Arizona republican., 1901-04-23
ON THE SUBJECT OF BOOKS
The Newest Publications of Interest
 Before the World Today.

Chicago, April 1S,-(Special Cores pondence of The Republican)-A great many beautiful things have been writ ten on the subject of books. Our most brilliant writers have eXpounded upon this theme. and our best poets have sung songs to their inspirations.
 But it is an ever fruitful topic. What shou'd We do without books, and who among us is not indebted to them in a far greater degree than he imagines' What if h. isn't a bibliomahiac' u is certainly a fortunate thing that We are not all extremists in this direc- ton. Yet it is not tO be disputed that We are none 's- indebt d to these quiet and faithful friends. Our obU- cations began before We breathed, be- cause by h=redity and prenatal iniiu- ,nce our education had already com menced.
 As infants before We could step or talk We were looking at pictures o' "doggies." and "biId s," and kit ties" As soon as d sufficient Nocab- ulaYy came to us We were reciting Mother Goose rhymes. entertaining ourselves wiih their jingle. thus early bstoIing indebted to books. For anything that interests or amuses, or adds to our instruction places us un- der an obligatory bond. And then. as We passed through the rosy days of Intelligent childhood. when We began to take pieasu1- in tht absolute owner ship of thing with wEa; delight we looked upon thc Christmas and birth day books that bore our name on th" tiy-leaf, Th,y Nt.e not part of the big rows of snlemn-looking volumes owhich mad gp the library. Oh. no, they were ouE own. our very own!
 And when the sentimental days of youth were gpon us. and We stole on under the trees alone with a volume of y=rse. that dad. D rhaps been given ms by another youth of like age. and had oui name in the favorite pen- manship on the inside leaf. Do you recall how delightful it was to read the t5ndertst stanzas you found with in. aid the exquisite emotions that took possessioR. of you as you applied a line full of sentiment to yours =lf? How natural 1t was to draw pencil mark here and there under some es- pecially anectlonate phrase.
 And then. in maturer years, when time has uRfo.ded many things. and fife no longer seems d bright-hued vision. what solid comfort our old friends become. No moods. or wh'ns no tiIesyncra i=s to bear with No cross words. or veXatious tempers. We caN a0 t~fore a group of them and seItvG the particular companion suited to opr mood. and, when we tire of ii. thet@ ayr no hard feelings if we thrust id xsids.
 hsaiH. tAsgp is no fear of that wear- iness fse becoming too we'll acquainted, as ls sometimes experienced between human r,yiazs. for the better We know q goal ss-ok. the stronger will b. our affeCticN FoT G..
 Truly lh<ys is much satisfaction in eos,A collection of readabl- books, and Ga becoming well acquainted with evsFSOae os Shsm.
 IfEEO~e Brothers have given to the world q valuable and noteworthy bool: In ahe ''nsNs@ {. tiers of Victor Hugo. These l"ttsss. which extend over a peTkot wq something like two years, ace g0t' Us che fire and passion Of the great gpO1g. gOr his sweetheart of fifteen sBrgmepH. and but one year his junior Yet they are not the ordinary 'gusb