The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1905-01-05

religious books. When | read, read
for fun and for mental improvement.
You mnst not expect laynen, and es-
pcciaIly young people. to read the same
books as do the ministers.
Not expect laymen to read the same
kind of literature rs ministers? No.
But I would have laynicn use common
sense In their selections of books. l
would have them treat tie brain in ref
erence to its mental fool on the same
principle as we would treat the physic-
al body. You restrict your stomach to
one kind of Giet long enough. AMI you
will starve your physical body to death.
no matter what kind of food you may
take. What did your husband die Off
| asked Il lady some time ago. IRON
starvation" she answered. "Ee 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
in 1t 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? IL
you are q lawyer, are you only going
to read about the forensic giants of
the past who won their memorable VIC
tories at the bar or spend most Of your
time In studying your new cases? II
you nre q tired mother. when night
comes and all the children are in bed
are you going to simply while away
your evening hours reading q novel
and crying over some princess who
never lived7 With what books are you
feeding your soulf am not talking
about the Bible now. What other books
are you reading that are deepening and
your intellectual and spiritu-
al life7 Are you reading any such
books Mt all?
The Greatest Book Of All.
But, II 1t 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 given to US to be our guide!
We have read how the great masters
Of literature loved their books. DR..
Geikie tells US thet when Henry
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 strokipg 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 oil that have. but leave me
my booksr Could there be a better
picture than that which Cunningham
Geikie drew Of the love which these
masters in literature bore their books7
Should that love be greater than the
owe Christians ought to bear the book
II books which God gave to us to show
IS the way Of life? II spiritual books
Ire essential for our mental food,
Ihould we not feed upon this book.
which Is wholly divine?
want you to class books among the
,est Of friends and the worst Of enc
MES. As Loyola the wounded soldier
4 fortune became Loyola the soldier
4 Christ by reading 1.-THE Lives Of the
Saints" SO / want the good books to
LIT you and purify you and make you
! gospel messenger among men. As
'ad books are the worst enemies of
want to enlist your help
q fighting them at every step. III
ver the devil had an agent on earth,
have been one" spake the dying
uthor Of pernicious book ''Oh, that
could destroy. that bookr I want
ou to fight these evil books wherever
on go. want you to see that your
brary shelves are cleared of the
lepers." want you to see that your
hfldren never are allowed to touch a
ad book. And furthermore 1 want
%, By the help Of God. to scatter
orth the copies Of that one book |
'hich shall yet trample over all evil
ooks. because It Is the Sword Of the
pirit," which shall never fail.
May God teach us one and all to pil- |
~ our heads upon the promises and
We as Christ would have us live, be-
ause we love the ''old book"
II thou art merry. hsra are airs,
If melancholy. here are prayers;
e studtous. here are those things writ
Which may deserve thy ablest wit:
1f hungry. here Is food divine:
II thirsty. nectar. heavenly wine.
Read then. but first thyseif prepare
TO read with zeal and mark with caro-:
And when thou readest what here n
writ
Lex thy best practice second Il
90 twice each precept shall be-
11rst In the book and next In thea
Copyright. 1904. by Louis Rlopsch1
Driving Ont the Hen.
The president Of the Northwestern
aivcrsity In his report to the trustees
that Institution says the coeduca.
onal system promises to cause the
appearance Of men students from all
e schools IN tho Atuoe~~s~~-s IT.