

THE FRIENDSHIP OF BOOKS.
Oliver Wendell Holmes says that |
it was his good fortune to have "tum-
bled about" In a library. Familiarity
with books should begin in infancy.
It is good to turn their pages-to look
at their bindings and titles, to inhale
their odor, and to do these things as
soon as one can walk about in the IL
brary. And the friendship formed for
them at this early period will be
strengthened by the experiences OF
advancing years. Like true and tried
friends, they will become our 1nseper-
able companions. We may at times
become Indifferent to them; circum-
stances beyond our control may with
draw us from their communion; but
they, unlike our friends, are always
ready to welcome our return to their
companionship. They never become
estranged from us.
mo matter how poor am, the best
of mankind will come under my roof
and give me the best of his thoughts
and experiences" I 60 into my IL
brary and select the company that the
mood of the hour needs. If / wish to
know Gods guiding hand in human
history, I converse with Hume, or
Gibbon, or Green. 1t wish to know
| the experiences of the great and good
men and women of the world, and
thus find help for my own life, the
great biographies unfold these to me.
I NAV be, as sometimes am, in the
humor to look more closely into the
spiritual world. I commune with
Wordsworth and Tennyson and the In
comparable Browning.
i AS COMPANIONS.
III 90 on a journey, especially ii
must be absent for several days and
some OF these days must be days OF
leisure, nv books, some OF serious
some of lighter yien, must 60 with
me. What delightful feeling to cut
the pages of the latest magazine or the
new book, as the journey begins, and
to see what rich intellectual feast II
spread before you. You do not take
it i'll that you have no acquaintance
ON the cars. You are rather pleased
). that there is not one to whom yot
feel under obligation to talk. Once IL
your lite you are rather glad to b.
among strangers, so that you can sur
render yourself fully to the compan
ionship OF the book. With my bool
1 never feel lonely.
FOR COMFORT.
If sorrow like cloud falls on me,
betake myself to my books, 1 nee
not go away from home to find tn
consolation 1 need. My books furnls
it. They draw me away from thought
of my misfortune and permit TIA
clouds to pass by. They tell me
the experiences of others similar t
mine, and point me to the source
all consolation and Joy. Cicero, falle
from his greatness, an exile from til
;. land he loved 90 we'll, found books b
only refuge from the anguish of b
soul.
If suffering OF body comes, the
help to relieve even that. It is an il
20 teresting spectacle, that of Gladston
a. the greatest man of the century, ar
at for that matter the greatest of tt
~ worlds history apart from the inspire
"a men of old, turning In his great su
" fering of body, and in his last days
the works of Scott, the greatest stol
teller of them all.
UPLIFTING.
They refine and purify our natul
because their thoughts are pure.
is a benediction to us to have son
good book thoroughly incorporated i
to our mind-such book as we a
r. willing to have become part OF o
mental fiber-such a book as is "ope
ed with expectation and closed wi
profit ;" such book as improves wi
repeated readings.
They enlarge our vision they ri
Sc us the thoughts of the ages for tn
contain as In magic preservation,
that mankind has thought and fe
"God be thanked for books. They 8
the voices of the distant and the de.
and make us heirs of the spiritual
of the ages. They give to all W
al. will faithfully use them the socie
he the spiritual presence of the great
and best of our race"
an GAS friends and companions,
an teachers and CONSIDERS, as recreat'
and amusers, books are always with
and always ready to respond to {
mo wants. We can take them with US
our wanderings, or gather tn
)O0 G~oosln t. Tho 1o,>