Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-04-15
LITERARY AND OTHER TOPICS.

LITERARY AND OTHER TOPICS.
There is always at least one and
often several popular novels in the pub
lie eye. Just now those that occupy
this position are Janice Meredith"
by Paul Leicester Ford, (who, by the
way, see in the papers is engaged to
be married); ITO Have and To Hold,
by Mary Johnston, and THE Gentle
man from Indiana by Booth Tarking-
ton. Of course David Harum," Rich
ard Carvel' and When Knight
hood Was in Flower" have
not passed and are yet sell
ing about as rapidly as ever;
but as the newer ones come on they
gradually push the older ones aside,
and for a brief time have a monopoly
of public attention.
Well, it's all right enough for people
to read good novels if they have money
to buy them and time to read them,
but this presence of the popular
novel is apt to divert their minds from
literature that is more instructive and
uSSlul, anu W SOIl6 tACCuI uCoIiOy . SAAS
taste for the latter.
1t is not improbable that the time
will come when many Of the people who
live in the cities will buy already cook
ed and prepared food and so not find
it necessary to have kitchens and cook
ing arrangements of their own. This
will be done on the score of economy
in both time and labor, and expense.
Certainly there would be a great saw
ing, if say the food of hundred fam
lilies were prepared and. distributed
from one kitchen. The person running
the cooked food establishment would be
able to buy provisions much cheaper
than an individual family could, and
so could furnish them cooked and ready
for use at about the same price the
raw material now costs consumers. or
course the well-to-do and wealthy
classes would still have their own
kitchens and cooking arrangements,
but families of limited means, in which
as is often the case, both husband and
wife have to work to make the living,
would find it convenient to buy ready
prepared food, as they would not have
to have cooking arrangements of their
system of housekeeping is preferable,
especially where there are children, or
where the wife does not from necessity
have to work away from home for
others, but there are many persons so
situated that this house without-a-
kitchen arrangement would suit very
well.
The big. circulytion of a certain class
of cheap periodicals, generally month
lies, at about 25 to so cents a year. is
owing to the low price and the prem
iums they give to subscribers, and also
to the misleading and deceptive in
ducements they advertise in order to
get subscribers. Little, if any, of their
reading matter in these publications is
original in them, but taken bodily from
other papers often without credit. They
are full of catchy and snide advertise
ments, which attract the attention of
unsophisticated readers, who, like
Franklin, find that they have paid too
dear for the whistle even if they get
anything at all in return for money
they send to such advertisers, some of
these papers have very large circula-
ton, and if their number and circula-
ton is an index to the literary tastes
of the masses, we must conclude that
as yet they are not of very high
order Possibly though. any literature
not actually bad, is better than none
at all
There is an eternal fitness of things"
when persons of education, character
and refinement possess considerable
wealth-enough at any rate to enable
them to surround themselves with the
things they like and have the minds
to properly appreciate. But how often
is it the case that persons of this class
are poor and cannot crafty their tastes
to any considerable extent. While
others who have money to burn, who
are able to buy costly statuary, great
paintings, the finest books. have Meth
err the minds nor the qualities of heart
to appreciate and enjoy them. They
love wealth for its own sake-for the
ease and luxury it brings. and because
it enables them to make display
rather than for It's power to procure the
things that delight aesthetic senses and
refined natures. Still there are some
persons who would not be willing to
exchange their refined tastes for a big
bank account.
Happiness may not be the greatest
thing in the world or its attainment
the chief purpose of endeavor; still, it
is so desirable that all have right to
try to secure it for themselves and
should strive TO promote it as gener-
al condition. When people learn that
the highest happiness does not come
from the qualification of our own self
ish desires, but from self-deniaI and
making sacrifices for the good Of 9TH
ers, there Jill De more happiness in the
world for all.
]. c. WATKINS.