Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1904-07-25
A Literary
SGr1l1cta


1ae Conn" zziti;!.4l church in Mt
,ahh1lrn Va SELL to support its
own l'@stt#, '44t li5s51sl With that OF
amt her li35z5ist=to zerflea man to
preach In - Ii place hist+ of the time.
Although few in n;aber~ and short in
finances it W3z great IN intellectu-
atty. There was a reading circle, a
mothers club. and sociological So
ciety, besides tho regular Christian
E1deayor society aad the Sunday
school
Consequently when the new pastor,
young man just ont Of college, sent
word that the subject of his first SER
mon would be Reading and Chris
tianity,' ever member was present
and attentive.
Like most young mon he was radi-
cal in his views and very emphatic in
expressing them. He declared that
the craze to read the popular book
is the curse of the times. 1t educates
people to read without thinking and
to neglect reading that requires
thought" He said. 81 can measure
the depth and sincerity OF your Chris
tianity by the new books that you
read and the place that they hold in
your social intercourse If | should
ask who OF you have read Via Crusis,
would expect half of you to re-
spond. If l asked how many have seen
Jacobs Ladder. would not expect
one OF you to answer. Yet Via Crusis
is mere trash, worthless for more than
pastime, while Jacobs Ladder is a
book to be loved and re-read by every
thinking Christian-old but beautiful
and true"
His congregation was serious. All
felt that there was some truth in his
condemnation; yet as Letitia Smith
said, ut seemed such a slaughter of
the innocents, for most Of our books
are at least not bad
Dick Jones, the young school super
intendent, had an idea. He scrawled
note on the back Of his hymn book,
and as soon as the service was over
hired small boy to carry it to his
roommate. This was his message:
"Chum-I'm to entertain the preach
err this afternoon He's cracked on
Jacobs Ladder. 3 you have such
book in your old store trot it OFT; do
something to make it look read; marx
some passages that you think he'll
like, and leave it on my study table.
Be sure it's there before l come in
from dinner and send word to me by
,. the boy. Dick"
He went back smiling to meet the
minister and take him to dinner He
felt sure of having the book. In
short time he received this note:
Book all hunky. Only one in the
shop; a secondhand copy. Read
enough to suit any person. Wasn't
marked. l hadn't time to read. Mary's
waiting for me to come to dinner
| with her. Scratched anywhere just
:: as it happened. Hope it suits. Guy"
/ The pastor picked up the book with
, pleased surprise. $50 we have q
mutual friend here. You're fond of
marking, I see. Marks indicate so
much of persons mental attitude
toward book. For instance, what
second paragraph on the twenty-fifth
pager"
Il don't quite recall it now am
such an erratic marker that my marks
often mean nothing to me afterwards.
Now, this Autocrat." and he took up
his real favorite, did you ever see a
book so mutilated? Yet keep on
marking every time look at it.
But I'm anxious for advice about
Charlie Rogers. What would you do
to help boy that is good hearted and
well-meaning, but SO weak-willed that
his comrades are always getting him
into trouble? Is there any way to de-
velop the manly independence that he
needs??''
The minister, like most unmarried
GeOple. considered himself very skill
,ul in boy training, and he mentioned
Jacobs Ladder nc more that day.
After supper he went to talk with
me of the deacons and Dick walked
TO church with Letitia as usual. OF
course he told of his new book.
Gle comes to our place next. l
!. ish I might borrow it. Via Crusis
is in my bookcase and I'd like Jacob S
Ladder there, too.
"Of course you are welcome to it.
aid Dick. won't it be a joke on
Vim to find it twice in one week after
,uch scathing remarks"
'Ill make it better yet Mrs. Rich
ards,' she called to the sprightly
oung woman walking a little ahead
VI them; then as the lady turned
Don't you entertain the minister after
We do?"
~ suppose so. Why?'
CIR. its such joke, Dick here
l,.ir a rathar 1x...,.r,