Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-06-19
BOYS AND GIRLS.
A GIRLS BOOKSHELvES.

/ specified.
"Do you mean the books that read
myself when 1 was that age,'' she said
or the books that l would give to my
niece? The lists wouldn't be al
together identical, because one is sup
posed to learn from experience"
THOSE which you read and reread'
and would like to have every girl
read" and some new ones, too"
"Look about the shelves here" she
answered. "I've been loyal to nv
old friends, and kept them near me-"
Shy the author of the Schouberg
Gotta Family!" I read. IBID she
write as many as that? A dozen,
aren't there? Did youread them alI?''
81 believe I did," she said. "Pm
not sure that / should do it again
though they are all good, sweet,
wholesome books. If were to live
through my teens again, l think L
would try to read more of the really
great books in the world-the books
that have nodded nations and helped
civilization. But these shelves hold
books that actually did read and love;
and some of those in that set you are
looking at are very dear to me still.
Winifred Bertram was given to me as
a child's book; but I have read it hall
a dozen times since grew up, and it's
sequel, the Chronicles of the Bertram
Family is just as delightful. .
"The characters in them are Ike
ones own living friends" l said.
Eyes. But not quito so much SO, to
me, as Charlotte Yonge's girls and
boys. wonder if girls today read
Charlotte Yonge? She was thought
rather out of date whensI was grow
ing up; but you know how our moth
ers cried over those stories! Yes, L
contributed an offering Of tears my
self when I read Heartsease and Pill
lars of the House. They are not
morbid stories, not in the least; L
don't believe that Miss Yonge ever
wrote anything morbid. But they
have a great deal of genuine human
life in them, and that means tears
sometimes. Yes, should give Miss
Yonge's books to my niece and be
very much disappointed if she didn't
find this world broader, sweeter,
holier place after she read them"
"The Gayworthys and Faith Cart
ney" I read. "Where are the rest OF
them? Where is Leslie Goldthwaite?
and We Girls? and the others?n
"Doing missionary work some
where, no doubt. But you'll not have
to mention them. Nobody has to tell
girls to read Mrs. Whitney. That
book about the Gayworthys is a won
derful story, truly. I read it over
every few years and 1 never can bear
to lay it down, evea though I know
the story so well.
"What is this? Ruskin? Oh, sure
", you didn't read Ruskin in your
teens! That set was slipped in here
by mistake
eyes, but did," she said, serious
ly. 81 wish the other girls would, too
Not Just the bits that are laid dowl
in school requirements, either. Girl
hurry through Sesame and Lilies, ant
little of his questionable art crit
cism, ard one or two of the passage
marked for beauty of style and thel
they think they are competent e
Judge whether they like Ruskin
Agreeing with him is another matter
of course. I don't agree with hin
myself, entirely-in art, or economic
or religion. But he loved girls SO
The old, beautiful, chivalrous, ideal
izing love of womanhood! He wa
an inspiration to me, for all the time
I've been ready to throw his BOOK
down and quarrel with him. 81
made me feel the beauty and dignit.
of work and the duty of Joy, and tn
splendor of human life, more thai
any other author ever studied. Girl
ought to read Ruskin, if only to mn
out what a girls life might be. ID
made mistakes, of course. Ishouldn'
| want my niece to take his word 10
J gospel, even in such book as this
Ethics of the Dust-you remembe
. | those provoking talks with girls
But I do think the association with
mind like his-noble and knightly-l
something too precious for any girl {
miss outof her life"
"These are some Of the neWe
books, on this shelf | said.
Eyes. There's Mrs. Wiggin's he
beoca of Sunny brook Farm. 1wante
; to go back to my teens when l rea
it, SO that l might live it out TO
, myself. Here are some natur
! studies-Olive Thorne Miller, Thomp
son-Seton, and John Burroughs. LIE
c them settle their own differences
I'm going TO enjoy them all, and tn
: whole of Gods creation better 10
? them"
: The clocks striking had warned m
:. to make haste. As turned ava
4 reluctantly, 1 caught sight of two c
: three books lying together upon
: little table.
"Fhe Christian Year-The Imitatio
7 of Christ-George Herbert's Poems,
did you read these when you were
p yOur tApTs %