The Globe-republican., 1901-12-26
WHAT THE PEOPLE READ.
The Current Literary Thought-The Good
Influences Of Good Reading
Reading n7aketh a full man.-Bacon-
Reading maketh a full mans

OF maxi ing many books there is no
end; and much study is a weariness OF
the flesh, said the writer of Eeclesias
tes. oh, that mine adversary had writ
ten book, said Job. Solomon was
weary of life, and Job was envious in
his aff1iction.
I We are not living in the spirit of
ancient times, and Solomon's wisdom
is not applicable in this day of book
making and book reading. Nova
days, mans adversary, if he writes
good book, has overcome the evil
motive Of his enemy.
The increased facilities of the
printing press has kept pace with the
desire of the people in the advance
thought of the day. What is true in
the invention of the printing press is
true of the manufacture of paper.
Printing press and paper are linked
with the history of man. They have
been the pace-maker of his progress
in the realm of mechanics and of
economics, as well in music, litera-
ture and art. They have come up
tegether out of the past; they are
associated in noble and uplifting
work In the present; together they
go forward to such broader fields of
usefulness as the future may disclose.
II is the chief glory of the century
past that mankind has been helped TO
Va higher intellectual plain and the
blessings Of truth and knowledge
have been more widely disseminated
than ever before.
Today through the abundance and
cbeapness of publications, all men
may hold close communion with the
minis of leading thinkers past and
present, and the melodies of the great
masters are brought within the hear
ing of all.
With u view of ascerteining how
nearly our people were in line with
the current views of the day we have
taken a few interviews, briefly stated,
and find there is close touch in all
lines of literary thought. Fiction
finds favor, as it is closely allied to
the living, and more nearly the like
ness of human nature. 1t broadens
the sense and quickens the intellect
We need the imaginative sense to en-
large our scope of thought and com
prehension of meaning. Reading
gives as power in thinking and rea-
soning, provided the book we read is
the proper one.
IF we read much we think more
IF we breathe much we think deeply.
IF we eat too much we talk to much.
This is a bit of philosophy in keeping
Dwith the educational and ply siologi-
cal sense, and is we'll worth consider
alton in the development Of the in
tellect.
ETan should make his knowledge
useful. In some manner our learn
ing can be impaired to others with
profit to them and ourselves. An in
centive to winter reading OF good
books is the best pastime and recrea-
ton. The best thoughts of others
lead our thoughts. The disuse Of
the reading function tends to the de
cay of the intellectual faculty. The
improvement of our fund of literature
is gained by reading the thought of
others. We must constantly read
and think so as to keep up and inn
prove our store of language.
Literary pursuit is beneficial in
every endeavor Of 1ife-to the mechan-
\ ic. the farmer and the professional
man
Judge B. f. Milton tells us that
he has not much time to read books,
except law books and novels He
reads novels for character study He
says: 'sI wish to find the object of
the ant hor in his delineation in fixing
character and plot 1.-THE Redemp-
ton of David Corson'' is religious
novel. In his life he forsook the
highest ideals for money getting.
Yhere was human stonement for his
wrong doing Eben Holden is pure
and sweet novel It's a story of life