The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-27
THE BIBLE AS A SERIAL.

The editor of a weekly newspaper in
Illinois has commenced the publica-
ton of the Bible as a serial story in
his paper. He prints one chapter each
week. At that rate, since he COM
menced at the first chapter of Genesis,
it will be something like fifty years be-
fore he will be able to put Concluded"
at the bottom of the regular weekly
installment, unless his paper grows in
to a semi or tri-weekly, or perchance
a daily, or two or three chapters are
printed instead of one in each edition
of the periodical. The editor says he
has taken up the matter seriously, and
believes that his readers will be both
instructed and benefited by the publi-
cation.
And indeed, there are good reasons
for thinking the editor is right. 1t is
hardly taking any risk to say that
Bible reading is on the wane; that rel
atively fewer people read the Holy
Scriptures regularly now. and that the
masses are less familiar with their
teachings, than was the case half a
century ago. Yet the Bible is one of
the most entertaining of all books.
Aside from its spiritual significance, it
is fine literature. Besides being a lamp
to the feet of the seeker after divine
truth, it is textbook of expression.
1t is the most widely quoted of all
writings, and a comprehensive knowl-
edge of it's gems of thought is in itself
a pretty liberal education. No man
who knows his Bible can be called ig-
norant of the classics, if he knows no
other. The history contained in the
Bible is intensely romantic, though it
is no romance. Its love stories and
tragedies abound in thrilling human
interest, albeit they are told in con-
else, direct language, totally devoid of
the tiresome detail so common in
modern books.
There are probably few families in
this country without a @ible. They
would be ashamed of themselves if no
Bible could be found in their homes.
But in the majority of instances the
family Bible Serves for little more than
a repository of the record of births,
marriages and deaths. 1t occupies an
honored place in the library, on the
parlor table or in some special nook.
where it accumulates years and dust.
Its covers are seldom opened except
when there is addition to be made to
the family record. The edges of it's
leaves become yellow with age, but
the pages remain white and bright,
because they seldom see the light.
There are no fngermarks on them, as
on the sacred volumes of the Good
Book of the grandfathers who each
evening gathered the household about
the fireside altar, read chapter aloud
and on Bonded knees invoked the di-
vine blessing.
The Illinois editors innovation, it is
to be hoped, will have the effect of
popularizing the scriptures within his
field. 1t will place the sacred writ
ings conveniently to the hand of the
readers of his paper, in small INSTALL
ments, like those of a continued story.
There are many of those who will
''glace over an article in a newspa-
per when they would not pick up a
book containing the same matter,
which they suppose to be dry" and
to get such people to even glance
over" the scriptures is promising be-
ginning. They will be pretty sure to
find something that will interest them.
and thus the habit of regular reading
and study may be formed. Whatever
will tend to aid in disseminating a
knowledRe of the Rib1e we believe to
be good thing.