Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-12-24

Stepping Heavenwood.' but it would
not be for long No. l never did like
religious books. When | read. read
for fun and for mental Improvement
You must not expect laymen. and es-
pecially young people. to read the same
books as do the minister's
Not expect laymen to read the same
kind of literature as ministers: No.
But would have laymen use common
sense in their selections of books.
would have them treat the brain In ref
erence to its mental food on the same
principle as we would treat the physic-
al body. You restrict your stomach to
one kind of diet long enough. and you
will starve your physical body to death.
no matter what kind of food You may
take. What did your husband die of"
l asked lady some time ago. From
starvation" she answered. lie had an
incurable disease. but that disease did
not directly kill him. We could only
feed him on beefsteak and toast We
bought him the very best steak in the
market. but beefsteak has not all the
ingredients in it to support life, and so
he gradually starved and passed
away" Are you going to restrict your
mind and soul TO only one kind of men,
tai food? If you are broker. is the
full extent of your reading to be found
in perusing the columns of stock mar
kets In the morning newspapers? II
you are n lawyer. are you only going
to read about the forensic giants of
the past who won their memorable vic
tories ut the bar or spend most of your
you are tired mother. when night
comes and all the children are in bed
are you going to simply while away
your evening hours reading novel
and crying over some princess who
never lived: With what books are you
feeding your soul? | am not talking
about the Bible now. What other books
are you reading that are deepening and
widening your intellectual and spiritu-
al life? Are you reading any such
books at all?
The Greatest Book OF All.
But. if it is necessary for us to read
spiritual books for mental food. how
much more necessary is 1t that We as
Christian students should read and
love that greatest of all books which
God has gi ell to us to be our guide!
We have read how the great masters
Of literature loved their books. DIR.
Geikie tells us that when Henry
Thomas Buckle. the distinguished his
torian. was dying his last words on
earth were, My poor books; my poor
books" When Leibnitz died he died
with one of his precious books In his
hand. When Death came to call Rob-
ert SOuthey he found him an old. white
haired man. kissing and strOking the
books he was too weak to open and too
blind to read. CicerO's greatest desire
on earth was expressed in the words.
"Oh. take all that have. but leave me
my books Could there be a better
picture than that which Cunningham
Geikie drew Of the love which these
masters in literature bore their books :?
Should that love be greater than the
love Christians ought to bear the book
Of books which God gave to us to show
us the way of life? II spiritual books
are essential for our mental food.
should we not feed upon this book.
which is wholly divine?
want you to class books among the
best Sf friends and the worst of enc
mics. AS Loyola the wounded soldier
Of fortune became LoyOla the soldier
of Christ by reading THE Lives of the
Saints so I want the good books to
lift you and purify you and make you
q gospel messenger among men. AS
bad books are the worst enemies of
mankind want to enlist your help
In fighting them at every step. 'If
ever the devil had an agent on earth.
have been one" spake the dying
author Of pernicious book. "Oh. that
could destroy that book" want
you to fight these evil books wherever
you go. want you to see that your
library shelves are cleared of the
"lepers." want you to see that your
children never are allowed to touch a
bad book. And Furthermore l want
you, by the help Of God. to scatter
forth the copies Of that one book
which shall yet trample over all evil
books, because 1t is the Sword of the
Spirit" which shall never fail.
May God teach us one and all to pill
low our heads upon the promises and
live as Christ would have us live. be-
cause we love the "old book"
II thou art merry. here are airs:
II melancholy. here are prayers:
II studious. here are those things writ
Which may deserve thy ablest w.t.
II hungry. here Is food divine:
II thirsty. nectar. heavenly wine.
Read then. but first myself prepare
To read with zeal and mark with care:
And when thou readest what here Is
writ.
Let thy best practice second II.
So twice each precept shall be-
First In the book and next in thee.
copyright. 1904 by Louis Klopsch.l
Driving Dat the Men.
The pracidauf ~ fho Norfhwoct form