The Cairo bulletin., 1905-01-27
BOOKS TO READ,
Cut Out the Trash and Read Some
thing Worth While.

We have had a deluge of books to
read during the past decade or two
ANA the country has been in q dalir-
ium OF fantastic fiction. We have
had the mystery books and problem
books and historical novels, so called,
and psychological books and books of
ali kinds. We nave followed the me-
andarings of Mary 2. Wilkins-Free-
man. The sophisticated grandilo-
euence Of Marie Corelli, the chirp
ings Of the Duchess, the inanities of
Mary Jane Holmes, he passionate
frigidity of Erminie Riyes, the yer
bose attenuatiOns of Laura Jean Lib
by, the standing withreluctantfeet-
Where thebrooll aud-riyermeet reeit-
ii of the mincing Mary Johnsons and
others Of the adorable soy. and VIC
have had he magnificent esd Imp
ions OF Hall Caine, tie clever coun
terfoits OF Winston Churchill, the rid
iclllous pretentions Of Charles Majors
ana the rest Of the loazy book max
ors. until the head of the nation is
m0ldered and confused. Young w0.
nen have grown artificial and wor-
| shippers OF silly idealism under the
,nhaalthv influence ana they Pima
enthusiastically, for the looked for
| Prince Charming who comes not, e.
run away with and royali2c them
and the Young men would all wear
periwigs and silver buckles on their
shoes, pose as gallant5 and accentu-
ate their contempt for modern things.
4 change of diet or men al pabulum is
7minnntly desirable and the time is
ripe for It.
If the silly rubbish could be thrown
aside or into the furnace as many IL
1raries are doing at the present time
looks that are useful and that are
calculated 10 strengthen and bean,ifY
he mind and enable people TO give
expression to nobler desires in actual
zed accomplishment may be taken
40 and studied.
The chief duty of those who live IN
thu world is net to create an imagin
airy world and drive thoughIless peo-
IN and render better the real world in
which We live; and the way to d.
dis Is to make thfl part Of the
world in which We live more beauti-
ul and brighter and better.
Reading IS a cultivated tasfe, and
ii Is as easy to cultivate a taste for
one class of reading as another. Law,
yers learn to enjoy dry dissertations,
dog-Latin and all. Spectators viii
lay aside Monte Cristo' or Gull
yer" to read the ticker Scien lists
read with avility crooks and angels,
algebraic symbols and diacritical
marks. The theological student be-
comes enamorei of tedious polemicaI
discussions, and so on.
Would it not be well to pu' into the
hands of the young such useful books
as Parsons How % Plan tae Hons
Grounds" or Robinson on Modern
Civic Art" or The City Made Beauti-
full" or Strange on The Twentieth
Century City?' Albert Shaw's pa
pers on municipal government and
| the management OF cities IN cOntn'
GENIAL and insular Europe is valu-
able contribution to this class of lit
eratur2.
Books like these cannot be read
without resulting in good They Show
people how possible and easy il is to
Seautify homes ana cities and they
| ill those who read hon with a dc
ire to do something in the way Of
adding to the beauty Of the city. ANY
| family that reads one or more OF
these books this winter will not fail
IN have flowers and plants in her
Yards next spring. Their artistic
tastes and civic pride will he shown
how to give them expression and OBJ
iectiyity. Memphis News-Seimitar